THE 2011 ROUTE: A CASCADE OF COLOUR

After two editions in South America, the Dakar continues its exploration in 2011 of a continent which has impressive potential for new discovery. Heading towards the north of Argentina and Chile, the route skims the frontiers of neighbouring countries and takes competitors through ever more varied country. It's a cascade of colour.

ARGENTINA - CHILE

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A Land of contrasts

The immense size of Argentina will stimulate the imagination of all who love great tracts of open country. Leaving Buenos Aires, the northern route takes competitors into a land of contrasts where in a single day or within a hundred kilometres, the vegetation completely changes with the landscape. In the same way, driving skills required change between dry and wet. The ability to adapt will be rewarded and those with a taste for changes of scene will feel most at home. Over the first three days of the first Argentine section, the Dakar ventures in particular into the provinces of Jujuy and Salta and comes close to Bolivia. It's here in these new areas mapped out around the mythical Route 40 that the Rally ventures.

The Extreme North

To enter Chile a new route, quite as extraordinary as previous ones will be taken: el Paso de Jama.

The Atacama desert immediately captivated Dakar competitors. Its vast stretches serve to satisfy their thirst for dunes and sand. Copiapo and Iquique are becoming essential locations for the Rally After the 2011 edition we shall probably need to add to the list the port of Arica which the Dakar reaches in the extreme north of Chile, on the border with neighbouring Peru. At the heart of the Rally, the desert stages often prove determining. The difficulties in getting over mix with some tricky navigational choices. It's here that the expert stands out.

And another type of desert

After the magnificent frontier crossing by the Paso San Francisco, we enter Argentinian territory, racing smoothly down the Andes Cordillera high plateaux. After photography sessions, sport takes over its rightful place again with an exuberant stage in the white Chilecito dunes. Changes of scene are the order of the day again with a tour of the canyons and riverbeds which cut deep into the desert and with which the competitors are unfamiliar, on the route they will take to San Juan

DATE	START	FINISH
01/01	Buenos Aires	Victoria
02/01	Victoria	Córdoba
03/01	Córdoba	San Miguel de Tucumán
04/01	San Miguel de Tucumán	San Salvador de Jujuy
05/01	San Salvador de Jujuy	Calama
06/01	Calama	Iquique
07/01	Iquique	Arica
08/01	Rest day
09/01	Arica	Antofagasta
10/01	Antofagasta	Copiapo
11/01	Copiapo	Copiapo
12/01	Copiapo	Chilecito
13/01	Chilecito	San Juan
14/01	San Juan	Córdoba
15/01	Córdoba	Buenos Aires
16/01	FINISH

With more than 9,500 km to be completed, including 5,000 km of racing, spread over 13 stages, the Dakar 2011 offers a dense programme, whose specifics have been adapted to the different types of vehicle present on the rally. The longest distances, both in the special and link stages, are situated on the return journey towards Buenos Aires.

KEY

Link stage: a route that mostly follows the road network which the competitors must take to reach the start of the special stage, or the bivouac once the special has been completed.

SS: selective section, also known as a “special”. This is the portion of the stage during which the vehicles enrolled in the race are timed. This year, two stages include two different selective sections, named SSA and SSB.

SSFL: selective section finishing line. This is the point at which the times achieved by the competitors on the day’s special(s) are recorded.

With nearly 3500 kilometres between the Bolivian border and the extremities of the Land of Fire, Argentina is the size of a state-continent. Its expanse, both from north to south and east to west, gives the country several different facets. In terms of climate, relief or way of life, it is Argentina's variety which characterises the numerous regions which form it. While there are many different types of scenery, the Argentinean's love of motor sport is uniformly spread throughout the country. From Buenos Aires, where the competitors got a first taste of their passion, to Córdoba, where the aficionados of the traditional round of the WRC turned out in force, the rally's popularity remained constant.

The Argentines, whose elite representatives flattered to deceive in 2009, stood out thanks to their performance level in 2010. Their designated flag bearer, Orlando Terranova, behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi Lancer for the JMB Stradale team, finished the event in the Top 10, even coming close to a win on the 11^th stage. Marcos Patronelli, who had to make do with 2^nd place in 2009, gave his country a first title on the Dakar. With his domination of the race, he delighted the patriotic Argentinean crowds, who supported his older brother, 2^nd in the category, with the same amount of enthusiasm.

Long and thin, Chile, whose limits are decided by the Pacific Ocean and the Andes chain of mountains, is in fact the longest country in the world. With 4300 kilometres of coastline from north to south (nearly 5400 kilometres of coast in total!) Chile has no rivals in this domain. On the other hand, its width never exceeds more than 349 kilometres and shrinks down to just fifteen or so kilometres in the south. Over such a huge length all types of climate are present, as well as many different types of relief.

From the Atacama Desert, reputed to be the driest in the world, to the mountains of the Andes, the riders and drivers of the Dakar experienced a rich diversity of landscapes. From a sporting perspective, the Chileans were able to enjoy the chase involving their national hero, Francisco López, who was on the tail of Cyril Despres during the entire event. "Chaleco" López, who finished in third place in Buenos Aires, behind the handlebars of a brand new Aprilia 450cc, especially delighted his supporters with two stage wins in his homeland in Antofagasta and Copiapo, before picking up another victory on Argentine soil, in San Rafael. The then President Michelle Bachelet even came to Antofagasta in person on the rest day to encourage her countryman.

DAKAR 2011: CRESCENDO

For its third edition on the South American continent, the Dakar will be continuing its exploration northwards of Argentina and Chile. The balance between the difficult and less difficult sections has also been revised to test the riders, drivers and crews a little more on the first part of the route. After the rest day, the competitors will be getting to grips with extreme endurance racing, with a sequence of decisive stages, likely to rock the established order right up to the day before the finish in Buenos Aires.

David Castera, Dakar sporting director: “A great satisfaction has been the possibility to discover new regions by heading a little further north. This journey to the very limits of the two countries has contributed to the development of a dense and varied route. The state of play at the half-way point should be encouraging for many amateurs, but the return towards Buenos Aires looks challenging with four stages in which all the difficulties imaginable in the Atacama Desert are brought together. During the reconnaissances, my personal favourite was the landscapes that look like they come straight out of a western which we will be crossing on the Chilecito to San Juan stage. I reckon that the competitors will also be in a state of wonderment”.

Saturday, 1st January

Leg 1: Buenos Aires - Victoria

New Year’s Day the old way

Road section, 377 km

The Dakar will be respecting the tradition of the first editions, which systematically started on 1st January at place de la Concorde in Paris. This time, the competitors will indeed be passing an obelisk, yet it is the one on the Avenue of 9th July in Buenos Aires, before heading for Victoria, along a road section. The stop-watches will not be ticking for this day of meeting the Argentinean crowds. However, after this first section of the route, the competitors will be setting up for the night in the bivouac.

Sunday, 2nd January

Leg 1: Victoria - Cordoba

Engines heating up

Bikes - Quads

• Road section, 566 km
• Special, 192 km

Cars - Trucks

• Road section, 566 km
• Special, 222 km

Most of the journey will have been made the day before, but the road section to the starting line of the first special stage is still long. Once the competitors have got down to the nitty-gritty, their engines will start to heat up along a very quick portion. They will need to be more and more technically proficient on a route that then becomes mountainous. In order to limit the amount of overtaking on narrow tracks, a special route has been drawn up for bikes and quads in the middle of the stage.

Monday, 3rd January

Leg 2: Cordoba - San Miguel de Tucuman

Feels like the bush

Bikes - Quads

• Road section, 440 km
• Special, 300 km

Cars - Trucks

• Road section, 440 km
• Special, 324 km

For this stage entirely covering new ground, the competitors’ compass bearings will be set to the north, leading the rally into a backdrop of forest which will remind some observers of bush landscapes. During part of the day, the bikes and quads will again be separated from the cars and trucks. The acrobats on two wheels will have a field day on an old track where jumps are plentiful and sometimes spectacular. In the cockpits of the cars, the drivers can also expect a bumpy ride: endless hops and bounds as well as blind corners will be on the menu.

Tuesday, 4th January

Leg 3: San Miguel de Tucuman - San Salvador de Jujuy

Red and green

Bikes - Quads

• Road section, 231 km
• Special, 521 km

Cars

• Road section, 231 km
• Special, 500 km

Trucks

• Road section, 408 km
• Special, 226 km

To reach Jujuy, the special stage has been split into two parts, separated by a neutralised section. On the first part, the bikers will again be racing on their own track, plunging into the desert canyons where the red of the sand and cliffs is the dominant colour. There is a striking contrast with the second timed portion: the race moves to earthen tracks and the vehicles will disappear into thick green forest. The trucks have been excused from this challenge, deemed too dangerous for the windscreens which are at the same level as tree branches.

Wednesday, 5th January

Leg 4: San Salvador de Jujuy - Calama

The summit of the rally

Road section, 554 km
Special, 207 km

The Dakar leaves Argentina provisionally to cross the Andes mountain range via the Paso de Jama pass. To reach this point, the climb will start during the night. Once they have crossed the border, the crews will ascend to an altitude of 4,800 metres, i.e. the same height as Mont-Blanc, without crampons or ice-picks! In sporting terms, the arrival in Chile also heralds the entrance to the Atacama Desert and the first off-track racing of the rally. The start of the relatively short special stage will take place at 3,300 metres. At this point, the vehicles will have to handle stony terrain as the dunes approach.

Thursday, 6th January

Leg 5: Calama - Iquique

Full throttle

Road section, 36 km
Special, 423 km

Full speed ahead! On this complete special, the riders and drivers will have to deal with a variety of terrains which each demand a special type of driving or riding. After a slow start on rocky, bad tracks, the crossing of a “salar” will also bring the average speed down: this section measuring just a handful of kilometres will keep the riders and drivers busy for about one hour. However, the day’s finish will take place on wide open off-track terrain over around one hundred kilometres. The festival of dunes is rounded off by the descent to Iquique, which promises a whole bag of thrills to all thrill-seekers. Opposite the sea, the competitors will descend a 2.3-km slope, at an average gradient of 32 %!

Friday, 7th January

Leg 6: Iquique - Arica

“Guadal” as the locals say…

Road section, 265 km
Special, 456 km

The exploration of the Atacama Desert this year brings the Dakar participants to Arica, the last town before the Peruvian border. For this large slice of desert before the rest day, the menu is full of dunes, whose sizes increase as the day passes by. But throughout the special stage, the riders and drivers will experience an alternation of sensations. After surfing on the dunes, most of them will get to grips with the unavoidable zones of fesh-fesh, or “guadal” as they are known in this part of the world. For the section of slaloming between dust and dry grass, patience is the competitors’ best ally.

Sunday, 9th January

Leg 7: Arica - Antofagasta

A dive into the Pacific Ocean

Bikes-Quads

• Road section, 208 km
• Special, 631 km

Cars-Trucks

• Road section, 208 km
• Special, 611 km

The competitors will get back to business with the longest special stage of the rally, which marks the start of a very selective sequence. Two timed sections will be on the menu, with a section of two halves for the morning. The bikers will have to tackle an endurance type route lasting for around forty kilometres. Even the most physically fit will be exhausted by this excursion through the canyons. The finish of this first portion will take place on the ocean’s shores, as the vehicles dive down from the dunes along an especially steep slope towards the finish. The tracks of the second section are quicker and the riders and drivers will no doubt cross the finishing line of the special stage to applause at the racing track.

Monday, 10th January

Leg 8: Antofagasta - Copiapo

Three stages in one

Road section, 268 km
Special, 508 km

The three different phases of the day are likely to give rise to difficulties that will have a knock on effect. The utmost care is therefore recommended for handling the subtleties of navigation at the start of the special stage. In the immense open spaces of Chile, the competitors will have to “jump” from valley to valley: landmarks are rare and it is easy to get confused. Making up any time lost will be a dangerous task on the old mine tracks in the middle of the day’s route. Most importantly, a long sandy zone is located at the end of the stage. It will require a very clear head, so it is better to tackle it by day-light rather than with headlights on.

Tuesday, 11th January

Leg 9: Copiapo - Copiapo

Shovels and sand ladders

Link, 35 km
Special, 235 km

If the mileage for the day’s proceedings is taken in isolation, the Copiapo-Copiapo loop could pass for a quiet stroll in the desert. Nonetheless it may happen that for many the outcome of the rally could go a long way to being decided in the majestic dunes that dominate this stage. In some places, the depth of the dips formed by the mountains of sand could condemn those who wander astray in them to an endless series of manoeuvres. During this day full of traps, there is a lot to lose… but also much to be won for those who are experts at crossing dunes. The most elementary advice on deflating tyres is probably the most valuable to follow. To add further spice to this stage, the bikers will set off in a grouped start, in rows of ten for the leading riders then in rows of 20.

Wednesday, 12th January

Leg 10: Copiapo - Chilecito

Back at Fiambala

Road section, 686 km
Special, 176 km

The competitors will once again become mountaineers to cross the Andes mountain range. They should also make sure to take a camera to immortalise their journey along the road section on route 60, after crossing the border at the Paso San Francisco pass. After these moments of freshness and relaxation, the riders and drivers should expect heat shock. During this season, it is always very hot in the white dunes of Fiambala. The visit will be shorter than in previous years, but after ten days of racing, this section can in particular prove to be decisive for amateurs who start to show signs of tiredness.

Thursday, 13th January

Leg 11: Chilecito - San Juan

Once upon a time in the Andes…

Road section, 164 km
Special, 622 km

The country remains the same, but the competitors will genuinely have the impression of entering a new land. The foothills of the Andes sometimes take on a far west appearance, and this is indeed the case for the fabulous canyons in the first timed sector. A little tune by Ennio Morricone would be a perfect sound-track to the sandier backdrop of the second portion, where the competitors will navigate between fairy chimneys. In spite of appearances, it is not a cinema setting: the competitors will have to remain focused and on form for more than 600 kilometres to conserve the benefits of the efforts they have made up to this point.

Friday, 14th January

> Leg 12: San Juan - Cordoba

Now its the turn of the big boys

Bikes-Quads-Cars

• Link, 123 km
• Special, 555 km

Trucks

• Link, 349 km
• Special, 266 km

The final battle for the title will take place in broad day-light for the trucks, which will have a head start, exceptionally kicking off proceedings for this stage. For the rest, the length of this penultimate stage requires caution, especially over the first still sandy 100 kilometres. Since the gaps are sometimes tiny between the quickest drivers and riders, a lot can still change at this stage of the race.

Saturday, 15th January

Leg 13: Cordoba - Buenos Aires

Show time

Link, 645 km
Special, 181 km

This is a stage for relaxing for most of the competitors who will take starter’s orders in Cordoba. There may be the chance of stealing one or two places for some, or a long route to overcome with a sore wrist or knee for others. These are all good reasons for remaining highly concentrated. The final short and quick special stage of the Dakar 2011 will finish at the Baradero racing track where a great show and thrills are guaranteed.