In the diverse and testing landscapes of the Dakar Rally, where every rise and fall of the terrain hides a peculiar navigational puzzle, the co-driver’s role emerges as a critical dance of precision and foresight.
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Fresh memories never lie. Seeing the loop carved out near AlUla, starting and finishing at the bivouac where everyone had gathered less than two weeks ago, it was a given that this special was going to be a wild ride.
The expedition back to AlUla has surely brought back some memories. However, it was not a return to square one, because the situation has evolved considerably since the prologue.
Today, the rally headed to Ha’il, the cradle of all-terrain sport in Saudi Arabia, where the first generations of the country’s riders and drivers learned their trade, setting out on the seventh stage from Al Duwadimi. The day’s special was interrupted by a long transfer and the two-part menu for the stage put the riders, drivers and crews in two contrasting environments.
In the dusty expanse of Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter, the largest continuous desert on earth, Dakar Rally enthusiasts encountered a new frontier – the 48-hour Chrono Stage. Episode Five of ‘In The Dust’ unfolds the gripping narrative of survival in the desert as Spanish Challenger category driver Cristina Gutiérrez Herrero and Austrian rookie biker Tobias Ebster recount their journey through this unprecedented Dakar challenge.
Leaving aside the lousy navigators out there who manage to stretch the course like a rubber band, covering more than 850 km in a Dakar stage is something that happens once in a blue moon. It has only happened once in Saudi Arabia, in today’s return to competition on the road from Riyadh to Al Duwadimi, clocking in at a whopping 874 km, following the prescribed route to the letter.
Relive some of the best moments during Week 1 of the Dakar 2024!
Riders, crews and pundits often end up eating a slice of humble pie when the race ventures into the desert. After six stages, but with a whole week of competition under their belts, the entrants often derided as “daredevils” have proved resilient to the vagaries of fate, while the usual paragons of consistency have made one uncharacteristic blunder after another.
Four years ago, Ricky Brabec won the Dakar while picking up two stage victories along the way. Could the American add a second trophy to his case this year by playing the quiet game again?
Not everyone is equally equipped to deal with the Empty Quarter. The programme for the second part of the 48 HR chrono stage was again sandy, but the portions of dunes could vary greatly in their dimensions