The Dakar Rally will not return to Africa

The Dakar Rally will not return to Africa By AFP 8 November 2017 22:07 Organizers of the Dakar Rally, the 2018 version of which will be released on January 6 from the Peruvian capital Lima, said on Wednesday they could not "imagine" the return of the off-road race to Africa at the moment.      "I think it's impossible to imagine going back to work there," said race director Etienne Lavigne. "This is not the idea now," he said in Lima, where he is finalizing regulatory measures with the Peruvian authorities. "In Africa, the situation is very complex, especially in terms of security, civil war, terrorism, which is regrettable, but the situation is so," he said. The next version of the Rally, formerly known as the Paris Dakar Rally, is a reference to the Senegalese capital, the world's most outstanding off-road race, number 40. However, the number of copies mounted is practically less. 2008, and the latest in Africa, due to security concerns in Mauritania. Since 2009, the race has been held in South America. Peru will be the first in this country after five years. A stage will be built across Peru, including a hike up to Lake Titicaca in the Andes at 3,800 meters above sea level, on the border between Peru and Bolivia. Peru has invested $ 6 million to organize this stage, with the race also crossing Bolivia and Argentina. The race includes several categories including cars, motorcycles and trucks. Last year Peugeot's Stephane Peterhansel took his seventh title in the car category, and also has six titles in the motorcycle category.