december 22, 2023 - Red Bull
Just 14 days to go until the wild ride begins at the 2024 Dakar Rally
The 2024 Dakar Rally is just two weeks away and the towering dunes of Saudi Arabia's Empty Quarter desert await those brave enough to take them on. The action starts with a Prologue Stage in AlUla on Friday, January 5 before the convoy tackle 12 Special Stages and close to 8,000 kilometres in total distance. Reaching the finish line at the Dakar counts as success and the chequered flag will be waved in Yanbu on Friday, December 19. The two-week Dakar Rally is a race on a scale like nothing else in the world, here are some big numbers to illustrate that fact followed by a few key storylines we'll be following at the rally...
The total distance of the 2024 Dakar Rally route is 7,891km; this is comprised of 4,727km of timed specials and 3,164km of liaison. The longest day of the rally will be Sunday, January 14 with a total of 873km to be covered, including a timed special stage measuring 483km.
The 46th edition of the Dakar welcomes 778 competitors in 434 race vehicles representing 187 teams. There are 137 Bikes entered and 72 Cars (Ultimate category). There will also be 46 Trucks, 42 Challengers (formerly T3), 36 SSVs and 10 Quads. There's a further 80 vehicles booked into the Classic class. There are 135 Rookies gearing up for their first Dakar and a total of 72 nationalities (including support crews) at this truly global event.
The vast logistic operation behind the Dakar includes two ships, three planes, 15 helicopters and 100 trucks plus 500 event staff. The Dakar bivouac is home to over 3,000 people and is 200,000 square metres in size. The bivouac's catering tent serves upwards of 8,000 meals every day. There's 300,000 bottles of water at the Dakar, and a lot of cans of Red Bull!
THE BATTLE OF THE BIKES
The closest battles at the Dakar are often found in the bike race, the difference between first and second place last time out was just 43 seconds! The eventual winner of the 2023 Dakar was Kevin Benavides who leapfrogged fellow Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Toby Price on final stage of the rally. These two team-mates are now both chasing their third Dakar bike race title and are a pair of serious contenders for victory in 2024.
2018 Dakar champion Matthias Walkner will be absent from the bivouac in January as the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing biker recovers from injuries sustained by a crash in training this month. Matthias will be missed in Saudi Arabia and we wish him all the best.
Representing Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing at the upcoming Dakar will once again be the fearless duo of Sam Sunderland and Daniel Sanders. Sunderland won his second Dakar in 2022 onboard a GasGas bike while Sanders is part of a fast and exciting young breed of bikers looking to taste victory sooner rather than later.
There’s also Luciano Benavides, younger brother of Kevin, in the frame for glory. The Husqvarna Factory Racing rider is full of confidence after taking the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship title in 2023.
ALL NEW FOR 2024
Without a doubt the most anticipated section of the 2024 Dakar Rally route is the 48h Chrono stage. It starts on the morning of Thursday, January 11 as the convoy sets off from the Shubaytah bivouac to meet the 250m high sand dunes of the Empty Quarter desert. At 4pm competitors will cease racing for the day and make their way to the closest of six mini bivouacs that will be positioned throughout the 532km special stage. That evening racers will be cut off from their teams under marathon stage rules and forced to make any necessary repairs themselves using whatever tools they have to hand. Crucially, competitors will also be separated from their rivals with no way of knowing if they are losing or gaining time on the pack. After a night camping out in the desert, the remaining part of the 532km special plus 234km of liaison route must be completed before hopefully reaching the sanctuary of the Rest Day bivouac in Riyadh sometime on Friday, January 12.
A FIRST TIME WINNER
Anybody who has followed the racing career of Sébastien Loeb knows that he likes to win. The nine-time WRC winner clearly has unfinished business at the Dakar after three runner-up finishes. The Frenchman returns in his BRX Hunter in 2024 still chasing that first Dakar win. Further candidates for a first-time win the Ultimate class (formerly T1+) are the new recruits to Toyota Gazoo Racing. What a story it would be if 21-year-old Seth Quintero could take the win, or his Brazilian team-mate Lucas Moraes on only his second trip to the Dakar. In the Challenger class defending champion Austin ‘AJ’ Jones has a pack of hungry racers looking to chase him down and taste glory themselves. How long can it be until one of Mitch Guthrie Jr., Cristina Gutiérrez, Rokas Baciuška or Dania Akeel park on the top step of the Dakar podium? We’ve already identified the threat on two wheels carried by Luciano Benavides and Daniel Sanders. There’s every chance that a rider under 30 years old can strike a blow for the next generation of bikers at the upcoming Dakar.
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