The 2005 Telefonica Dakar, due to start in Barcelona on December 31, will be a shorter version of previous year’s events, but no less demanding. The organisers have made a number of changes to the rules of the rally to bring more variety into the event.
Total will once again be the official partner of the race and Elf will be the official fuel supplier. This will be the 27th consecutive year that the Dakar rally will be run.
Although the event will be shorter this year by many hundreds of kilometres and at least two stages, the accent will be on the navigational skills of the crew, rather than the performance of their vehicles.
The 2005 event will consist of fifteen stages. The first will be the prologue in Barcelona that will be 18 km long. The finish will once again be at Lac Rose in Dakar on 16 January. Three stages will be held in Spain, two in Morocco, six in Mauritania, two stages in Mali and three in Senegal.
The route will once again include two marathon stages from Zouerat to Tichit and Kiffa to Bamako. The total length of the event is 8Â 956km. – Sapa