ETAPA 1: Buenos Aires (Argentina)–Santa Rosa (Argentina) - Sábado 3 de Enero 2009
Liaison: 196 km - Special: 371 km - Liaison: 166 km - Total: 733 km
The scenery
Both Buenos Aires and the journey to the first stage
destination of Santa Rosa can boast some superlatives.
The capital of Argentina is all about urbanity on a
grand scale, for example with the “Avenida 9 de Julio”,
the widest arterial road in the world with eight lanes in
each direction, while the legendary pampas outside of
the city are characterised by fields of sunflowers, soya
beans, cattle pastures and fruit plantations.
The day’s route
The first stage of the 2009 “Dakar” is also one of the
longest in the history of the race at 733 kilometres,
371 of which are a special stage. With some very fast
stretches – the fastest in the entire race – it will also
require the utmost of concentration. Day one is quite
a warm-up for the weeks to come.
ETAPA 2: Santa Rosa (Argentina)–Puerto Madryn (Argentina) - Domingo 4 de Enero 2009
Liaison: 0 km - Special: 237 km - Liaison: 600 km - Total : 837 km
The scenery
The port of Puerto Madryn on the shores of the Golfo
Nuevo has a population of 58,000 and is a Mecca for
diving in Argentina. It is the destination for the second
day of the rally. The race participants will have the
opportunity to soak up the evening atmosphere of this
Patagonian coastal resort on the Atlantic Coast and
marvel at the view of the 130-metre-tall plateau.
The day’s route
The longest stage of the rally isn’t necessarily the most
demanding stage too. But after the fast start to the
race, the participants will be given a taster of driving
through sand on this day’s leg. The co-drivers will need
to be highly focused on the off-road stretches if they
don’t want to lose precious time.
ETAPA 3: Puerto Madryn (Argentina)–Jacobacci (Argentina) - Lunes 5 de Enero 2009
Liaison: 70 km - Special: 616 km - Liaison: 8 km - Total : 694 km
The scenery
“Dakar”-like extremes in a single day: from the smart
promenades of Puerto Madryn on the Patagonian
coast, today’s leg takes the drivers westward into the
hinterland, and the terrain rises steadily all the way to
today’s destination, the small town of Jacobacci. This
stage goes from the province of Chubut to the province
of Río Negro, and traverses one of Argentina’s most
diverse regions in terms of the animals native to it.
The day’s route
The Dakar Rally will reveal its meaner side on stage
three. The drive through Patagonia will call for a
different driving style to the previous days, as the
terrain begins to change considerably, becoming more
undulating. And drivers with a penchant for extended
bends will be in their element on the stretch to
Jacobacci.
ETAPA 4: Jacobacci (Argentina)–Neuquén (Argentina) - Martes 6 de Enero 2009
Liaison: 4 km - Special: 459 km - Liaison: 25 km - Total : 488 km
The scenery
The fourth day of the rally has some delightful scenery
to offer, including hills and colourful sedimentary rocks
surrounding small salt lakes and fruit crops. Today’s
destination is the city of Neuquén, with a population of
450,000. The city’s main industry is managing the rich
energy resources of the eponymous province, such as
the oil fields to the west.
The day’s route
The teams will face some new challenges at the start
of the special stage of 459 kilometres, in the form of
rocky sections and water crossings. This leg won’t just
put the participants’ driving skills to the test, it will also
test their navigational skills as they once again negotiate
sandy conditions and off-road stretches.
ETAPA 5: Neuquén (Argentina)–San Rafael (Argentina) - Miércoles 7 de Enero 2009
Liaison: 173 km - Special: 506 km - Liaison: 84 km - Total : 763 km
The scenery
Arid plateaus and the fertile oases of the province of
Mendoza will feature heavily in today’s racing. Today’s
destination, San Rafael, has a population of just under
175,000 and boasts 300 days of sunshine a year and
several attractive reservoirs in the west. In addition
to being a top tourist tip, they also serve to generate
power for the region.
The day’s route
The drive to San Rafael is perhaps the most challenging
test in the first rally week of the “Dakar”. The
great distance to be travelled will call for a high
degree of concentration and includes a 20-kilometre
drive through sand dunes as well as off-road stretches
along the “ríos”. The Andes will be visible on the
horizon today.
ETAPA 6: San Rafael (Argentina)–Mendoza (Argentina) - Jueves 8 de Enero 2009
Liaison: 76 km - Special: 395 km - Liaison: 154 km - Total : 625 km
The scenery
San Rafael and Mendoza, the two largest cities in the
Argentinian province of Mendoza and where the best
South American wines are produced, are separated by
a broad expanse of desert. The scenery then changes
to vineyards and orchards as this stage approaches
Mendoza, the fourth-largest city in Argentina.
The day’s route
Stage six of the 2009 Dakar Rally is characterised by
lots of possible route choices. The drivers and their
co-pilots will first encounter a 60-kilometre-long stretch
of dunes on their way to Mendoza. The second part
of the day’s journey is then seemingly easier, but is
tricky all the same – a wide ford will require all of the
participants’ attention if they want to avoid taking an
unexpected dip.
ETAPA 7: Mendoza (Argentina)–Valparaíso (Chile) - Viernes 9 de Enero 2009
Liaison: 80 km - Special: 419 km - Liaison: 317 km - Total : 816 km
The scenery
The stage before the much-anticipated rest day of this
Dakar Rally offers the teams contrasts and superlatives:
the route departs from Mendoza, the city with
the highest quality of life in Argentina, crosses the
Andes and finishes in the Chilean port of Valparaíso,
passing the Aconcagua, the highest point in the western
hemisphere at 6,962 metres, on the way.
The day’s route
The participants can expect some typical “Dakar”
diversity on this leg. Sections of driving over scree
followed by powdery sand much like the notorious
“fesh-fesh” of the Sahara (and known as “guadal” here)
are the order of the day. The teams should also be
prepared for a long day of rallying, and after covering
the 816 kilometres, the first vehicles should make it to
the bivouac at 8 p. m. local time.
DÍA DE DESCANSO - Valparaíso (Chile) - Sábado 10 de Enero 2009 The scenery
Valparaíso literally means “paradise valley”. And many
people who visit the Chilean seaport of 250,000
inhabitants readily confirm that the name is fitting.
This coastal resort, which has been a UNESCO World
Heritage Site since 2003, is characterised by picturesque
bays and higgledy-piggledy houses, and is often
described as being lively, unconventional and noisy.
The day’s route
The rally vehicles won’t be going anywhere on the
eighth day of the “Dakar”. But the sole rest day during
the toughest rally in the world will only mean a
welcome break for the drivers and co-pilots at best,
as the mechanics will be giving the race vehicles a
thorough going-over in the Chilean port of Valparaíso.
Meanwhile, the racers can lap up the attention of the
media spotlight.
ETAPA 8 : Valparaíso (Chile)–La Serena (Chile) - Domingo 11 de Enero 2009
Liaison: 245 km - Special: 294 km - Liaison: 113 km - Total : 652 km
The scenery
The “Dakar” heads north on the eighth stage of the
race, with the Pacific to the west and the Andes and
the glaciers of four mountains upward of 6,000 metres
to the east. The first stage entirely on Chilean soil starts
in Valparaíso and ends in the neocolonialist city of
La Serena, heading down semi-desert valleys with
American Indian roots.
The day’s route
The race organisers A. S.O. conceived the first day of
racing following the rest day as a gentle “restart”. But
there is still a danger of ruining the vehicles on this
stage’s intermediate mountain roads, by adopting an
overly aggressive driving style. So the favourites for
the overall race win stand to lose a lot more than they
might win on this 652-kilometre stretch.
ETAPA 9: La Serena (Chile)–Copiapó (Chile) - Lunes 12 de Enero 2009
Liaison: 88 km - Special: 449 km - Liaison: 0 km - Total : 537 km
The scenery
The “Dakar” will take the participants to the region
known as the “near north” of Chile and to Copiapó
today, which is Chile’s main copper and iron mining
town. Today’s memorable images will be crystal-clear,
remote lagoons and reddish brown and anthracitecoloured
mountains. The vibrant and pretty Plaza de
Armas in Copiapó, with its ancient pepper trees, is well
worth a visit.
The day’s route
Stage nine is the first part of a trilogy of stamina
tests for the teams, as they venture into the Atacama
Desert for the first time, which is known as the most
arid desert in the world. The ever-changing terrain
will also include rocky stretches and an extended
dune landscape at the end of this special stage of 449
kilometres.
ETAPA 10: Copiapó (Chile)–Copiapó (Chile) - Martes 13 de Enero 2009
Liaison: 20 km - Special: 670 km - Liaison: 0 km - Total : 690 km
The scenery
The accompanying teams get to rest today, and while
the rally vehicles drive round a circuit to the north of
Copiapó, the technicians and engineers can savour
the heart of the city in this strange region of deserts
and mountains. In times gone by, Copiapó was a
prosperous city thanks to the nearby silver and gold
mines, and the city centre still displays signs of this
former affluence.
The day’s route
At 670 kilometres, the tenth stage is the longest in
the 2009 Dakar Rally. It is probably also the most
demanding, involving long stretches of dunes lasting
several hundred kilometres in the Atacama Desert. The
extreme heat in and around Copiapó will put man and
machine to the test too.
ETAPA 11: Copiapó (Chile)–Fiambalá (Argentina) - Miércoles 14 de Enero 2009
Liaison: 20 km - Special: 215 km - Liaison: 445 km - Total : 680 km
The scenery
Tough, tougher, “Dakar”: the changing scenery between
Copiapó and Fiambalá is characterised by the vastness
of the Atacama Desert and the second Andes crossing
of the race. The service team will take the scenic Pircas
Negras pass at an altitude of 4,165 metres, which will
take them past the San Guillermo Biosphere Reserve.
The day’s route
The focus will once again be on the co-pilots’ navigational
skills during the eleventh leg of the race –
and choosing the right valley in order to cross the
Andes again will be crucial in order to avoid losing
precious time. There will be sandy sections and the
so-called “Bolivian winter” could even bring some
snowfall in the middle of summer.
ETAPA 12: Fiambalá (Argentina)–La Rioja (Argentina) - Jueves 15 de Enero 2009
Liaison: 4 km - Special: 253 km - Liaison: 261 km - Total : 518 km
The scenery
The environs of today’s destination, La Rioja, are very
arid and only a handful of the local rivers run throughout
the year. The rural capital of the province of the
same name is located to the east of a mountain range
that belongs to the Sierras Pampeanas geological
system. This region is well known for its fertile, high
mountain valleys, where grapes, nuts and olives grow.
The day’s route
The twelfth stage of the “Dakar” comprises numerous
route choices and will make great technical demands
on the drivers and their co-pilots. Just three days away
from the finishing line and without the usual evening
service, the order of the day will be all sorts of different
dunes, including the formidable “white dunes”.
ETAPA 13: La Rioja (Argentina)–Córdoba (Argentina) - Viernes 16 de Enero 2009
Liaison: 161 km - Special: 545 km - Liaison: 47 km - Total : 753 km
The scenery
On the 14th day of the “Dakar”, the participants will drive
from La Rioja to Argentina’s second-largest city, Córdoba,
leaving the isolation behind and returning to more
heavily populated territory. Córdoba has the best intact
colonial architecture that Argentina has to offer and will
have another attraction to add to its hustle and bustle
and vibrant nightlife when the “Dakar” rolls into town.
The day’s route
Driving from La Rioja to Córdoba, the teams will come
across a lot of cacti on this, the penultimate stage of
the “Dakar”. There is a special stage of 545 kilometres
and the drivers will have to steer their way around the
huge cacti if they want to make it to the stage finish
without a scratch on them. A section of this stage is
identical to part of the World Rally Championship race
near Córdoba, as seen in the Rally Argentina.
ETAPA 14: Buenos Aires (Argentina)–Santa Rosa (Argentina) - Sábado 17 de Enero 2009
Liaison: 224 km - Special: 227 km - Liaison: 341 km - Total : 792 km
The scenery
If you haven’t seen the northern suburbs of Buenos
Aires, you haven’t really seen the city at all – or so the
saying goes. And this is exactly where the “Dakar” winds
up after leaving Córdoba along the clay-coloured
floodplains of the Paraná delta by Tigre. The delta deposits
a great deal of silt and the mouth of the Paraná
River moves 40 metres out into the Atlantic every year.
The day’s route
The South American premiere of the “Dakar” finishes
where it started – in Argentina’s legendary pampas.
After two weeks of ever-changing terrain, the drivers
and co-drivers will encounter more familiar road surfaces
on the final 792 kilometres up to the finishing line.
Just like at the start of the race, this final leg will feature
long straights where the drivers can really pick up some
speed.
BUENOS AIRES - Domingo 18 de Enero 2009
Podium ceremony
Dakar 2009
