On 25 November, on the official Dakar platforms, the details of the route of the 43rd edition of the Dakar were revealed, which will be held in Saudi Arabia from 3 to 15 January 2021 and in which Angelo Pedemonte (RT73 Team) will participate, also supported by FPS Automation. A 7,646 km course with start and finish in Jeddah, including 4,767 km of special timed events that will allow pilots to fully test their exploration and endurance skills on the long tracks of the Saudi desert.
The track, compared to the last edition is completely new with also the opposite direction, so it will be like a first time for everyone. A marathon stage, which follows the rest day in the city of Ha’il, remains confirmed, during this marathon the drivers will not be able to receive assistance and will have to solve any mechanical problems themselves. Despite the difficulties arising from the health crisis, they responded to the appeal of the Dakar. 321 registered vehicles, of which 108 motorcycles, 21 quads, 124 between cars and side by side and 42 trucks, in addition to 26 vehicles registered for the regularity test of the new “Dakar Classic” category open to cars of the 80s and 90s ‘.
Prologue
2/01 – Prologue Jeddah> Jeddah – 11 km The prologue, which will be held on sandy tracks, will establish the starting order for the first stage. The track is located approximately 30km from Jeddah’s King Abdullah Stadium.
Stage 1
3/01 – Departure – Jeddah> Bisha, 622 km – SS: 277 km Particular attention is suggested here for the numerous tracks that cross in the succession of valleys and stony stretches.
Stage 2
4/01 – Bisha> Wadi Ad-Dawasir, 685 km – SS: 457 km The pilots will face the first dunes that alternate from yellow to white and large open spaces in a long off-piste to finish on sandy tracks.
Stage 3
5/01 – Wadi Ad-Dawasir> Wadi Ad-Dawasir, 630 km – SS: 403 km This ring will be characterized by many dunes scattered far and wide interspersed with technical sections and here the fastest drivers will make the difference. To frame this stage will be the Quarto Vuoto, the largest sand desert in the world.
Stage 4
6/01 – Wadi Ad-Dawasir> Riyadh, 813 km – SS: 337 km A lot of transfer in this stage which overall is the longest but the organization confirms very fun for the driver, without diverting attention. on the winding tracks that will give no respite to the participants, mistakes involve a high price even in transfers.
Step 5
7/01 – Riyadh> Buraydah, 625 km – SS: 419 km Patience is a virtue in rally raids, the Dakar direction is confirmed, in this long and difficult stage, the competitors will have to control their nerves and decrease the average speed to avoid the numerous stones scattered on the slopes, moreover the central section of the route is very technical.
Stage 6
8/01 – Buraydah> Ha’il, 655 km – SS: 485 km The road to Ha’il will be 100% smooth and sandy. The path of this stage presents dunes of all shapes and colors, testing the ability of competitors to face them, here above all motorcyclists will face their biggest challenge, it seems a very tiring stage, as well as very long, where there is the risk of running on the desert even after sunset with obvious difficulties in orientation.
Stage 7
10/01 – Ha’il> Sakaka, 737 km SS: 471 km (marathon stage) The marathon stage kicks off with a frightening sequence of sand mountains and 100 km of ups and downs almost without interruptions. Competitors will have to be very careful not to overheat the engines. The first part ends with a series of stony plateaus and a mix of winding and fast sections. Marathon stage means no assistance.
Stage 8
11/01 – Sakaka> Neom, 709 km – SS: 375 km The second part of the marathon stage tends to reward those who were cautious in the first. In addition to the satisfaction of whizzing through the sandy and then stony tracks of this special, competitors will be able to enjoy the most majestic landscapes of Arabia, while always keeping an eye on the roadbook.
Step 9
12/01 – Neom> Neom, 579 km – SS: 465 km The special will start on the shores of the Red Sea and will begin with a stretch along the seafront, then the route follows tracks that are sometimes fast but often too sandy to push hard. The length and variety of this stage place it among the toughest of these two weeks.
Stage 10
13/01 – Neom> AlUla, 583 km – SS: 342 km There are not enough superlatives to describe the landscapes in the first part of this stage. The hilly areas that make up most of the rest of the route are equally stunning. Excellent route for navigation experts who will have the best of the valleys.
Stage 11
14/01 – AlUla> Yanbu, 557 km – SS: 511 km It is the longest special of the rally and will be decisive for those who have arrived here, an ocean of sand that stretches for almost 100 kilometers where the gap could increase.
Stage 12
15/01 – Yanbu> Jeddah, 452 km – SS: 225 km The last stage of the Dakar is not the easiest, however, the riders will have to face chains of dunes, where getting stuck can easily make the difference between a soft ending and one bitter and then the finish line on the shore of the Red Sea which brings to mind the memories of the Pink Lake for those who have had the opportunity to get there. It will be the day of arrival at the podium with the great and spectacular ritual ceremony.
