This past winter’s Dakar rally was thrown together in a hurry, when two countries pulled out and left organizers with little time to piece an optimal route together. As a result, some racers and spectators complained the race had developed into a glorified World Rally Championship event.
There’s a look at the route for 2017 in the video above. Now the question is: What do those tracks, trails, and roads look like? The biggest question is Stages 1-3 and 11-12. While the route appears to take competitors on a merry march through the mountains in the middle stages, the beginning and end of the race appears to consist of a rip through the Gran Chaco area.
As we’ve said before, that means we will likely see more WRC-style action. Expect to witness some spectacular flat-out racing, but also some massive crack-ups, in these sections.
Also remember the initial stages in Paraguay are uncharted territory for the rally, as the Dakar has never run there before.
It’s obvious the organizers have made an emphasis on heading into the mountains when possible, though, particularly in Bolivia. Stages 6-8 here will likely challenge most riders. These appear to skirt around the salt flats in the Uyuni area, where much of the bike herd has experienced massive trouble in the past, particularly in the 2015 race. If organizers once again route bikes directly through the salt, we could see a mass of drop-outs as a result, particularly if you mix in some rain.
In closing: the 2017 Dakar is just a few weeks away, kicking off January 2. This race should be even more interesting than the 2016 edition; with aliens Cyril Despres and Marc Coma both long gone now, the rest of the pack has had the chance to build their own skillset, instead of trying to follow the long-established leaders. Toby Price (KTM) has to be the favourite, going in as the reigning champ, and if Joan “Bang Bang” Borreda (Honda) can just avoid binning it, he’s probably a frontrunning contender as well. But the one we’re really keeping an eye on this year is Pablo Quintanilla, who’s been tearing up the rally scene around the world this year aboard a Husqvarna, finishing on the podium at every event he attended.
