alger - dakar

253 Pages·2017·47.25 MB·English

HISTORIC
BOOK
HISTORIC
1979 - 2017
STATISTICS
DREAM.
DARE.
JANUARY
6TH - 20TH

LIVE IT.
#Dakar2018
MENU
39 YEARS OF DAKAR
HISTORIC
The adventure began in 1977. Thierry Sabine got els...” The first car team was that of Genestier, Terbiaut and “Come together” was the wish of Thierry Sabine. However,
lost on his motorcycle in the Libyan desert during Lemordant (Range Rover), which finished in fourth place. “Be careful” was also a primordial exhortation, as these
words from Michel Merel attest: “The piste is like the ocean;
the Abidjan-Nice rally. “Rescued from the sands” in But for this initial experience, finish times and rankings did
1979 - 2017 it is wrong not to fear it. As for me, the piste makes me scared;
extremis, he returned to France defeated by these not matter much. Self-discovery, adventure and exceeding
you don’t mess around with it. You can’t be an artist.”
dreamlike landscapes. He then promised himself one’s own limitations were the essence of the event.
that he would share this discovery with as many as The key event during this year’s event was undoubtedly the
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 This first Dakar was a huge success. Its impact, both in
victory of Hubert Auriol, which marked the beginning of a
possible and lived for a single goal: take a maximum terms of the majesty of the revealed landscapes and the
long history of incredible performances. He became the
1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 number of people into the immensity of this sand. originality of the route, resonated. The rally definitively
new leader in motorcycle racing. The legend was beginning
changed the lives of every competitor. The most daunting
This led him to imagine an extraordinary journey to take shape...Thierry Sabine’s gamble was paying off.
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 off-road rally of all time was born.
originating in Europe. The route would then continue
As early as this very first edition, Hubert Auriol, Dakar direc-
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 to Algiers before crossing Agadez and ultimately 1982
tor from 1994 to 2003, was on the scene. His interest in the
leading to Dakar. The plan quickly became a reality.
Once again, the starting gates were at the Place de la
rally is two-fold because not only does Hubert Auriol love
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Concorde, with the arrival taking place, as per custom, on
The Paris-Dakar rally opened up an unknown world, motorcycles, but since he lived there for 12 years, Africa
the banks of Rose Lake. The departure drew 382 compet-
one in which its creator, Thierry Sabine, was seen as has a very special meaning for him.
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 itors--more than double the amount of participants in the
a true pioneer. His motto then would be: “A challenge
first edition. The Marreau brothers, nicknamed “the foxes
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 for those who go. A dream for those who stay behind.” 1980 of the desert”, offered up a resounding victory to Renault
Africa, a multi-faceted continent, in fact offered the The launch of the Dakar rally met with immediate, strong and Elf. Meanwhile, Cyril Neveu continued to impress. A
2014 2015 2016 2017 perfect elixir, combining dreams with the world of success and spawned true fascination among competitors member of the Honda team, his presence in the Dakar was
competition. On 26 December 1978, the first Paris- and makers alike. Beginning in 1980, the biggest names in imposing and he provided the Japanese maker with its first
STATISTICS Dakar took off from the Place du Trocadéro. That the industry, such as Yamaha, Volkswagen, Lada and BMW, success, which would be followed by others.
each hired a team. Furthermore, the number of competitors
was over a quarter of a century ago…
moved up from 170 to 216 in 1980. This edition was also
Bikes - Quads marked by a major first: the inclusion of trucks.
1979
Cyril Neveu won for the second time in a row on a private
When dreams become reality... On 26 December 1978,
Yamaha while in the car class, Kotulinsky and Patrick
Cars - SSV the Place du Trocadéro witnessed the first send-off of the Zaniroli were victorious. As for Hubert Auriol, he was exclud-
Paris-Dakar rally. One hundred-seventy competitors had to
ed from his class because he finished the race in a “bush-
cross 10,000 kilometers on the pistes of Algeria, Niger, Mali,
taxi”. The first truck to see its name among the winners was
Upper Volta and Senegal. The most newsworthy race of the
the Sonacome driven by Ataquat, Boukrif and Kaoula.
Trucks late century was on! What made it unique was one partic-
ular characteristic: the contrast between a civilization and
1981
traditional villages with dried mud huts and the modern
world. Although the year the rally was christened was the most
Countries
important, 1981 was without a doubt the most heart stop-
The first motorcycle winner was a young man named Cyril
ping. The race attracted crowds, to such an extent that the
Neveu (Yamaha). Still an unknown, he would go on to run
departures for Africa became a show in and of themselves!
up a stream of impressive sports achievements. His unsen-
Various It was chaos at the registration office. Every type of vehi-
timental analysis makes one smile considering all the
cle was represented at the departure (4x4 vehicles, bug-
accomplishments he would eventually make: “I was 21 years
gies, side-cars)--even the most unexpected, like Thierry de
old and I had already experienced Africa during the Abidjan-
Montcorgé’s Rolls Royce and the Citroën CX belonging to
Nice rally. I was just like everyone else, a simple guy grabbing
CONTENTS Jacky Ickx and Claude Brasseur.
onto the handlebars of his 500 XT. Without any leather satch-
MENU
1983 1985
The legend was still being written...For the first time, the ral- After two previous departures from the Place de la
ly crossed the Ténéré desert. This as yet unknown ocean of Concorde, the race started out in the city of Versailles. This
HISTORIC sand whetted the appetites of the competitors and specta- year the race counted as a competitor Chantal Nobel, a star
tors. And yet the dream became a nightmare for some com- of the television series “Chateauvallon”. The competition
petitors. Nature let loose a torrent of challenges. Caught in was vigorous. For its third race, the Mitsubishi Pajero team
a terrible sandstorm with no visibility, 40 drivers lost their headed up a flawless effort. Patrick Zaniroli and his naviga-
1979 - 2017 way. Fortunately, their guide flew to their rescue and within tor Jean Da Silva outsmarted all the pitfalls of Mauritania
four days, everyone was found safe and sound. As Nicole and served up a perfect victory to the Japanese automak-
Maitrot, a competitor in 1982, very rightly stated: “One has er. Hubert Auriol left BMW this year and formed the Ligier-
the impression that Thierry Sabine is God looking over his Cagiva team. Gaston Rahier seized the opportunity to
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983
sheep from up in his helicopter, coming down in a swirl of repeat his exploits, winning his second Dakar rally.
airplane to help those who are lost“. These ups and downs,
1984 1985 1986 1987 1988
however, simply strengthened the legend of the Dakar ral-
1986
ly, in the first place, and the legend of Hubert Auriol, in the
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993
second place, as he won the Ténéré stage with more than The Black Year Thierry Sabine, French singer Daniel
an hour of lead-time over other drivers. The Ickx/Brasseur Balavoine, journalist Nathaly Odent, helicopter pilot
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
tandem dominated in the car class. François Xavier-Bagnoud and radio technician Jean-Paul But this tenth edition was commemorated by a theatrical
Le Fur all perished in a helicopter crash. Everyone was flourish. Ari Vatanen lost his Peugeot 405 T16! He eventu-
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
in a state of shock, devastated. Thierry Sabine’s ashes ally found it, but too late. The Finn was disqualified by the
1984
were scattered across the desert. His father, Gilbert, and officials. Nevertheless, Peugeot, for its second race, was
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
In order to “enhance the dreams of those who stay behind”, Patrick Verdoy took over the reins. The race went on, but quickly consoled: the Kankkunen/Pironen tandem won the
Thierry Sabine decided to extend the borders. The adven- no one’s heart was still really in it. Obviously, competitive top prize. For motorcycles, Edi Orioli (Honda) was the victor
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
ture pushed on further and further. To add a new dimension performances became a secondary concern. Metge and of a fierce duel with Italy’s Picco (Yamaha).
to his race, he succeeded in doing the impossible: trace the Lemoyne won the car class and Cyril Neveu was crowned
2014 2015 2016 2017
rally’s route through Ivory Coast, Guinea, Sierra Leone and for motorcycles.
1989
Mauritania. The number of registrants continued to grow
STATISTICS and reached 427. Michel Sardou lined up at the starting The rally made the acquaintance of a new country, Libya,
1987
line alongside Jean-Pierre Jabouille. This year the car race but, more importantly, discovered a new young driver,
captured all the attention of fans: Jacky Ickx convinced The rally survived the loss of Thierry Sabine and Gilbert Stephane Peterhansel. He made a strong impression
Bikes - Quads Porsche to sponsor a team. This first attempt was suc- took control with the help of the Verdoy-Metge team. The during his second competition, finishing in fourth place on
cessful, as the team finished in sixth place. The big winners Dakar only continued to grow. Peugeot decided to jump his Yamaha. Gilles Lalay was triumphant on his bike while
were Metge and Lemoyne for cars and Gaston Rahier for on board for the adventure of the Dakar rally and hit the Ari Vatanen took his revenge at the wheel of his 405 T16.
Cars - SSV motorcycles. jackpot on its first attempt. Ari Vatanen and Bernard Giroux The number of competitors who reached the finish line sur-
won the car class for Peugeot. As for motorcycles, a bat- passed all records (209/473).
tle raged between Hubert Auriol, Cyril Neveu and Gaston
Rahier. Close to victory, Hubert Auriol was the victim of a
1990
Trucks terrible fall and broke both his ankles. He was forced to for-
feit and left the winning to Cyril Neveu. And that made five This time the departure was launched from La Défense.
for Cyril! The number of competitors was down: 465 participants.
Back in Libya, the competitors rediscovered a desert that
Countries was indeed sublime, but also dotted with traps: “The desert
1988
is always impressive at night. You hear nothing, completely
Record breaking! This year, the number of participants emptiness” (Stephane Peterhansel). The motorcyclists,
exceeded the 600 mark. Exactly 603 vehicles departed alone in the middle of this desert’s immensity, sometimes
Various
Versailles: 183 motorcycles, 311 cars and 109 trucks. A sign no longer see its beauty. Starting in the second stage,
of good fortune, this record also coincided with the tenth the Mitsubishi was falling behind Peugeot. Pulled by the
anniversary of the Paris-Dakar. Nearly one hundred com- Vatanen/Berglund, team, the French automaker muscled
petitors prematurely exited the race because the route of its way into the top three positions in the overall rankings.
CONTENTS
the first Algerian stage, El Oued, was particularly arduous. This powerhouse performance punctuated the end of its
MENU
1995
For the first time in the history of the rally, the race did not
depart from France, but from Spain-Grenada to be exact.
HISTORIC Moreover, the race now lasted only fifteen days. Hubert
Auriol became the race’s manager on the ground and there-
fore was an eyewitness to the performance of Stéphane
Peterhansel, who won yet again. Victory awaited him in
1979 - 2017 Dakar. In the car class, Pierre Lartigue finished first ahead
of Bruno Saby.
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1996
Same route, more competitors, a third triumph for Pierre
1984 1985 1986 1987 1988
Lartigue and a fourth for Edi Orioli, whose names are
now inscribed in the “Dakar Pantheon”. Rid of his leader,
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993
Peterhansel, Orioli put his knowledge of Africa to good use
to finish a route that was near perfection. This 18th edition
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
saw the first success of a Kamaz with the victory of the
involvement in off-road rallies. The manufacturer is now doing the impossible in a car: “It is my greatest victory. Being
Russian tandem, Moskovskikh and Kouzmine. As is cus-
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 committed to the Championnat des Sport-Prototypes. For the first to win the Dakar in a car, after having won two times
tomary, the race afforded splendid views. The competitors
the motorcycle class, Edi Orioli finished at the top of the on a bike. And here, in Cape Town...it can’t be topped.” In the
moved forward in a postcard-ready setting, which fully met
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 overall rankings on his Cagiva and gave the Italian brand motorcycle class, Stephane Peterhansel consolidates his
their expectations: “We live in a sad world, we need to get
its first victory. Hubert Auriol continued to innovate in 1990 reputation.
away, to discover, to meet others.”(Patrick Tambay)
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 with his one-man buggy.
1993
2014 2015 2016 2017 1997
1991
The rally returned to its original route with a departure from
For the first time, the race began in Dakar. On the program:
Citroën picked up where Peugeot left off. The French auto- the Trocadéro and a finish in Dakar. The number of entrants
a Dakar-Dakar loop, with a headlining return to Niger and
STATISTICS
maker ensured a victory thanks to Peugeot refugee, Ari is worrisome this time: 154. It had never been so low.
the mythic Ténéré desert. Japan’s Ken Shinozuka drove to
Vatanen, who achieved his fourth win in the rally. For motor-
As for the route, the dunes of El Goléa were just as harsh victory in the car class. Jutta Kleinschmidt finished fifth
Bikes - Quads cycles, the Stéphane Peterhansel cycle began. In effect, he as those of Agadem and El Oued. One-third of the com- and became the first woman to win a stage in the Dakar:
won his first title and served up a victory to the Yamaha
petitors remained stuck in the sand. Hubert Auriol himself “All the drivers, from every stable, came to hug me and con-
team. One of the other memorable moments of the rally
was trapped in the Mauritanian dunes. Nevertheless, Bruno gratulate me. At that moment, in addition to immense joy, I
was without a doubt the visit of President Kadhafi!
Saby and Stephane Peterhansel managed to finish the race felt an enormous camaraderie. The Dakar is great!”(Jutta
Cars - SSV
in first place. The latter achieved his status alongside the
1992 greatest names in the race: he wins his third title.
A change of route for the rally. The point of departure was
Trucks
the Château de Vincennes, and Gilbert Sabine, who wished 1994
to breathe some new air into his race, decided to relocate
Little by little, the rally was restoring its luster. The number
the finish line. The Paris-Dakar race was thus transformed
of participants was up and the rally saw the return of René
Countries into a Paris-Cape Town rally that offered drivers breath-
Metge in a truck. Gilbert Sabine and his team withdrew; the
taking scenery. The change indeed seemed necessary
Dakar now belonged to the Amaury Sport Organization. The
because the number of competitors was still in decline. A
route, designed by Fenouil, then the “boss” of the Dakar,
major innovation also marked this Paris-Dakar: the advent
was the group’s first innovation. The race was actually
Various of GPS.
Paris-Dakar-Paris. The idea was certainly attractive, but
This change of direction plunged the competitors into a del- the race was no less demanding. In the car class, Pierre
icate situation: sandstorms, war-torn Chad, a cresting river Lartigue won his first title while in the motorcycle class; Edi
in Namibia: nature was unleashing all her fury. However, all Orioli mounted the podium for the third time, ahead of Jordi
CONTENTS
these ups and downs could not prevent Hubert Auriol from Arcarons.
MENU
Kleinschmidt). For Peterhansel, it was a coronation as he Kleinschmidt in a Mitsubishi. For the motorcycle class, as a two-way winner of the Dakar. In the motorcycle class,
soared to his fifth win. His goal? Win the rally again to be congratulations were in order for the Italian rider, Fabrizio Richard Sainct joined the elite circle of three-time winners.
the only competitor to have six victories to his name. Meoni.
HISTORIC 2004
1998 2002
The 26th edition of the race, from Clermont-Ferrand to
The Dakar celebrates 20 years! The race was launched from The 24th edition of the Dakar was greeted by a teeming Dakar, marked the return to a traditional route that was
Paris and crossed Spain to end in Dakar. There were numer- crowd that came to Arras for the race’s send-off. For cars, at the same time very demanding. Between Morocco and
1979 - 2017
ous dune crossings, so digging out and sand removal were victory came to Japan’s Masuoka while for the bikes, Meoni Senegal, via Mali, Mauritania and Burkina-Faso, the com-
the order of the day for this edition. The winning drivers won the top honor for the second time. Twenty-four years petitors were forced to perform miracles in terms of driv-
were Jean-Pierre Fontenay for cars, who thus achieved his after its creation and after having undergone many chang- ing and navigation. After his six victories on two wheels,
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 first Dakar victory, and Stéphane Peterhansel in the motor- es, today the Paris-Dakar rally is one of the biggest sports Stéphane Peterhansel added a first victory in the car cat-
cycle class. The Frenchman thus triumphed in his incred- events in the world. This African sports adventure is syn- egory behind the wheel of his Mitsubishi to his record of
1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 ible wager and scored his sixth Dakar win: “My ten Dakar onymous with epic and groundbreaking journeys. On the achievements, hence becoming the second driver in the
years are the most memorable of my life,” he declared, over- Dakar, more than sports achievements, the first victory is history of the Dakar to have won in both categories. In the
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 come by emotion. simply to arrive “at the end” of this unique human adventure. motorcycle category, the Spanish rider Nani Roma finally
triumphed in his ninth Dakar, ahead of an unhappy Richard
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 Sainct who injured his arm in the first Moroccan stage. In
1999 2003
the truck category, Vladimir Chagin won for the fourth time
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 The city of Grenada, capital of Andalusia, witnessed its third An atypical route for the 25th anniversary of the Dakar, with in a Kamaz truck, the third consecutive win in the category.
departure. Two builders had new dates with victory: BMW a finish in Egypt for the second time in the history of the
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 won the motorcycle class with Richard Sainct, 14 years race. In addition to the second consecutive win for Japan’s
2005
after Gaston Rahier, and Renault won with Jean- Louis Hiroshi Masuoka, it was above all the misadventures of his
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Schlesser, 17 years after the Marreau brothers. Stephane Mitsubishi teammate Stéphane Peterhansel that marked The start in Barcelona was the opportunity for the compet-
Peterhansel, a six-time winner on his bike, got behind the the event. Out to become the second driver to win in a itors who hadn’t witnessed the previous editions to get a
2014 2015 2016 2017 wheel of a car. Jutta Kleinschmidt, already successful as car after having won on a motorcycle (1991-92-93-95-97- taste of what the Dakar really was thanks to the warm wel-
the first woman in the history of the rally to win a stage, 98), the Frenchman had completed nearly all of the really come of the Catalan crowd. In extremely difficult weather
flirted, at least temporarily, with taking the lead in the over- clearly on top of the overall rankings before a nightmarish conditions, the journey through Morocco, Mauritania, Mali
STATISTICS
all ranking. 16th stage, where he lost all hope of joining Hubert Auriol and Senegal proved to be very tough for the crews need-
Bikes - Quads
2000
The 22nd edition offered a considerable surprise: for the
first time, the rally crossed Africa from west to east, from
Cars - SSV Senegal toward Egypt. The number of participants (400)
translated the enthusiasm generated by this route. The
race was sometimes perturbed by terrorist threats and the
organizers, wishing to ensure the safety of the competitors,
Trucks
decided to implement an air bridge. The race then con-
tinued in Libya, via Cairo. Two winners were celebrated at
the base of the pyramids: Richard Sainct and Jean-Louis
Countries Schlesser.
2001
Various The 2001 edition was inspired by the wish to emphasize the
core values of the Dakar rally. Many changes were in the air,
particularly the decision to reduce the amount of airborne
assistance (mechanics) by favoring assistance vehicles.
CONTENTS A woman finished the race on top for the first time: Jutta
MENU
ing endurance and tenacity. Six-time winner on a bike, 2007
Stéphane Peterhansel showed he was also able to triumph
For the second time Portugal was the starting point for the
on four wheels by retaining his title, despite the harsh com-
Dakar. From the first European special stages, in which
petition of his Mitsubishi team mate Luc Alphand, 2nd. The
HISTORIC some local competitors stood out (Sousa, Faria, Rodrigues),
bike race, shocked by the deaths of Jose-Manuel Perez and
Volkswagen demonstrated its desire to end Mitsubishi’s
Fabrizio Meoni, crowned Cyril Despres on a KTM for the first
domination of the event. With Sainz and De Villiers unbeat-
time. In the truck category, the Kamaz winning streak con-
able during the first half of the rally, Alphand and Peterhansel
tinued but this time Firdaus Kabirov claimed victory while
1979 - 2017 were faced with two serious rivals. But a series of mechan-
four-time winner Vladimir Chagin lost all hopes of success
ical problems for the Race Touaregs in Mauritania reversed
in Mauritania.
the situation. In the heart of the Sarah, the two lead “Mitsu”
drivers took control: the internal battle, soon came under
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983
2006 team orders a few days before the end of the rally with “Peter”
going on for his 9th Dakar triumph. The motorcycle race saw
1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 For the first time in its history, the Dakar discovered Portugal
uncontested leader Marc Coma collapse in the waning kilo-
and its capital Lisbon that hosted the big start. The European
metres of the race. A crash on stage 13 forced the Spaniard
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 specials that distinguished themselves through their unusu-
to retire, losing his chance for a second consecutive Dakar
al length gave an opportunity to shine for the local drivers.
success to the benefit of Cyril Despres. In the truck catego-
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 Once in Africa, the expected battle between Mitsubishi and
ry, the much awaited fight between the Kamazs and Ginafs
Volkswagen started setting up with a clear advantage to the
was soon over with the retirements of the De Rooys, father
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Japanese brand immediately after entering Mauritania. But
and son, followed by Chagin. Hans Stacey, took advantage
title-holder Stéphane Peterhansel, who seemed untouchable
of the carnage and perfectly controlled the situation to go
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 in the sand, committed a series of mistakes that condemned
on for his win on the Dakar.
him at the end of the rally. His team mate Luc Alphand,
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 who remained at the same level of excellence all along the 2010
event, claimed his first Dakar: a winning switch for the for- 2008 The second edition of the Dakar in Latin America finished
2014 2015 2016 2017 mer alpine skier. In the bike race, it was at the beginning of After the murder of four French citizens and three with a podium and award ceremony where the drivers and
the rally that title-holder Cyril Despres lost all hopes of glo- Mauritanian militaries in the days before the start, and teams of 88 bikes, 14 quads, 57 cars and 28 trucks were
STATISTICS ry when he injured his right shoulder. His rival Marc Coma answering the strong recommendations of the French celebrated. Blue was the color of the day with Cyril Despres
became the second Spanish winner of the Dakar. In the truck Foreign Affairs Ministry not to go to Mauritania, the 2008 winning his third Dakar whilst Argentine rider Marcos
race, Vladimir Chagin who managed a magnificent series of edition of the rally was cancelled. Terrorist threats identi- Patronelli won in the quad category. In the car category,
Bikes - Quads victories in the first part of the rally confirmed the domina- fied by the French authorities were directly pointed at the Carlos Sainz won the rally raid after a tough and close bat-
tion of the Kamaz trucks on the event. He offered himself a rally. tle with Nasser Al Attiyah. On the truck side, the road was
fifth personal triumph. The 2006 Dakar was sadly hit by the much clearer for Vladimir Chagin, who lined up the records:
death of Australian biker Andy Caldecott and was then the he equated the record number of Dakar victories of Karel
Cars - SSV 2009
scene of two tragic moments in Guinea and Senegal where Loprais with a sixth victory in the truck category.
two young spectators were the victims of accidents on the Criticised a year earlier, the Dakar pulled off a major chal-
course of the race. lenge, with the 31st edition organised in South America. The
2011
Trucks rally enjoyed a tremendous public following in Argentina
and Chile with nearly four million spectators in all coming The third edition of the Dakar in South America featured a
out to greet and watch the competitors along the side of new route through Argentina and Chile, but the route also
the roads and tracks. A challenge was met and conquered came very close to the Bolivian and Peruvian borders. The
Countries
as well in the car category with Giniel De Villiers giving rally took a break for a rest day in the town of Arica in the
Volkswagen a long sought after win with a diesel powered extreme north of Chile. Marco Coma won his third Dakar to
vehicle. Marc Coma took his second victory in the motor- equal the number of wins of rival Cyril Despres. Nassser
Various cycle category with authority. The Spaniard won stage one Al-Attiyah led a Volkswagen sweep of the podium in the
and never looked back. The quads raced in their own cate- car category and said goodbye to the Dakar after taking
gory for the first time with Josef Machacek taking a fifth tri- its third consecutive triumph. Vladimir Chagin brought his
umph. Firdaus Kabirov notched the seventh win for Kamaz career as a driver to and end in style, in taking his seventh
CONTENTS in the truck division when, like in 2005, team leader Vladimir win, the truck category record and increased his record of
Chagin ran into difficulties. stage wins to 63.
MENU
2012 on day two and never looked back; taking five stage wins
on his the way to his 2nd crown. The amazingly consistent
France’s Cyril Despres and Stéphane Peterhansel took
Giniel de Villiers, who was the only one capable of posing
their fourth and tenth Dakars respectively, all categories
a threat to the n°301 Mini, finished 35 minutes adrift of
HISTORIC included. The champions were applauded on the podium
the Qatari. Peugeot struggled on its rally-raid return. The
on Lima’s Plaza de Armas by a huge crowd which came to
lack of preparation of the 2008 DKRs could be seen in the
acclaim both the competitors and the arrival of the greatest
results: Sainz (retirement), Peterhansel (11th) and Despres
rally raid in the world to Lima’s capital. All in all, 97 motorcy-
(34th). In the quad category, Rafal Sonik finally triumphed
1979 - 2017 cles, 12 quads, 78 cars and 60 trucks made it to the finish-
ing line of the 33rd Dakar, i.e., 249 of the 443 vehicles which in his sixth attempt to take the top honours. Kamaz swept
the truck podium, led by 28-year old Airat Mardeev ahead of
started the rally in Mar del Plata.
Eduard Nikolaev and Andrei Karginov.
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983
2013
1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 2016
124 motorcycle riders, 26 quad riders, 89 car crews and 60
The 2016 Dakar course was completed by 218 vehicles (84
trucks made it to the end of the 14 days of competition to
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 bikes, 23 quads, 67 cars and 44 trucks) from 347 starters
celebrate their arrival in the Chilean capital city, Santiago.
in Buenos Aires. This edition finished at Rosario with the
67% of the vehicles that started in Lima (299/449) fin-
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 victory in the car category going to Stéphane Peterhansel,
ished the entire route. After several twists and turns, the
2014
who won behind the wheel of the Peugeot 20008 DKR, mak-
defending category winners dominated the rally, with Cyril
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 With 204 vehicles at the arrival (78 bikes, 15 quads, 61 cars ing it 12 in all for the rally-raid legend, with six titles on four
Despres taking a fifth title in the bike category and Stéphane
and 50 trucks) 47% of the riders and crews at the start, the wheels to go with the six on two. Nasser Al Attiyah in his
Peterhansel claiming his fifth win in the car class. Marcos
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 most difficult Dakar held in South America had a Catalonian Mini and Giniel De Villiers in a Toyota Hilux rounded out
Patronelli took his second quad triumph and followed the
flair. With Marc Coma and Jordi Viladoms in the first two the podium. The bike race was won for the first time by an
win of brother Alejandro the year before. Eduard Nikolaev
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 places in the bike category, as well as Nani Roma taking Australian rider, Toby Price, who rode an error-free rally in
made his entry into the Dakar record book in taking the vic-
the laurels in the car category ten years after his triumph just his second Dakar appearance. There was a change of
tory among the trucks.
2014 2015 2016 2017 on two wheels, the Catalans ran the table. Behind the two generation in the category, with five newcomers in the over-
KTM riders, Frenchman Olivier Pain completed the podium all Top 10. On the other hand, it was the revenants who took
after holding off his team leader Cyril Despres on the final the honours in the quad category as the Patronelli brothers
STATISTICS
stage. In the car class, the Mini sweep of the podium was dominated with Marcos leading the way. Gerard De Rooy
led by Roma, who by beating Peterhansel by 5:38s became won the Dakar truck category for the second time, after his
Bikes - Quads only the third competitor to win the car category after first triumph in 2012.
winning in the bike division. 26-year old Ignacio Casale
made a prestigious entry into the record books in taking the
2017
honours in the quads on home soil that was rewarded with
Cars - SSV
a phenomenal ovation on the Valparaiso podium. Russia’s 97 motorcycles, 22 quads, 63 cars (including 5 SSVs) and
Andrey Karginov took his first Dakar victory by a comfort- 38 trucks, or 220 vehicles from the 318 who set off from
able margin ahead of Gerard De Rooy in the truck category. Asunción in Paraguay on 2 January, 2017, reached the
Buenos Aires arrival podium in Argentina. On this 39th edi-
Trucks
tion of the Dakar, marked by the lengthy stay at more than
2015
3,500 metres above sea level on the Bolivian Altiplano,
216 vehicles made it to the finish line (79 bikes, 18 quads, 68 Stéphane Peterhansel won his duel with Sébastien Loeb,
Countries cars, 51 trucks) from 406 at the start. Marc Coma relied on while his other team mate Cyril Despres completed
experience to take his 5th Dakar win. Joan Barreda was his Peugeot’s sweep of the podium in the car category. There
biggest challenger… just until he made some crucial errors was a new winner in the motorcycle category with Sam
on the Bolivian stages. He was then replaced by team mate Sunderland becoming the first British rider to win the Dakar,
Various
Paulo Goncalves, who kept the pressure on all the way to ahead of Austria’s Matthias Walkner and Spain’s Gerard
the end. Australian Toby Price was the revelation of the ral- Farres. Russia’s Sergey Karyakin took top honours in the
ly. The 27-year old rider finished 3rd in his first outing, while quad category, while his countryman and 2013 winner
Laia Sanz completed the Dakar in 9th place overall! In the Eduard Nikolaev returned Kamaz to top stop of the podium
CONTENTS
car category, Nasser Al-Attiyah took command of the rally in the truck category.
1 9 79
MENU
PARIS - ALGER - DAKAR
MAIN COMPETITORS HIGHLIGHTS
HISTORIC
 Bike T he Dakar, the first sports event of the year: to use a favorite expression of Thierry Sabine,
the Dakar is an adventure meant «to cause those who stay behind to dream.»
Sonauto Yamaha-BP: Gilles Comte, Christian Rayer,
1979 - 2017 Rudy Potisek, Jean-Claude Olivier N eveu, Rayer, Fenouil, Auriol: these names were already well known by the end of this first edition.
Yamaha privée: Cyril Neveu, Hubert Auriol Their lives were stirred into the nascent legend of the Dakar.
Honda: Gilles Desheulles, Philippe Vassard, First crazy gamble: Philippe Hayat, a 39-year-old journalist and adventure seeker, Jean-Pierre
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983
Christian Desnoyers Domblides, a teacher, and Daniel Nolan, a technician from Renault Gordini, decided to tackle the
Guzzi: Bernard Rigoni challenge on board a Renault KZ 11 CV. The same model as the one driven by Commander Etienne and
1984 1985 1986 1987 1988
Suzuki: Alain Vial, Laurent Gomis, that had connected Oran to Capetown in January 1927 after travelling 18,000 kilometers in 36 days.
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 Corinne Koppenhague O ne Neveu may be hiding others: Christophe Neveu, Cyril’s brother, took off from the start in a
BMW: Fenouil Range Rover.
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 Kawasaki: Daniel Piton
F irst media presence: RTL. Every evening from 20:30 to 22:00, Max Meynier brought the rally to
life broadcasting live from his Toyota Land Cruiser. At his side, Christian Boudas for technical
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003  Car
assistance and Francis Zegutt for logistics.
Range Rover: Jacky Privé, René Metge
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 and Christophe Neveu S even women started the race: all seven competitors rode motorcycles: Martine from Cortanze,
Pascale Geurie, Martine Rénier, Marido, Christine Martin-Lefort, Marie Ertaud and Corinne
Toyota: Team Fougerrousse, Harrewynn-Delannoy and
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Koppenhague.
Pichot-Vandekerkhove
2014 2015 2016 2017 Renault 4 Sinpar: Claude and Bernard Marreau N o production vehicles were present for this first edition.
EDITION IN FIGURES Renault 30 TS: Georges Houél P eugeot lended a hand: medical assistance was provided by Peugeot 504’s with two-wheel drive.
and Christian Pouchelon
STATISTICS 2 0 journalists from 13 media outlets: this was the composition of the press contingent for the first
 Truck (12 at the start) edition.
Start: 26 December 1978 from Paris (Trocadéro)
Bikes - Quads G lobal ranking system: a single scratch ranking applied to motorcycles, cars and trucks.
Finish: 14 January 1979 at Dakar (Rose Lake)
Rest: 8 January 1979 at Gao
Cars - SSV Length of rally: 10,000 km
Number of kilometers of specials: 3,168 km
Countries crossed: France, Algeria, Niger, Mali,
Trucks Upper Volta, Senegal
Number of competitors: 182
At the start: 80 cars, 90 motorcycles, 12 trucks
At the finish: 74 vehicles
Countries
OVERALL SCRATCH RANKING:
1. Cyril Neveu (Fra) YAMAHA
2. Gilles Comte (Fra) YAMAHA
Various
3. Philippe Vassard (Fra) HONDA
4. Genestier/Terblaut/Lemodant (Fra) ROVER
5. Claude Mareau/Bernard Mareau (Fra) RENAULT
CONTENTS
1 9 79
MENU
PARIS - ALGER - DAKAR
THE ROUTE THE RACE
HISTORIC
PROLOGUE.
Prologue: Monthléry (3,6 km)
Monthléry (3.6 km) and 1st stage: Paris – Alger
1st stage: Paris – Alger
The day after Christmas, 170 teams tear out of the
1979 - 2017
2nd stage: Alger – Tamanrasset (2,370 km with
esplanade of the Trocadéro to experience a unique
a 270 km special stage)
adventure. The first prologue in history takes place at
3rd stage: Tamanrasset – Agadez (870 km) a military facility near Orléans, before heading on to
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983
• Tamanrasset-In Guezzam (373 km of special) Algiers and the mysterious Africa.
• Assamaka-Arlit (230 km of special)
1984 1985 1986 1987 1988
• Arlit-Agadez (231 km of special) 2nd STAGE.
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 4th stage: Agadez – Niamey (920 km with Alger – Tamanrasset (2,370 km, including 270 km
a 230 km special stage) special)
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 5th stage: Niamey – Gao (448 km – neutralized First special (270 km Reggane-In Salah) won by Jacky
stage) Privé (Range Rover) ahead of Christophe Neveu (Range
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Rover) and Christian Rayer (Yamaha XT 500).
R est day at Gao
6th stage: Gao – Bamako (1,250 km with a 600 km
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 3rd STAGE.
special stage)
Tamanrasset – Agadez (870 km)
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 7th stage: Bamako – Nioro (417 km special stage) Already the victors of the prologue, the Neveu/Gaig-
8th stage: Nioro – Dakar (866 km) nault team triumph in the second special (Tamanras-
2014 2015 2016 2017 • Nioro-Kayes (270 km of special) set-In Guezzam). Third tough special between Arlit and
• Bakel-Dakar (96 km of special) Agadez (230 km). One-fourth of the competitors get lost
in the heart of the Aïr. The motorcycles take advantage 4th STAGE. 7th STAGE.
STATISTICS
of it to lock up the top twelve positions for the stage Agadez – Niamey (920 km, including 230 km special) Bamako – Nioro (417 km special)
and the top three overall. First car: the 504 driven by Mid-race, there is a series of crashes in Niger during Bamako celebrates the Dakar. The «desert fools» are
Bikes - Quads Corsicans Moreau and Touya. Jean-Claude Olivier wins the Tahoua-Talchot special. Jean-Claude Olivier, who welcomed by walls of human beings. During the Sahel
the stage while Patrick Schaal becomes leader in the recorded the scratch time, falls victim to a wrist fracture stage, Bamako-Nioro, only one competitor arrives with-
overall standings. following a tangle with the vehicle of Christophe Neveu, in the allotted time: Philippe Vassard, on his Honda
Cars - SSV who had been disqualified. He is forced to withdraw. motorcycle.
Same disappointment for Christian Desnoyers, 1978
French trial champion, and Houel/Pouchelon, driving 8th STAGE.
their R30. However, the 1927 Renault KZ looks close to Nioro – Dakar (866 km)
Trucks winning its outrageous gamble. Last special: Bakel-Dakar (96 km). The 74 surviving
vehicles wrap up with a finale on the banks of Rose
5th STAGE. Lake in Dakar. The first princes of the desert are named
Countries Niamey – Gao (448 km) Neveu, Comte and Vassard. Its first queen answers to
Neutralised stage. the sweet name of Martine de Cortanze. She finished
in 19th pace gripping the handlebars of her Honda
6th STAGE. 250 XLS.
Various
Gao – Bamako (1,250 km, including 600 km special)
Schaal falls during the sixth marathon special
(Gao-Mopti – 600 km). He suffers a compound fracture
of his little finger. Cyril Neveu takes the lead of the rally.
CONTENTS
1 9 79
MENU
PARIS - ALGER - DAKAR
STAGE VICTORIES
HISTORIC
N° Stage Special Km WWiinnnneerr CCaarr Nat Make VWaiinnnqeure Buirk Meoto Nat Make
1 Montlhery Prologue 3,6 Neveu/Gaignault Fra Range Rover Desnoyers Fra Honda
1979 - 2017
2 Alger-Tamanrasset Reggane-In Salah 270 Privé/Privé Fra Range Rover Rayer Fra Yamaha
3 Tamanrasset-Agadez Tamanrasset-In Guezzam 373 Neveu/Gaignault Fra Range Rover Potisek Fra Yamaha
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983
3 Tamanrasset-Agadez Assamaka-Arlit 230 Daurageon/Prechet Fra Renault Schaal Fra Yamaha
1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 3 Tamanrasset-Agadez Arlit-Agadez 231 Moreau/Touya Fra Peugeot Olivier Fra Yamaha
4 Agadez-Niamey Tahoua-Talchot 230 Marreau/Marreau Fra Renault Olivier Fra Yamaha
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993
5 Niamey-Gao Neutralized stage 448
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
6 Gao-Bamako Gao-Mopti 600 Terbiaud/Genestier Fra Range Rover Comte Fra Yamaha
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 7 Bamako-Nioro Bamako-Nioro 417 Cavalleri/Giraudo Ita Fiat Vassard Fra Honda
8 Nioro du Sahel-Dakar Nioro-Kayes 270 Rayer Fra Yamaha
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
8 Nioro du Sahel-Dakar Bakel-Dakar 96 Rigal/Rochette Fra Range Rover Comte Fra Yamaha
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
2014 2015 2016 2017
STATISTICS
Bikes - Quads
Cars - SSV
Trucks
Countries
Various
CONTENTS