The Dakar 2019 looms ever closer

Monster Energy Honda Team continues with the preparations for the 41st edition of the Dakar while the official confirmation that the event will go ahead has been announced. It has also been revealed that the world’s toughest race will take place, in its entirety, in Peru over a total of ten stages.

Race organizers of the 2019 Dakar Rally have made public the first details of the forthcoming edition with the announcement that odyssey will play out entirely on Peruvian territory. The race will get underway on January 6 with the start scheduled to take place in the country’s capital Lima.

From Lima, the entourage will head south, covering the coastal region with stages in Pisco, San Juan de Marcona and Arequipa – places already visited in the most recent edition of the rally. In Moquegua will held the unique Marathon stage before arrive to Arequipa for the rest day that will be held on January 12 before the rally begins the return journey back to Lima with looping stages in San Juan de Marcona and Pisco. In total, about 5000 kilometres of race, where there will be 3000 km of special stages and about 2000 kilometres of liaison.

Technically, riders can expect tough days full of demanding navigation. Monster Energy Honda Team is deep in preparations for the Dakar, with a busy summer programme that will include three South American races this summer. First up is the Atacama Rally in Chile which is followed by the Desafío Ruta 40 in Argentina, both of which have points which count towards the FIM World Championship. In addition the team is set to take part in the Inca Challenge in Peru, a Dakar Series event, to be held in September.