Dakar entrants did not beat around the bush when they said they wanted a gruelling route that pushes the field to the limit.
The organisation of the rally heard them loud and clear, dialling up the level of difficulty of its sixth edition in Saudi Arabia, which will stretch for almost 8,000 kilometres —including more than 5,000 in specials— from Bisha to Shubaytah. Drawing on their intimate knowledge of the country, the organising teams have concocted a challenge that will put riders, drivers and crews through their paces from the first moment to the last, with precious few opportunities to catch their breath between one strenuous effort and the next. The harrowing 48h chrono stage, bumped up to the first part of the race, will lead almost directly into the marathon stage, which will begin to shape the outcome of the event. In the second week, Shubaytah will be shining in the distance as a beacon awaiting the participants who manage to tame the dunes of the Empty Quarter. Meticulous care went into separating the courses of the specials over more than 45% of the total mileage, a tried-and-tested approach that will make the race even smoother and safer while complicating navigation for the cars. Finally, the race will come to the heart of the bivouacs, which will host stage starts and finishes, as well as the final podium in Shubaytah on 17 January.
IT ALL STARTS IN BISHA
The concept of an XXL bivouac that serves as the focal point for the whole event in the run-up to the race met with widespread acclaim on the shores of the Red Sea in 2023 and against the majestic backdrop of AlUl in 2024.
It is now set to pitch its tents in Bisha, a city of 200,000 in the south-western quadrant of Saudi Arabia, where the vast majority of competitors will arrive after retrieving their vehicles from the Port of Jeddah. The competitors will come together in time to ring in the new year and spend the first few hours of 2025 going through the technical and administrative scrutineering and making the final tweaks to their preparations. Oasis vibes…
