The Story of Dakar

In 1977 Thierry Sabine, French motorcycle racer, got lost in the Libyan desert while competing in the Abidjan-Nice Rally. It was during this misadventure that Sabine decided to create an adventure for others, and on December 26, 1978, the inaugural Dakar Rally was held.

Sabine devised a route that began in Europe, continuing to Algiers and crossed Agadez in the Sahara desert before eventually finishing in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. Indeed, early iterations of the event became renowned around the world as the "Paris-Dakar".

Over the course of more than thirty years Dakar has created countless stories of endurance, bravery, triumph and tragedy.

In 1986, Sabine and four others were killed when their helicopter crashed after being caught in a sudden sandstorm in the dunes of Mali. The ashes of the Dakar founder were scattered in the desert.

However the legend of Dakar continued throughout the years, just as Thierry Sabine would have wanted it to, with the race gaining its rightful stature as the premier challenge in off-road endurance.

In 1992 Dakar took on a different form with the race crossing the continent of Africa from the north to its southernmost point. The Paris-Cape rally was comprised of a huge 22 stages across 10 countries, on a route stretching 12,427km.

Three years later the start of Dakar was moved out of France for the first time, with Grenada, Spain taking the honours for 1995, and in the year 2000, Dakar was held over a different route to mark the new millennium, with the Pyramids of Gizeh providing a fitting backdrop for the finish in Egypt.

In 2001 Germany's Jutta Kleinschmidt, behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi, became the first woman to win the Dakar Rally. Kleinschmidt had made her Dakar debut on a bike thirteen years earlier, and in 1998 became the first woman to win a stage, driving a Schlesser buggy on that occasion.

Cyril Despres, French motorcyclist, dedicated his 2005 victory to Richard Sainct, who had died a few weeks earlier during the Pharaohs Rally, and to Fabrizio Meoni. Despres's two KTM teammates perished in the desert, as did Juan-Manuel Perez who was the victim of a fatal fall.

Dakar touched the hearts of Australians for the wrong reasons in 2006, when motorcyclist Andy Caldecott died in a crash while racing across Mauritania. Caldecott had finished 6th overall in the 2005 edition of Dakar and won Stage 6 in 2006, before losing his life three stages later.

2008 saw a last minute cancellation of Dakar following the murder of four French citizens and three Mauritanian soldiers just days before the start. Keeping competitors' safety first in mind Etienne Lavigne, race director, called the race off on the eve of its scheduled commencement.

Due to the ongoing questions over security in Northern Africa, the 2009 edition of Dakar moved out of Africa for the first time. South America was the new destination, with Argentina and Chile playing co-hosts.

The 2009 and 2010 editions of Dakar were a great success with millions of local fans supporting competitors on their journey from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific and back.