Dakar crosses the ocean for 2009 event in Argentinia and Chile
We have crossed the ocean. The Dakar visits South America but doesn’t however leave Africa. The rally was forced to move away from its base but its roots haven’t moved. The links that were set during thirty years and the energy that has nourished the event continue to express themselves in the voyage that we are undertaking. The trip back whose length will also be dictated by the geo-political context is, whatever happens, being prepared now. It is why the relations that we have with the African countries affirm themselves as a solid base for the event.Through regular visits, a permanent study of new options, the support towards the ”Six heures de Dakar” (Six hours of Dakar) event but also the upholding of the Actions Dakar program, Africa remains at the heart of our concerns. The return of the Dakar will not be that of an unworthy son.
The challenge that we offer has changed setting. Its spirit is undamaged. Organizers and competitors, the men and women of the Dakar have, before all, the taste of discovery in common. They are captured by the simple and absolute beauty of landscapes and distinguish themselves by their open-mindedness. But most of all, they have a thrill for a demanding competition able to transport them in every different sense. In Argentina and Chile, we have the guaranty of finding the ingredients that make the alchemy of the Dakar. A real nomadic event with 21 African countries transversed in the past, it has a vocation to explore the deserts of the world. We therefore start by places with evocative names: Patagonia, Atacama, etc. In the future, the world’s biggest rally will also cross other oceans and travel through other continents.
The enthusiasm that we already feel from the next competitors of the 2009 Dakar answers the will of the Argentineans and Chileans that have shown an interest for the event for many years. Whether they are drivers who have already been one step beyond, partners with whom we have started working or ‘aficionados’ that have multiplied gestures of sympathy, we have already identified signs that don’t fool us: in South America, one really has a special culture and passion for motorsports and extreme adventure. We are sure of meeting up.
Credits: Étienne Lavigne, Director of the Dakar, www.dakar.com
