With just under a week to go to the start of the Lisbon Dakar 2008, edition number XXX, the reigning World Cross Country Rally Champion and winner of the 2006 Dakar gives us his views on this year’s race in Africa stage by stage. This time the organisers have prepared a route with a lot of kilometres in Mauritania, reducing the number of stages in what is known as Black Africa drastically.
Stage 1: Lisbon – Portimao
Liaison: 104 Km. – Special: 120 Km. – Liaison: 262 Km.
The first stage between Lisbon and Portimao is a special of 120 kilometres which in principal should not have too many complications. Last year the organisers chose a really difficult route but it seems that this year we can expect an easier special.
Stage 2: Portimao – Málaga
Liaison: 15 Km. – Special: 60 Km. – Liaison: 460 Km.
The second special, 60 kilometres, is very pretty and fun. Most of it is along the tops of mountains, good fun, although we will have to go very carefully since any mistake can have serious consequences.
Stage 3: Nador – Er Rachidia
Liaison: 182 Km. – Special: 372 Km. – Liaison: 163 Km.
This is the first stage in Morroco, and the first part is on broken tracks with a lot of stones, and what is more the navigation will be quite difficult. We could say that it is the first contact with the real Africa.
Stage 4: Er Rachidia – Ouarzazate
Liaison: 29 Km. – Special: 356 Km. – Liaison: 199 Km.
In principle the first part of this special is new, in a very mountainous zone, with a lot of stones. It will be very technical until the final part, which is a little easier. This is a faster zone where there should not be too many problems. At the end of this day comes the first marathon stage, so we will have to work on the bike ourselves because the mechanics will not be there.
Stage 5: Ouarzazate – Guelmim
Liaison: 188 Km. – Special: 498 Km. – Liaison: 148 Km.
This is a very long special; almost 500 timed kilometres, in Morrocco that is a lot. The engines suffer a lot, the riders too and what is more after a marathon stage, and so it will bring the first big differences between the riders. This is where we will also find some important dunes. Therefore we are expecting a complicated stage.
Stage 6: Guelmim – Smara
Liaison: 66 Km. – Special: 454 Km. – Liaison: 105 Km.
This is a special that will be repeated, something that has not occurred for a long time in the Dakar, with the start in line. We will start on the beach in groups of ten. This is spectacular and very pretty. The first few kilometres will be alongside the beach and then we set off inland, the final part is quite fast and with a lot of stones.
Stage 7: Smara – Atar
Liaison: 198 Km. – Special: 619 Km. – Liaison: 12 Km.
This is the longest of all the stages, although the first part is very easy in a very fast zone. The second part will be with some complicated ergs (dunes). We will have to wait and see where the organisers have chosen to arrive at Atar, since this stage could well be very complicated. And it will be the second marathon stage and we will have no assistance.
Stage 8: Atar – Nouakchott
Liaison: 44 Km. – Special: 450 Km. – Liaison: 37 Km.
This stage is the one before the rest day, and seeing the previous year’s routes it is usually very tough, since it allows the organisers to recover all those that got stuck in the desert. This is a stage with dunes and camel grass, and so complicated. And we can say that after entering Mauritania it will all be complicated.
Stage 9: Nouakchott – Nouhadibou
Liaison: 37 Km. – Special: 525 Km. – Liaison: 86 Km.
The route on this stage will be new for almost everybody, above all because the rally turns north again, away from Dakar, and we do not know what the track will be like. In theory it is on the typical terrain found in Mauritania, with sand tracks a little vegetation, and is a stage parallel to the coast, I suppose that there will be quite a few tracks as the zone has a few villages.
Stage 10: Nouhadibou – Atar
Liaison: 111 Km. – Special: 552 Km. – Liaison: 22 Km.
I think this will be the toughest stage, above all with the ergs (dunes) that will be found on really soft sand, very difficult to get through, as well as camel grass. Arriving at Atar is always complicated because there are a lot of mountains and finding a way through is difficult.
Stage 11: Atar – Tidjikja
Liaison: 35 Km. – Special: 524 Km. – Liaison: 133 Km.
This is a stage with dunes as well. Above all there will be a lot of camel grass and a lot of sand. And arriving at Tidjika we will come across another marathon stage, without any type of assistance. Therefore, at this point in the rally, when the riders are tired, having to work on the bike and do all the work yourself will complicate things even more.
Stage 12: Tidjikja – Kiffa
Liaison: 131 Km. – Special: 398 Km. – Liaison: 2 Km.
In spite of it not being a long special, these three consecutive stages I think are the toughest. Above all because arriving at Kiffa we will find a loop the following day, and so the organisers will also have a day to get the riders stuck in the desert back. We will have been on the road for quite some time and in spite of the end being in sight we still have a long way to go to the end, and so I think it will be one of the toughest.
Stage 13: Kiffa – Kiffa
Liaison: 25 Km. – Special: 484 Km. – Liaison: 6 Km.
This stage will have difficult navigation. We will find the famous Nega pass, a place where we have not been for a long time, and me personally I have never done it. In principle it is taken going up. It is a real mountain range where we will have to find a way through the cliff to climb; that is the famous pass. There will be sand, camel grass and stones. Therefore it will be another difficult special.
Stage 14: Kiffa – Saint-Louis
Liaison: 326 Km. – Special: 301 Km. – Liaison: 130 Km.
We head to Senegal. But it will be a special with a lot of tracks, and although we do not enter Black Africa it will be the most similar to this type of stage in this rally. We will be in zones with quite a few people, with a lot of vegetation, and it will be the typical stage with a lot of parallel tracks where the navigation and following the roadbook will be very important.
Stage 15: Saint-Louis – Dakar
Liaison:239 Km. – Special: 23 Km. – Liaison: 42km
The final stage is the typical special at the Pink Lake, without real difficulties. Perhaps the most dangerous for me will be the liaison between Saint-Louis and Dakar as there is a lot of traffic, and the drivers are the typical ones you find in Africa, and so for us it will be difficult.
