The Dakar from the beginning
1984
In order to “make those who stay behind dream even more”, Thierry Sabine decides to push back the frontiers and the adventure continues further afield. To give his competition a new dimension he succeeds the impossible: the rally crosses Guinea, Sierra Leone and Mauritania.
The legend continues to be written. The number of inscriptions continues to increase and is now at 427.
It is the car race that will captivate all the attention of the fans this year: Jacky Ickx convinces Porsche to enroll a team and this first participation is a success. The big winners are Metge and Lemoyne in the car category and Gaston Rahier in the motorbike category.
1985
This year the start is from Versailles.
The Mitsubishi Pajero have a faultless performance, and it is only their third participation. Patrick Zaniroli and his navigator Jean Da Silva escape all the traps in Mauritania and thus provide the Japanese constructor with a nice victory.
Hubert Auriol leaves BMW this year and and forms the Ligier-Cagiva team. Gaston Rahier repeats his former exploits and finishes first in Dakar.
1986
The sombre year.
Thierry Sabine, the French singer, Daniel Balavoine, the journalist, Nathaly Odent, the helicopter pilot, François Xavier-Bagnoud and the radio technician, Jean-Paul Le Fur are killed in a helicopter accident.
Patrick Verdoy and Gilbert Sabine take over; everyone is in shock. Thierry Sabine's ashes are scattered in the desert.
1987
The rally survives Thierry Sabine and his father takes control with the help of the duo Verdoy-Metge.
The Dakar doesn't stop developing, especially with the arrival of a new constructor: Peugeot. Ari Vatanen and Bernard Giroux win in the car category.
Hubert Auriol, Cyril Neveu and Gaston Rahier battle it out in the motorbike category. Close to victory, Hubert Auriol is victim of a terrible fall and breaks both his ankles. He is forced to abandon. Cyril Neveu wins for the fifth time.
NB: This history is unfortunately not exhaustive. For further information, please contact the Press Department.
