Stage-marathon, cordons of dunes: the route of the Dakar 2022 dissected

For his third visit to Saudi Arabia, the most famous of rally-raids will give pride of place to dunes and sand. Over the 12 stages of this Dakar 2022, the competitors will swallow a whopping 8 km including 375 timed sector markers:

Saturday January 1: Jeddah-Ha'il, Prologue (834 km including 19 special)
In the middle of two long routes, the 19 kilometer exercise to be covered on dirt tracks and a few dunes will serve to test your vehicle, but above all to distribute the drivers according to their level to give the start the next day. The day's results will also give the opportunity to carry out the briefing at a special ceremony where the first 15 in each category choose, in reverse order of classification, their starting position for special 1B... bluff game guaranteed!

Sunday January 2: Ha'il-Ha'il, Stage 1 (546 km, including 334 special)
The north of Saudi Arabia offers mountainous landscapes which contribute to the contrasts of the Dakar route. The fact remains that sand is already part of the program, mainly in the form of tracks for the moment. Above all, the navigation difficulties that the country has in store are indeed present. In this area, the co-drivers are in the thick of things: there is no question of taking liberties with the road book under penalty of immediate timing sanctions.

Monday January 3: Ha'il-Al Artawiyah, Stage 2 (585 km, including 339 special)
And here are the first cordons of dunes of the rally, which will prove decisive in setting the general tone of the Dakar 2022 and bringing out the contenders likely to play the leading roles. However, it would be risky to attempt a coup on the first day of a marathon stage: when the evening comes, only assistance between drivers and crews registered in the race is authorized in the work park.

Tuesday January 4: Al Artawiyah-Al Qaisumah, Stage 3 (554 km including 368 km of special)
Today's significant dose of sand occurs in the first part of the special. And if the second part, more smooth, seems more technically accessible, the incessant crossings of tracks are all sources of errors and therefore minutes lost in U-turns and various detours. You will also need to keep in mind the issue of tire management to complete the marathon without any problems.

Wednesday January 5: Al Qaisumah-Riyadh, Stage 4 (707 km including 465 km of special)
The Dakar heads south to reach the capital Riyadh. The panorama of the longest special stage of the rally provides a complete inventory of the joys of the rally-raid: a portion of rolling tracks of nearly 200 km, then a core stage composed of cordons of dunes of random sizes, and a rocky finale , in particular when it comes to making a series of wadi crossings. One of the big pieces of bravery of the first week.

Thursday January 6: Riyadh-Riyadh, Stage 5 (563 km including 348 km of special)
To get the sporting scene of the day, the drivers and crews will head east of Riyadh and embark on a special stage marked by a clear difference in tones. The dirt and rock tracks at the start of the day will strain the bikers' arms, but they will need to keep as much energy as possible for the long stretch of dunes of almost 80 kilometers. Real crossing over the entire end of the stage can make a big difference.

Friday January 7: Riyadh-Riyadh, Stage 6 (635 km including 421 special)
To complete the first week of the rally, the second loop with departure and arrival in the capital, this time explores the west of Riyadh. The numerous track crossings at the start of the special will require maximum vigilance from the co-drivers. The dunes of the day will appear in the middle of the program, with around forty kilometers of ergs to swallow. Those who have taken the advantage on this portion will then be able to capitalize on the rolling tracks of the finale.

Saturday January 8: Rest in Riyadh

Sunday January 9: Riyadh-Al Dawadimi, Stage 7 (700 km including 401 km of special)
It is a region still unexplored by the Dakar that the drivers will invest in for the resumption of the debates. This discovery begins with a hundred kilometers of dunes: we go from one erg to another without benefiting from any respite. After this challenge of crossing a great density, the driving becomes less complex, but the maze of tracks could cause nervous breakdowns in the passenger compartments!

Monday January 10: Al Dawadimi-Wadi Ad-Dawasir, Stage 8 (828 km including 394 special)
You have to prepare to experience an endless day, because long connections will be added to a very copious sand menu in this transhumance towards southern Saudi Arabia. We will only see sand and dunes during the first 200 kilometers of special, constantly jumping from one valley to another. The landscapes will change at the end of the day... or even in the evening or at night because the level of difficulty of the stage will delay many competitors.

Tuesday January 11: Wadi Ad-Dawasir-Wadi Ad-Dawasir, Stage 9 (490 km including 287 special)
The start for the Wadi Ad-Dawasir loop will be given later, to allow those late from the day before to cope: the resistance of machines and organizations is now one of the determining parameters. The presence of mountains, then the trails that wind between the canyons, significantly change the way you drive. But even with less sand, the difficulties remain real, particularly in terms of navigation.

Wednesday January 12: Wadi Ad-Dawasir-Bisha, Stage 10 (757 km including 374 special)
This special seems dedicated to aesthetics, the variations of reliefs and colors contributing to the continuous wonder. The pleasure of the eyes is accompanied by that of the piloting, for an average which will certainly be one of the highest. Be careful, however, not to confuse speed with haste, especially when it comes to refereeing at the many crossings of tracks which are also the signature of Saudi courses.

Thursday January 13: Bisha-Bisha, Stage 11 (500 km including 345 special)
Nothing will be decided before the Bisha loop, where the podium can still be shattered. The meeting stands out as the technical challenge at the end of the rally, since the vehicles will be immersed in the dunes for approximately half of the time. Above all, they will taste all shapes and types of dunes, including the softest of their kind. The stage is set for the last big fight!

Friday January 14: Bisha-Jeddah, Stage 12 (676 km including 163 special)
The dunes are over, but not the sand, which still covers most of the tracks on the program for the final special. The habits adopted since the start of the rally will allow everyone to fully enjoy driving. On the other hand, the connections will be long to reach the shores of the Red Sea and the final podium installed on the Jeddah corniche.

ALSO READ > Dumas on the Dakar 2022 thanks to the kindness of Al-Attiyah: “I have a Toyota at home, if you want! »