Questions and answers about the Dakar Rally 2019

What's up? Ten stages are on the program, and the winners of the five classes (car, solo buggy, truck, motorcycle, quad) will be crowned on January 17th after a total of 5600 kilometers.

What's new? The spectacle across South America has lost a large part of its countries before the next edition. Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay - an integral part of the Dakar in recent years - have withdrawn for financial reasons. All that's left is Peru. This means that for the first time in its history, the rally will only be held in a single country. Ten stages also mean a negative record.

Who are the favorites? The French car manufacturer Peugeot said goodbye to the Dakar after its victory in 2018. This all boils down to a duel between the German team X-raid, which competes with buggies from Mini, and the Japanese manufacturer Toyota. The celebrities behind the wheel clearly speak for X-raid. For the 2019 edition, the team from Trebur in Hesse brought in the Peugeot Armada consisting of record winner Stephane Peterhansel (France), defending champion Carlos Sainz (Spain) and all-rounder Cyril Despres (France), who has already won the Dakar five times as a motorcycle pilot. Toyota relies on the South African Giniel de Villiers with the German co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz and the Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah.

Who else stands out? Nine-time rally world champion Sebastien Loeb (France) has decided, contrary to his initial plans, to return to the Dakar after he had to give up following an accident last year. The 44-year-old is competing in a Peugeot from last year, but given the technical disadvantage, he probably has little chance of winning.

Which TV channel broadcasts? The special interest channel Eurosport shows a 30-minute summary of the events after the stages in the late evening.

Why is the Dakar Rally held in South America and no longer in Africa? For safety reasons. In 2008 the rally was canceled due to a terror warning. The following year, the organizer ASO decided to change continents and has not left South America since. However, there is a possible return to Africa in 2020.

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Questions and answers about the Dakar Rally 2019

The 41st edition of the Dakar Rally begins in the Peruvian capital Lima on Monday. The entourage is traveling to South America for the eleventh time, but for the first time only in a single host country.

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