A support truck during the 2004 Dakar

The Dakar Rally (or simply "The Dakar"; formerly known as "The Paris Dakar Rally" and now as "The Lisbon Dakar Rally") is an annual off-road race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. The race is open to amateur and professional entries; amateurs typically make up about eighty percent of the participants. Logo of the 2007 Dakar Rally The 2007 Dakar Rally is the 29th running of the event. ... Image File history File links Camion_dakar. ... Image File history File links Camion_dakar. ... The Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) is part of the French media group, EPA (Philippe Amaury Publications), and is well-known as the organiser of various major sporting events, including the Tour de France and Paris-Nice professional cycle road races, and the Paris-Dakar Rally. ...

Despite its name, it is an off-road endurance race rather than a conventional rally – the terrain the competitors traverse is much tougher and the vehicles used are true off-road vehicles rather than the modified sedans used in rallies. Most of the competitive specials are off-road, crossing dunes, mud, camel grass, rocks, erg, among others. The distances of each stage covered vary from several kilometers to several hundred kilometers per day. Endurance racing can refer to races involving persons running in events such as marathons or triathlons, long cross-country skiing events, the racing of horses or other animals, or motorsport. ... Rallying (international) or rally racing (US) is a form of automobile racing that takes place on normal roads with modified production or specially built road cars. ... Issaouane Erg, Algeria. ... A kilometer (Commonwealth spelling: kilometre), symbol: km is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1,000 metres (from the Greek words χίλια (khilia) = thousand and μέτρο (metro) = count/measure). ...

History and route

Tracks through the desert

Countries the rally has been through during its history (orange those countries only travelled through in the 1992 race to Cape Town).

The stages of Lisbon–Dakar 2006

The race originated in 1978, a year after racer Thierry Sabine got lost in the desert and decided this would be a good location for a regular rally. Originally, the rally was from Paris, France to Dakar, Senegal, interrupted by a transfer across the Mediterranean; however due to politics and other factors, the course, including origin and destination, have varied over the years. Dakar has been the destination city on all but four occasions. The rally began at Paris each year until 1995. The previous year, the rally both began and ended in Paris, but due to complaints by the mayor, the finish had to be moved from the Champs-Élysées to Euro Disney. This also caused the organisation to lay out the rally through different locations in following years. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1258, 230 KB) Found on fr: Traces laissées par le Rallye Dakar dans le Sahara Mauritanien Photo prise en janvier 2005. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1258, 230 KB) Found on fr: Traces laissées par le Rallye Dakar dans le Sahara Mauritanien Photo prise en janvier 2005. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (681x859, 32 KB) Countries the Paris Dakar rally has been through. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (681x859, 32 KB) Countries the Paris Dakar rally has been through. ... Nickname: Motto: Spes Bona (Latin for Good Hope) Location of the City of Cape Town in Western Cape Province Coordinates: , Country Province Municipality City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality Founded 1652 Government [1]  - Type City council  - Mayor Helen Zille  - City manager Achmat Ebrahim Area  - City 2,499 km²  (964. ... Image File history File links Lisboa-dakar2006_total. ... Image File history File links Lisboa-dakar2006_total. ... Thierry Sabine (° 13 June 1949 in Neuilly-sur-Seine - † 14 January 1986) - french wrangler, motorcycle racer - founder and main organizer of Paris Dakar. ... This article is about arid terrain. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... (City of Dakar, divided into 19 communes darrondissement) City proper (commune) Région Dakar Département Dakar Mayor Pape Diop (PDS) (since 2002) Area 82. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... The Champs-Élysées (pronounced  ) is the most prestigious and broadest avenue in Paris. ... Castle of the Sleeping Beauty in Disneyland Park Disneyland Resort Paris is a theme park in Marne-la-Vallée, near Paris. ...

Complete list of routes

• 1979-1980: Paris - Dakar
• 1981-1988: Paris - Algiers - Dakar
• 1989: Paris - Tunis - Dakar
• 1990-1991: Paris - Tripoli - Dakar
• 1992: Paris - Cape Town, South Africa
• 1993: Paris - Dakar
• 1994: Paris - Dakar - Paris
• 1995-1996: Granada - Dakar
• 1997: Dakar - Agadez - Dakar
• 1998: Paris - Granada - Dakar
• 1999: Granada, Spain - Dakar
• 2000: Dakar - Cairo, Egypt
• 2001: Paris - Dakar
• 2002: Arras, France - Madrid, Spain - Dakar
• 2003: Marseilles, France - Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt
• 2004: Clermont-Ferrand, France - Dakar
• 2005: Barcelona, Spain - Dakar
• 2006-2009: Lisbon, Portugal - Dakar

Today's rallies pass through Morocco, Western Sahara and onto the grasslands and deserts of Mauritania. The segments running though Atar and the sand dunes and canyons of Mauritania's Adrar Region may be the most challenging in all off-road racing. “Alger” redirects here. ... Tripoli (Arabic: طرابلس Tarābulus) is the capital city of Libya. ... Nickname: Motto: Spes Bona (Latin for Good Hope) Location of the City of Cape Town in Western Cape Province Coordinates: , Country Province Municipality City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality Founded 1652 Government [1]  - Type City council  - Mayor Helen Zille  - City manager Achmat Ebrahim Area  - City 2,499 km²  (964. ... For other uses, see Granada (disambiguation). ... Agadez is the largest city in northern Niger, lying in the Sahara and is the capital of Aïr, one of the traditional Tuareg federations. ... Nickname: Egypt: Site of Cairo (top center) Coordinates: , Government  - Governor Dr. Abdul Azim Wazir Area  - City 214 km²  (82. ... Arras (Dutch: ) is a town and commune in northern France, préfecture (capital) of the Pas-de-Calais département. ... Motto: (Spanish for From Madrid to Heaven) Location Coordinates: , Country Spain Autonomous Community Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid Province Madrid Administrative Divisions 21 Neighborhoods 127 Founded 9th century Government  - Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón Jimémez (PP) Area  - Land 607 km² (234. ... Marseilles redirects here. ... Sharm el-Sheikh is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, on the coastal strip between the Red Sea and Mount Sinai. ... Clermont-Ferrand is a city of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of approximately 140,000. ... Location Coordinates : Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Barcelona (Catalan) Spanish name Barcelona Nickname Ciutat Comtal (City of Counts) Postal code 08001–08080 Area code 34 (Spain) + 93 (Barcelona) Website http://www. ... For other uses, see Lisbon (disambiguation). ... Atar is a town in north western Mauritania, the capital of the Adrar region and the main settlement on the airport, a museum and a historic mosque, constructed in 1674. ... Adrar (Arabic: ولاية آدرار) is a large region in Mauritania, named for the Adrar Plateau. ... In offroad racing, various classes of specially modified vehicles, including cars, compete in races through off-road environments. ...

In 1992, Hubert Auriol won the Dakar in an automobile after having previously won the motorcycle competition on two occasions, making him the first driver to win on both two and four wheels. Hubert Auriol (born in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, June 7, 1952) is a former French racing driver and former director of the Paris-Dakar Rally. ... For other uses, see Motorcycle (disambiguation). ...

Vehicles and classes

The three major competitive classes of the Dakar are:

• motorcycles,
• automobiles (ranging from buggies to small trucks)
• Full size Trucks ("T4" "Camions" or "Lorries")

Many vehicle manufacturers exploit the harsh environment the rally offers as a testing ground, and consequently to demonstrate the durability of their vehicles, although most vehicles are heavily modified. For other uses, see Motorcycle (disambiguation). ... “Car” and “Cars” redirect here. ... Dune buggy George W. Bush in a Dune buggy A dune buggy is a recreational vehicle with small wheels, and thin tires, designed for use on water dunes or beaches. ... For other uses, see Truck (disambiguation). ...

Automobile Class

Porsche 959 racing the 1986 Dakar Rally.

Nissan Navara Lisbon-Dakar 2006

Originally, European utility vehicles like the Land Rover, Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz G, Volkswagen Iltis and the Pinzgauer, as well the Japanese Toyota Land Cruiser, dominated the race. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x1024, 260 KB) Summary Porsche 959 race car in the 1986 Dakar Rally Source Porsche AG promo photo Licensing This is a copyrighted image that has been released by a company or organization to promote their work or product in the... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x1024, 260 KB) Summary Porsche 959 race car in the 1986 Dakar Rally Source Porsche AG promo photo Licensing This is a copyrighted image that has been released by a company or organization to promote their work or product in the... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Porsche 959 The Porsche 959 is a supercar manufactured by Porsche AG from 1986 to 1989, first as a Group B rally car and later as a road going vehicle designed to satisfy FIA homologation regulations requiring that a minimum number of street legal... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 952 KB) Nissan Navara Lisboa-Dakar 2006 File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Dakar Rally Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 952 KB) Nissan Navara Lisboa-Dakar 2006 File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Dakar Rally Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Nissan Motor Co. ... Land Rover was the name of one of the first British civilian all-terrain utility vehicles, first produced by Rover in 1947. ... The Land Rover Range Rover, usually shortened to just Range Rover, is a four-wheel drive luxury SUV produced by Land Rover in the United Kingdom. ... For G-class stars, see Stellar classification. ... The Volkswagen Type 183, more commonly known as the Iltis is a military vehicle built by Volkswagen for use by the German military and under license by Bombardier for the Canadian Forces. ... Pinzgauer is a high mobility all-terrain 4x4 and 6x6 military utility vehicle manufactured in Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom, by Automotive Technik (ATL). ... For other uses of Cruiser, see Cruiser (disambiguation). ...

Other manufacturers have entered heavily modified street vehicles such as Rolls-Royce, Citroën, Peugeot (405 T16 and 205 T16) and even Porsche. Rolls-Royce Motors was created from the demerger of the Rolls-Royce car business from Rolls-Royce Limited in 1973. ... Citroën is a French automobile manufacturer, founded in 1919 by André Citroën. ... Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën. ... 1990 Peugeot 405 Mi16 1990 Peugeot 405 Mi16 1994 Peugeot 405 The Peugeot 405 is a large family car released by the French automaker Peugeot in 1987 and which continues to be manufactured under license outside France. ... The Peugeot 205 is a supermini produced by the French car manufacturer Peugeot between 1983 and 1996. ... This article is about the auto company. ...

In 2003, examples in the Automobile Class included the Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero, the Volkswagen Race Touareg, the Bowler Wildcat 200 and the Nissan Navara. Mercedes Benz M, BMW X5 and BMW X3. Hummer H1 and Hummer H3 sport-utilities were represented but did not appear in the leader positions. Jean-Louis Schlesser built a series of custom dune buggy vehicles for the race, and has won with them several times. American ("Baja") style pro trucks have also made appearances, but they have seldom won. At the present some of the main competitors in the car class are Volkswagen, Mitsubishi and Nissan. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Mitsubishi Pajero (IPA /pɑxɛ.ɹoʊ/) is a SUV manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. ... The Volkswagen Touareg is a mid-size luxury SUV produced by German automaker Volkswagen since 2003. ... The Bowler Wildcat is an offroad vehicle made by Bowler Offroad Ltd and is based on the Land Rover Discovery They feature heavily in rallies such as the Dakar, and normally enjoy considerable success. ... The Nissan Navara is a model of pickup truck manufactured by Nissan and sold under the Nissan brand name. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The BMW X5 is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV sold by BMW since 2000. ... The BMW X3 is a compact luxury crossover SUV (though BMW advertises it as an SAV, or Sport Activity Vehicle) produced by the German automaker BMW. It is based on the BMW 3-Series automobile platform. ... Hummer is a brand of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) sold by General Motors, also known as GM. They are based on the military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, or Humvee. ... The Hummer H3 SUV/Tri/x is a vehicle from General Motors Hummer division, introduced in 2006. ... Jean-Louis Schlesser is a racing driver with experience in circuit racing and cross-country rallying. ... Dune buggy George W. Bush in a Dune buggy A dune buggy is a recreational vehicle with small wheels, and thin tires, designed for use on water dunes or beaches. ... Rider at Mile 328 of the Baja 1000 Four-wheel vehicle known as a Truggy Baja 1000 is an off-road race that takes place on Mexicos Baja California Peninsula in the fall. ...

The Full Size Truck Class

Unimog U400L n.541 on second stage of the rally-raid Lisbon-Dakar 2006

Russian KAMAZ Seven times Dakar winner

The Full Size Truck Class ("T4" "Camions" or "Lorries") include Tatra, LIAZ, Kamaz, Hino, MAN, DAF, PERLINI, Mercedes-Benz Unimog, Renault Kerax, SCANIA, IVECO, GINAF. In the 1980s, a strong rivalry between DAF and Mercedes-Benz led to vehicles which had twin engines and more than 1000 hp (750 kW). Later Tatra, PERLINI and Kamaz took the race up. After 2000, renewed competition started in the truck class between DAF, Tatra, Mercedes-Benz and Kamaz. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2560x1920, 1974 KB) Summary Description: Unimog U400L n. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2560x1920, 1974 KB) Summary Description: Unimog U400L n. ... Unimog (from the German UNIversal-MOtor-Gerät, meaning universal motor device) designates a range of multi purpose four wheel drive medium trucks produced by Mercedes-Benz (a division of DaimlerChrysler AG). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2580x1932, 908 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Dakar Rally Kamaz Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2580x1932, 908 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Dakar Rally Kamaz Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used... Kamaz (Камский автомобильный завод - Камаз / Kamskiy avtomobilny zavod - Kama Automobile Zavod - Kamaz or KAMA Heavy-Duty Truck Production Plant) is a Tatar truck manufacturer located in Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan, Russian Federation. ... Tatra is a vehicle manufacturer in Kopřivnice, Czech Republic. ... Kamaz (Камский автомобильный завод - Камаз / Kamskiy avtomobilny zavod - Kama Automobile Zavod - Kamaz or KAMA Heavy-Duty Truck Production Plant) is a Tatar truck manufacturer located in Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan, Russian Federation. ... Hino Motors - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... MAN AG (formerly called Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg AG, ISIN: DE0005937007) is a German transportation company. ... DAF Trucks NV is a Dutch truck manufacturing company and a division of PACCAR. Its headquarters and main plant are in Eindhoven. ... This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ... Unimog (from the German UNIversal-MOtor-Gerät, meaning universal motor device) designates a range of multi purpose four wheel drive medium trucks produced by Mercedes-Benz (a division of DaimlerChrysler AG). ... Renault Trucks is a French truck manufacturer, owned by Volvo. ... A vintage Scania truck (L80 successor to the Scania-Vabis L56) Scania A1 1901 Scania Type A Tonneau 1903 Scania AB is a leading European manufacturer of heavy trucks (British English: lorries), buses, and diesel engines, based in Södertälje, Sweden. ... Iveco is a European truck, bus, and diesel engine manufacturer, based in Turin, Italy. ... GINAF X3331 Paris-Dakar rally service truck GINAF is a Dutch truck manufacturer which produces trucks mainly for heavy duty off-road transport, construction and agricultural work. ... DAF Trucks NV is a Dutch truck manufacturing company and a division of PACCAR. Its headquarters and main plant are in Eindhoven. ... This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ... This article is about a unit of measurement. ... The kilowatt (symbol: kW) is a unit for measuring power, equal to one thousand watts. ... Tatra is a vehicle manufacturer in Kopřivnice, Czech Republic. ... Kamaz (Камский автомобильный завод - Камаз / Kamskiy avtomobilny zavod - Kama Automobile Zavod - Kamaz or KAMA Heavy-Duty Truck Production Plant) is a Tatar truck manufacturer located in Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan, Russian Federation. ... DAF Trucks NV is a Dutch truck manufacturing company and a division of PACCAR. Its headquarters and main plant are in Eindhoven. ... Tatra is a vehicle manufacturer in Kopřivnice, Czech Republic. ... This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ... Kamaz (Камский автомобильный завод - Камаз / Kamskiy avtomobilny zavod - Kama Automobile Zavod - Kamaz or KAMA Heavy-Duty Truck Production Plant) is a Tatar truck manufacturer located in Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan, Russian Federation. ...

Motorcycle Manufacturers Class

The most popular of the Motorcycle Manufacturers Class in the race series would be KTM and Yamaha, as many of their Motorcycles have finished in top positions over the years. Also BMW motorcycles have been quite successful in Dakar. Kronreif & Trunkenpolz, Mattighofen (KTM) is an Austrian motorcycle manufacturer. ... Yamaha Motor Corporation (ヤマハ発動機株式会社) is a motorized vehicle-producing company, initially part of the Yamaha Corporation. ... A 1924 BMW R32 at the 2006 BMW MOA international rally in Vermont. ...

Television coverage

The English television coverage of the rally is narrated by Toby Moody, a retired motorcycle rider whose distinct accent (especially pronouncing foreign names such as "Schless-ah", "Shi-no-zoo-ker" and "Me-oh-nee") adds to the personality of the race. Toby Moody is the worldwide voice of the Dakar Rally. ... Accents mark speakers as a member of a group by their pronunciation of the standard language. ...

Coverage of the race in the United States has been spotty over the years. The Speed Channel devoted a half-hour per day in 2003 and 2004 to the event before being outbid by the Outdoor Life Network for 2005. OLN only programmed a single hour-long retrospective well after the event concluded. But in 2006, OLN has upped its coverage to half-hour long nightly stage recaps including reporters traveling in the bivouacs. None of OLN's coverage to date has featured Toby Moody. The Versus (TV channel) (formally Outdoor Life Network) is covering half an hour segments of the 2007 Dakar Rally, daily showtimes are at 3:00 PM North American Eastern Standard Time Zone and repeats can be seen at varying times. SPEED Channel, based in Charlotte, NC, was launched on New Years Day 1996, by Roger Werner, as SpeedVision. ... OLN (formerly known as the Outdoor Life Network until July 2005) is a cable television channel owned by Comcast. ... Versus (previously known as OLN until a name change on September 25, 2006) is a cable television sports channel owned by Comcast and shown in the United States. ... OLN (formerly known as the Outdoor Life Network until July 2005) is a cable television channel owned by Comcast. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... EST is UTC-5 The North American Eastern Standard Time Zone (abbreviated EST) is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting five hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) resulting in UTC-5. ...

In Europe the coverage is also covered by EuroSport. In 2007 Eurosport both shows live feeds and some reruns the next day of the past days live show. For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Eurosport is the largest European sports satellite and cable network available in 54 countries and broadcasting in 18 different languages. ...

Incidents

Frontier between Morocco and Western Sahara during the Dakar Rally

In 1982, Mark Thatcher, son of the then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, along with his French co-driver Charlotte Verney and their mechanic, went missing for six days. On January 9, the trio became separated from a convoy of vehicles after they stopped to make repairs to a faulty steering arm. They were declared missing on January 12; after a large-scale search, a Lockheed L100 search plane from the Algerian military spotted their white Peugeot 504 some 50 km (30 mi) off course. Thatcher, Verney and the mechanic were all unharmed. Image File history File links Frontier_dakar. ... Image File history File links Frontier_dakar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Sir Mark Thatcher, 2nd Baronet (born 15 August 1953) is the only son of Sir Denis Thatcher and Baroness Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister, and twin brother of Carol Thatcher. ... In the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister is the head of government, exercising many of the executive functions nominally vested in the Sovereign, who is head of state. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (née Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 until 1990, being the first and to date only woman to hold either post. ... is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a four-engine turboprop aircraft, is the main tactical air transport aircraft of the United States and UK military forces. ... The armed forces of Algeria is comprised of the Peoples National Army (ANP), Algerian National Navy (MRA), Air Force (QJJ), and Territorial Air Defense Force. ... The Peugeot 504 is a large family car produced by French automaker Peugeot between 1968 and 1983 in Europe. ...

In 1986, the organiser of the rally, Thierry Sabine, was killed when his Ecureuil helicopter crashed at 07:30 p.m. on Tuesday 14 January 1986, into a dune at Mali during a sudden sand-storm. Also killed onboard was the singer-songwriter Daniel Balavoine, helicopter pilot François-Xavier Bagnoud, journalist Nathalie Odent and Jean-Paul Lefur who was a radiophonic engineer for RTL^[1]. Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Thierry Sabine (° 13 June 1949 in Neuilly-sur-Seine - † 14 January 1986) - french wrangler, motorcycle racer - founder and main organizer of Paris Dakar. ... “AStar” redirects here. ... Daniel Balavoine. ... RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg is the main television channel in Luxembourg, broadcasting in Luxembourgish. ...

Six people were killed during the 1988 race, three participants and three local residents. In one incident, Baye Sibi, a 10-year-old Malian girl, was killed by a racer while she crossed a road. A film crew's vehicle killed a mother and daughter in Mauritania on the last day of the race. The race participants killed, in three separate crashes, were a Dutch navigator on the DAF Trucks team, a French privateer, and a French rider. Racers were also blamed for starting a wildfire that caused a panic on a train running between Dakar and Bamako, where three more people were killed.^[2] The word daf and similar can mean: The word daff is a colloquial short form of daffodil. ... In motorsport, privateer is a general term used to describe any entrants into a racing event that are not factory-backed by an automobile manufacturer. ... For other uses, see Motorcycle (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Wildfire (disambiguation). ... View of Bamako Bamako district Bamako, population 1,690,471 (2006), is the capital of Mali, and is the biggest city in the country. ...

In 2005, Spanish motorcyclist José Manuel Pérez died in a Spanish hospital on Monday, January 10 after crashing the week before on the 7th stage. Italian motorcyclist Fabrizio Meoni, a two-time winner of the event, became the second Dakar Rally rider to die in two days, following Pérez on January 11 on stage 11. Meoni was the 11th motorcyclist and the 45th competitor overall to die in the history of the race. On January 13, a five-year-old Senegalese girl was crushed beneath the wheels of a service lorry after wandering onto a main road, bringing the total deaths to five. Many other African non-participants are said to have been killed because of the Dakar rally, but unlike the participants, no official figures are available and the names of the victims are usually not given. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Fabrizio Meoni (December 31, 1957 Castiglion Fiorentino - January 11, 2005) was an Italian offroad and endurance motorcycle rider, a member of the KTM Factory Team. ... is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ...

In 2006, 41 year old Australian KTM motorcyclist Andy Caldecott, in his third time in the Dakar, died January 9 as a result of neck injuries received in a crash approximately 250km (155mi) into stage 9, between Nouakchott and Kiffa, only a few kilometers from the location where Meoni had his fatal wreck the year before. He won the third stage of the 2006 event between Nador and Er Rachidia only a few days before his death. The death occurred despite efforts by the event organisers to improve competitor safety, including speed limits, mandatory rest at fuel stops, and reduced fuel capacity requirements for the bike classes. On January 13, a 10-year old boy died while crossing the course after being hit by a car driven by Latvian Maris Saukans, while on January 14 a 12-year old boy was killed after being hit by a support lorry [1]. Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kronreif & Trunkenpolz, Mattighofen (KTM) is an Austrian motorcycle manufacturer. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Nouakchott (Arabic: نواكشوط or انواكشوط; population estimate 1999: 881,000) is the capital and by far the largest city of Mauritania. ... Kiffa is a city in south-central Mauritania. ... Nador city (Amazigh:Nnadur ), northeastern Morocco in the Rif. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 2007, 29-year old South African motor racer Elmer Symons died of injuries sustained in a crash during the fourth stage of the Rally. Symons crashed with his bike in the desert between Er Rachidia and Ouarzazate, Morocco.^[3] Another death occurred on January 20, the night before the race's finish, when 42-year-old motorcyclist Eric Aubijoux died suddenly. The cause of death was initially believed to be a heart attack,^[4] however it was later suggested that Aubijoux died of internal injuries sustained in a crash earlier that day while competing in the 14th stage of the race. Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Ouarzazate (Arabic, ورزازات, Warzāzāt) (called The door of the desert), is a city in southern Morocco. ...

Criticism

The race has been subject to criticism from several sources, generally focusing on the race's impact on the inhabitants of the countries through which it passes. The environmental impact of the race has been another issue. This rejection of the race is notably the topic of the song 500 connards sur la ligne de départ by French singer Renaud ("500 assholes on the start line"). Renaud Séchan, known as Renaud, (born in Paris on May 11, 1952) is a popular French singer. ...

The rally was criticised for crossing through the disputed, non-decolonized territory of Western Sahara, without consulting the Polisario Front, which is considered representative of the Sahrawi people. After the race officials began asking for formal permission from the Polisario from 2000 onwards, this has not been an issue. Colonialism in 1945 Decolonization refers to the achievement of independence by the various Western colonies and protectorates in Asia and Africa following World War II. This conforms with an intellectual movement known as Post-Colonialism. ... The Polisario, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro (Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and [[Río de Oro]]) is a Sahrawi rebel movement working for the separation... “Sahraoui” redirects here. ...

After the 1988 race, when three Africans were killed in collisions with vehicles involved in the race, PANA, a Dakar-based news agency, wrote that the deaths were "insignificant for the [race's] organizers". The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano called the race a "vulgar display of power and wealth in places where men continue to die from hunger and thirst."^[5] During a 2002 protest at the race's start in Arras, France, a Green Party of France statement described the race as "colonialism that needs to be eradicated".^[6] A news agency is an organization of journalists established to supply news reports to organizations in the news trade: newspapers, magazines, and radio and television broadcasters. ... Masthead LOsservatore Romano is the Vaticans newspaper. ... Arras (Dutch: ) is a town and commune in northern France, préfecture (capital) of the Pas-de-Calais département. ... Les Verts (or The Greens) are an ecologist political party to the left of the political spectrum in France. ...

Some residents along the race's course have said they see limited benefits from the race; that race participants spend little money on the goods and services local residents can offer. The racers produce substantial amounts of dust along the course, and are blamed for hitting and killing livestock, in addition to occasionally injuring or killing people.^[7]

List of winners

Year	Cars		Motorcycles		Trucks		Route
	Driver Co-Driver	Manufacturer	Rider	Manufacturer	Driver	Manufacturer
2007	Stéphane Peterhansel Jean-Paul Cottret	Mitsubishi Pajero	Cyril Despres	KTM	Hans Stacey	MAN	Lisbon-Dakar
2006	Luc Alphand Gilles Picard	Mitsubishi Pajero	Marc Coma	KTM	Vladimir Chagin	Kamaz	Lisbon-Dakar
2005	Stéphane Peterhansel Jean-Paul Cottret	Mitsubishi Pajero	Cyril Despres	KTM	Firdaus Kabirov	Kamaz	Barcelona-Dakar
2004	Stéphane Peterhansel Jean-Paul Cottret	Mitsubishi Pajero	Nani Roma	KTM	Vladimir Chagin	Kamaz	Clermont-Ferrand-Dakar
2003	Hiroshi Masuoka Andrea Schulz	Mitsubishi Pajero	Richard Sainct	KTM	Firdaus Kabirov	Kamaz	Marseille-Sharm el Sheikh
2002	Hiroshi Masuoka Pascal Maimon	Mitsubishi Pajero	Fabrizio Meoni	KTM	Vladimir Chagin	Kamaz	Arras-Madrid-Dakar
2001	Jutta Kleinschmidt Andrea Schulz	Mitsubishi Pajero	Fabrizio Meoni	KTM	Karel Loprais	Tatra	Paris-Dakar
2000	Jean-Louis Schlesser Henri Magne	Schlesser-Renault Buggy	Richard Sainct	BMW	Vladimir Chagin	Kamaz	Paris-Dakar-Cairo
1999	Jean-Louis Schlesser Philippe Monnet	Schlesser-Renault Buggy	Richard Sainct	BMW	Karel Loprais	Tatra	Granada-Dakar
1998	Jean-Pierre Fontenay Gilles Picard	Mitsubishi Pajero	Stéphane Peterhansel	Yamaha	Loprais	Tatra	Paris-Granada-Dakar
1997	Kenjiro Shinozuka Henri Magne	Mitsubishi Pajero	Stéphane Peterhansel	Yamaha	Peter Reif	Hino	Dakar-Agades-Dakar
1996	Pierre Lartigue Michel Perin	Citroën ZX	Edi Orioli	Yamaha	Viktor Moskovskikh	Kamaz	Granada-Dakar
1995	Pierre Lartigue Michel Perin	Citroën ZX	Stéphane Peterhansel	Yamaha	Karel Loprais	Tatra	Granada-Dakar
1994	Pierre Lartigue Michel Perin	Citroën ZX	Edi Orioli	Cagiva	Karel Loprais	Tatra	Paris-Dakar-Paris
1993	Bruno Saby Dominique Seriyes	Mitsubishi Pajero	Stéphane Peterhansel	Yamaha	Francesco Perlini	Perlini	Paris-Dakar
1992	Hubert Auriol Philippe Monnet	Mitsubishi Pajero	Stéphane Peterhansel	Yamaha	Francesco Perlini	Perlini	Paris-Sirte-Cape Town
1991	Ari Vatanen Bruno Berglund	Citroën ZX	Stéphane Peterhansel	Yamaha	Jacques Houssat	Perlini	Paris-Tripoli-Dakar
1990	Ari Vatanen Bruno Berglund	Peugeot 405 T16	Edi Orioli	Cagiva	Villa	Perlini	Paris-Tripoli-Dakar
1989	Ari Vatanen Bruno Berglund	Peugeot 405 T16	Gilles Lalay	Honda			Paris-Tunis-Dakar
1988	Juha Kankkunen Juha Piironen	Peugeot 205 T16	Edi Orioli	Honda	Karel Loprais	Tatra	Paris - Alger - Dakar
1987	Ari Vatanen