D-2: nomads converge on AlUla

January 3 ^rd 2024 - 09:54 [GMT + 3]

As the 46th Dakar Rally fires up, it has retained the concept of the "start camp", a sprawling bivouac that plunges competitors into the nomadic spirit of the race. After the shores of the Red Sea, the ancient city of AlUla will be hosting the start of the race. Before springing into action, the entrants are required to go through technical and administrative scrutineering to make sure that both the competitors and their vehicles are compliant with the regulations. Some of these checks were carried in Barcelona, where the majority of the motorbikes, cars and trucks embarked on a maritime odyssey towards Saudi Arabia. The rest will be conducted in AlUla over a span of two days. This is the grand première of the specially prepared Dakar machines and the new jumpsuits of those who have changed teams. Guerlain Chicherit, for instance, has jumped ship to Toyota, as has the young Seth Quintero, who is poised to make his debut in the Ultimate category, also behind the wheel of a Hilux, and the even younger Saood Variawa, who turned 18 a short while ago. On the first day, the FIA and FIM officials will be putting the microscope on the motorbikes registered for the Mission 1000 challenge, reserved alternative-fuelled vehicles. They will also be scrutinising the majority of Rally2 motorbikes; serious title contenders in the Challenger (T3) class, such the young and ambitious Eryk Goczał, behind the wheel of a new vehicle, alongside Rokas Baciuška, Austin Jones, and "Chaleco" López; and, in the trucks, Aleš Loprais and Martin Macík, the main Czech hopes of disrupting the Dutch favourites.