For its seventh edition in South America, the Dakar is returning to the concept of a looped route, with the start and finish in Buenos Aires. The tracks and dunes of Argentina, Chile and Bolivia will be the theatre of marathon stages and will witness the return of Peugeot, the brand of the lion, to all-terrain competition…
There will be a familiar tone at the ceremony to present the riders and drivers which will take place in front of the Casa Rosada on 3rd January, just before the start of the 37th edition of the Dakar. It was in Buenos Aires that the rally underwent a re-birth in 2009, with the start of a Latino era in its development. On this first journey to South America, the Dakar competitors were won over by the charm of the Argentinean landscapes, the Andes Mountains and the Atacama Desert in Chile. In 2015, a looped route with the start and finish in the Argentinean capital will again be on the programme to pay homage to this moment in the race’s history.
Since 2009, the Dakar has been enhanced by the encounter with its hosts (with three times more vehicles ridden/driven by South Americans in 2014!) as well as the discovery of new lands and countries. In addition to Argentina and Chile, which will see Iquique host the rest day for the first time, the route again includes an incursion into Bolivia. The country that enthralled the bike and quad riders last January will also enchant the car drivers during the next edition. The continent’s specific geographical features have won over the competitors and have also encouraged the organisers to try out new sporting challenges. The innovations will continue for the next edition with marathon stages that will involve all the categories.
The South American challenge, the seventh of its kind, will also mark a long-awaited return in the car category. Whilst the identity of its recruits and the name of the models that will take starter’s orders in Buenos Aires will be unveiled in the near future, the 205s and 405s driven in Africa by Vatanen, Kankkunen or Ickx at the time of the Peugeot saga will see their heirs take their place on the Dakar 2015. Watch this space…
