Dakar 2009 Stage Previews
Ahead of the Dakar Rally 2009 that starts on 3rd January 2009, Rallybuzz gives you the details of the 14 stages over the two weeks.
Stage 1 – Saturday, January 3: Buenos Aires - Santa Rosa, 733 km
Link: 196 km
Special: 371 km
Link: 166 km
Many have heard of La Pampa, where men are reputed to be “rough, but always courteous.” This first stage will provide the opportunity to discover the length of these vast plains. Dakar competitors have never faced such a long special. With over 400 km of rolling routes, perhaps the fastest on the programme, this will constitute a real warm-up. It will be the occasion for everyone to affront a long day that will get rid of all problems in adapting to jet lag.
Stage 2 – Sunday, January 4: Santa Rosa - Puerto Madryn, 837 km
Link: 0 km
Special: 237 km
Link: 600 km
The longest stage of the rally will not necessarily be the most difficult. However, it should still be approached with vigilance and, above all, will a complete set of rally equipment. After a rapid first part of the special, a foretaste of sand will be proposed. On the off-roads of this stage, copilots will need to pay careful attention to their course. The more distracted will begin to “turn in circles.”
Stage 3 – Monday, January 5: Puerto Madryn - Jacobacci, 694 km
Link: 70 km
Special: 616 km
Link: 8 km
For the third day of the race, the special program is a tough one, ranging over 600 km. It will be a sign that the competitors have reached the heart of the matter, even though big problems are still to come. The entry into Patagonia, which will be accompanied by a significant change in terrain, will need new piloting abilities. The landscape is much hillier, and those who prefer long curves will find what they’re looking for. Here, orientation is done using the lakes that border the route, around ten throughout the day, and numerous pink flamingoes will be the preferred guides for this stage.
Stage 4 – Tuesday, January 6: Jacobacci - Neuquen, 488 km
Link: 4 km
Special: 459 km
Link: 25 km
At the start of this stage, the rocky passageways will make heavy demands on the arms of motorcyclists, while those who are accustomed to “wadis” will be obliged to negotiate the Argentinian “rios” with the same careful attention. Next, the first sandy portions and the long kilometers of off-road will thrill those who love driving them. Mistakes here can begin to be costly: the stage toward Neuquen has all the ingredients of a trap. By taking on more or less of a lead, the favorites can begin to show themselves and provide indications of a ranking that just might last.
Stage 5 – Wednesday, January 7: Neuquen - San Rafael, 763 km
Link: 173 km
Special: 506 km
Link: 84 km
The major test of the first week of the race will perhaps be fought on the road to San Rafael. The long distance will oblige teams to remain concentrated at all times. The pilots will also be confronted with real dune passageways, including a range nearly twenty kilometers long. Long off-road stretches will alternate with much more technical sections in the track following the “rios.” The Cordillera can be seen on the horizon, but taking time to sightsee is out of the question: a too-late arrival at the bivouac always leaves a mark.
Stage 6 – Thursday, January 8: San Rafael - Mendoza, 625 km
Link: 76 km
Special: 395 km
Link: 154 km
The day’s program is once again full of crossings, since the special begins with around sixty kilometres of dunes. The trail becomes easier in the second part, but competitors might well be slowed down by a wide ford that must be crossed with exceeding skill to avoid an extended bath. On arrival at Mendoza, the rally will penetrate the foothills of the Andes mountain range.
Stage 7 – Friday, January 9: Mendoza (ARG) – Valparaiso (CHL), 816 km
Link: 80 km
Special: 419 km
Link: 317 km
The variety of terrains and landscapes, a constant given for the Dakar 2009, is evident once again on this stage, where, in addition to a change of country, most of the competitors will get to know the Cordillera of the Andes. Before measuring themselves with the mountains, they must cross over a series of dunes and endure a session of fesh fesh, which is identical to Saharan sand, but which the inhabitants of the region call “guadal.” Concerning the mountains, this will be the only special to include passageways at 3000 metres on technical routes that will sometimes allow a glimpse of the Aconcagua, the highest point in the Andes (6959 m). Then, competitors will cross the border on the link section to reach the sea at Valparaiso.
Stage 8 – Sunday, January 11: Valparaiso - La Serena, 652 km
Link: 245 km
Special: 294 km
Link: 113 km
After a day of rest on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, an easier restart has been programmed. On mid-range mountain roads, driving hotshots should be able to really strut their stuff. The experts in car positioning, trajectory and sudden braking will show how it’s done. But for the rally leaders, there is certainly more to be lost than won during this stage.
Stage 9 – Monday, January 12: La Serena - Copiapo, 537 km
Link: 88 km
Special: 449 km
Link: 0 km
We are at the first step of a decisive trilogy. The reputation of the Atacama Desert, known as the world’s driest, will be tested by the competitors. Those who hope to find dunes will be rewarded. But they will also be fed a generous helping of rocks. This stage is typical of the Dakar 2009, with numerous changes of terrain. The positioning of difficulties, with long stretches of dunes at the end, will require pilots to conserve their strength. They must show themselves to be both multi-talented and with a firm sense of how to manage their efforts.
Stage 10 – Tuesday, January 13: Copiapo - Copiapo, 690 km
Link: 20 km
Special: 670 km
Link: 0 km
The day’s special is simply the longest and most difficult of the rally. As on the previous day, the competitors will face a series of dunes at the end of the day that stretch over a hundred kilometres. And in this area, even the leading specialists will be faced with something new. The Chilean dunes are veritable mountains of sand, and pilots must learn to climb and descend their sides over more than one kilometre. Another unknown: due to the extreme heat of the region, no one knows exactly how the sand will behave. In any case, remaining clear-headed will be imperative all the way to the end.
Stage 11 – Wednesday, January 14: Copiapo - Fiambala, 680 km
Link: 20 km
Special: 215 km
Link: 445 km
On this most majestic stage of the rally, the talents of copilots will be at the strategic center. In the morning, vehicles will leave the Pacific Ocean behind and head toward the border. In the meantime, it will be necessary to constantly choose which valley to take. The return to Argentina will be through the enchanting surroundings of the Paso San Francisco, at an altitude of nearly 4700 metres. To close this long “day of colours,” the link will lead competitors to a sandy landscape that resembles Mauritania. And if fate lends a hand, the rally could even experience a “Bolivian winter” there, a rare phenomenon that sometimes provokes snowfalls in the middle of summer!
Stage 12 – Thursday, January 15: Fiambala - La Rioja, 518 km
Link: 4 km
Special: 253 km
Link: 261 km
As concerns crossings, the day’s special is a concentrate of technique. Various types of dunes will be encountered, including the very formidable “white dunes.” Just three days from arrival, this stage can scramble rankings, especially because the assistance vehicles will not have access to the Fiambala bivouac. The Golden Rule is still: “know how to economize your machine.”
Stage 13 – Friday, January 16: La Rioja - Cordoba, 753 km
Link: 161 km
Special: 545 km
Link: 47 km
After having swallowed thousands of kilometers, participants will face a first-class physical challenge in this next-to-the-last stage. State-of-the-art pilots must maintain their position, while amateurs must avoid an excess of confidence. Errors can leave bitter memories, since this will be the day of cacti. At the bivouac, doctors will no doubt be called on to wield the tweezers. Finally, for the experts of traditional rallies, certain routes are part of the patrimony of the World Cup that takes place every year in Cordoba. Here, aficionados will guarantee a large popular fiesta.
Stage 14 – Saturday, January 17: Cordoba - Buenos Aires, 792 km
Link: 224 km
Special: 227 km
Link: 341 km
The adventure began on La Pampa. After having explored two veritable nation-continents, the competitors will find a more familiar type of landscape. On long, rolling routes, concentration remains necessary. Those who arrive with a ranking in Buenos Aires will have achieved the most impressive loop ever undertaken in rally-raid. And they will remain forever first.
Source: dakar.com
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