The Dakar plans surprises on its route in 2017

Marc Coma, the sporting director of the Dakar, and his reconnaissance teams spent 27 days in the wilds of Bolivia to develop the route for the 2017 edition. The organizers are planning several new features for the competitors and have prioritized sandy environments with areas of dunes and crossings for this first week of racing. The objective will be to offer new challenges with marathon stages and to increase the navigation difficulties.

The competition in Bolivia promises a daring and surprising journey according to the organization. “Competitors will be surprised by the landscapes and the difficulty of the terrain encountered in Bolivia. We will really discover together a country that everyone thought they knew after three editions in the Uyuni region”, promised Marc Coma.

The route in Bolivia will include several timed stages of more than 450km, including one of 620km. The bivouac will notably be set up in Uyuni for a marathon stage concerning all categories where the crews will have to help each other since they will be deprived of assistance. Details will be revealed on Wednesday November 23 during a press conference held in Paris.

Navigation will be made more complicated since certain GPS functions will be removed. The crossing points successfully tested during the Afriquia Merzouga Rally, the latest addition to the Dakar Series, will be used for the next edition of the Dakar.