- 770 total competitors
- 418 Race Vehicles: 132 Bikes, 28 Original by Motul unassisted biker
- 130 Rookies, 133 “Legends” who have competed more than 10 or more times.
- 27 Women Participants
- Top 3 countries entered – France (124), Spain (84), Netherlands (62)
- 6 bikes, 4 cars and 1 truck taking on the Mission 1000 Challenge
On the day before the 46 edition of the Dakar Rally, 770 competitors and their crews have gathered at the sprawling “Start Camp” just outside of the ancient city of AlUla undertaking technical and administrative scrutineering over two days.
STUCK IN LIMBO
Unfortunately for budding talent Mason Klein, his motorbike is was held up in transit from China and he’s now stuck in limbo as to whether he will get a start or not.
Klein debuted in 2022 and finished in ninth place and took the top rook honours, but his second run in 2023 didn’t go so well with him crashing out of the event. Unfortunately for the American this left him without a ride for the rest of the 2023 season. Despite winning the Rally dos Sertões in Brazil, his 2024 plans were looking toward an entry in the Original by Motul class as a privateer.
At the last minute, Chinese manufacturer Kove offered him support with Klein running his own squad, KORR (Klein Off Road Racing), however customs issues in Dubai have held up the arrival of his bike and with a van leaving to pickup the bike this morning, Klein can only sit and wait, hoping for the arrival of his bike.
Its not all over for the rider if the bike doesn’t arrive in time, there is an option to jump on a works Kove, which the American refuses to take as it would leave a Chinese rider out of the Dakar race, or finding a KTM in the camp.
“We spent many hours preparing the bike, a brand-new model that has never been seen before. We spent about a hundred hours over two or three weeks. I checked every bolt, greased everything, Dad and I did everything. The bike is awesome, I’m very pleased with its power, it’s amazing. I don’t want to ride any other bike. Maybe I’ll start on a KTM, who knows? I’m here, everything is paid for, I just need a bike. Finishing is not my goal, I came here to get a result, that’s what I enjoy. It’s hard mentally. I hope we can get it back in time.”
SOME WILL SAY THE START IS TOO TOUGH
The 2024 Dakar race director David Castera warned the 2024 entrants that this was going to be “the toughest edition in Saudi Arabia” and it appears it was no idle threat.
Three highlights pointed out include the first three days after the prologue which will test man and machine to see if they’ve got what it takes to continue. Castera had this to say about the start “The first three days will be true Dakar specials. There will be no respite. Make no mistake, I want the competitors to know what we have in store for them. Some will say the start is too tough, but you can’t please everyone.”
After the start, whether they take a battering or not, competitors will then enter 600 km of dune-surfing over two days in the Empty Quarter.
“Never before has the Dakar featured 600 km of dune-surfing in two days. The top motorbike riders will be riding flat out for almost eight hours, a challenge they’ve never faced before. It’s going to be a true test of concentration, endurance and stamina. I hope the top cars also get stuck. It would be fun, they should struggle a bit too”
For those competitors who remember the 2023 Dakar, stage 11 will bring back some PTSD with the stage last year, which was the 2nd stage, being responsible for a flurry of punctures. The choice of this stage as stage 11 was no coincidence.
“Stage 11 will take us back to the terrain of last year’s stage 2, where the cars suffered a flurry of punctures. We did that on purpose. It was too selective for stage 2, last year, but it might sow chaos and spice up the end of the rally. I wanted an open scenario before the finish.”
MOTORBIKE TIME BONUS SHAKE UP
As of 2023 the bonus system for motorbikes was changed to mitigate the disadvantage of the rider who leads the way in the special. The first rider ends up with a disadvantage as they have to navigate the stage without any tracks, causing them to lose time to the riders behind.
This year instead of the top 3 riders getting the bonus, only the first rider, and where applicable, the whole group they are riding with, will get a 1 second/km bonus, applied in sections, covering most of the length of the specials. To receive the bonus, the group of riders must be within 15 seconds of the leader.
Adrien Van Beveren, one of the main entrants who stand to benefit from it, explained: “During the W2RC season, I saw that it didn’t work for all courses. The bonuses are mainly useful when you’re off-track. I think it’s the right move to decrease the bonus reward and I also think it’s great to give it only to the first rider and those around him. It will make the race safer by removing the incentive to try and be first at all costs. From a mental point of view, it encourages us to help each other with the navigation and avoid coming to blows!”
