Peru will return to the Dakar Rally schedule for the 40th edition of the race next year.
ADVERTISEMENTPeru will return to the Dakar Rally schedule for the 40th edition of the race next year.
The country in western South America hosted the first five stages of the 2013 edition but has been absent from the Rally ever since.
The nation’s capital Lima will host the 2018 opener while five other stages will be contested in Peru before the race heads through Bolivia and Argentina.
Race director Etienne Lavigne said: “The six Peruvian race days are sand and dunes. They will then cross the Bolivian altiplano and its challenging weather conditions. There will be longer stages with also large sandy areas, particularly on the Orinoca area and south of Uyuni, where we already held some stages this year. And then to north west Argentina, with more stony stages off road, you can get lost there. The race conditions will be very hard because it will be very hot”.
Competitors will tackle a total of 14 stages with the conclusion of the rally in Cordoba in Argentina.
The 40th edition of the race and tenth in south America will run from January 6-20.