It was Paris, the city which most often has been the official race start of the Rally Dakar –the world’s toughest race- that played host to the 2014 race presentation, alongside its most emblematic sights, the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe.
Étienne Lavigne, race director and David Castera, sporting director, were there to disclose some of the until now unknown details of the race that sets out from Rosario, Argentina, on the 5th January 2014. Awaiting us are over 8,700 kilometres of which 5,228 are against the clock. The rest day is due to take place in Salta, Argentina, before the race enters the unchartered territory of Bolivia, before coming to a close in the Chilean city of Valparaíso.
Joan Barreda, Hélder Rodrigues and Paulo Gonçalves were there to represent the official TEAM HRC, and the bike on which Paulo Gonçalves took the World Championship prize in the most recent edition of the Moroccan rally. It was the bike that again stole the limelight.
Meanwhile some 6,864 kilometres away in the Japanese capital’s Tokio Motor Show, the Honda CRF450 RALLY was also the centre of spectator’s attention together with the MotoGP world champion bike, as well as other new Honda goodies for 2014.
Tomorrow the French port of Le Havre sees the embarking of all European vehicles due to participate in the Rally Dakar. They will get to the South American continent in just over a month.
