Cycle News Staff | December 5, 2023
The 2024 Dakar Rally route details are announced and include the new Marathon stage. Here is what the organizers have planned:
2024 ROUTE: THE WILD HEART OF THE DESERT
“We took it upon ourselves to make the 5th edition of Saudi Arabia the toughest one since the race came to the Middle East,” warned the director of the rally, David Castera, when unveiling the details of the 46th edition, which will start in AlUla on 5 January and finish in Yanbu, on the shores of the Red Sea, after a 7,891 km trek on roads, tracks and dunes, including 4,727 km of specials.
One of the challenges introduces a new paradigm for exploring the Empty Quarter desert: “48h chrono” held over two days in which the competitors, scattered among eight bivouacs, will be basically left to their own devices.
Here is more info about each section, as explained by the race organizers:
The fifth edition of the Dakar in Saudi Arabia promises to push man and machine harder than any of the previous ones. After the first week, in which the competitors will feel the heat from the start in AlUla, the field will tackle an Empty Quarter triptych introducing a brand-new concept: a 48 h chrono stage held over two days in which the competitors, scattered among eight bivouacs, will be basically left to their own devices. The rest day in Riyadh will only provide a brief respite, as the varied terrain between that point and the finish in Yanbu is riddled with navigational challenges that could shift the balance of power at any time.
ALULA, A CITY FROM THE DAWN OF TIME
Few things left the field of the Dakar as awestruck as AlUla and its region when the race first landed in Saudi Arabia in January 2020. The kaleidoscopic landscapes of the great outdoors blend with the weight of history and an element of mystery in a humbling experience and an invitation to contemplation. The Dakar has returned time and again to AlUla following its first encounter with archaeological sites from the dawn of time and the Nabataean temples sprinkled around the old town. In a repeat of the tried-and-tested formula used on the shores of the Red Sea last time, the riders, drivers, co-drivers, support crews and organisation teams will converge on a super-sized bivouac to apply the finishing touches to their preparations before the rally gets under way. Camaraderie and a shared passion for the beauty of the desert will fill the air.
ALULA CAMP: RENDEZ-VOUS WITH HISTORY
The Dakar competitors discovered the wonders of AlUla in the first edition of the rally in Saudi Arabia in 2020. However, this time around, they will have the opportunity to immerse themselves even further in the atmosphere of the thousand-year-old archaeological sites: the principle of the start camp, which was a tremendous success among the competitors in its coastal version, has now been extended to the desert, with the bivouac located in the vicinity of the majestic temples built by the Nabataeans. Drawing inspiration from buildings that have stood the test of time, this is the perfect way to get into adventure and discovery mode before tackling the thousands of kilometres of the route.
1 PROLOGUE, 12 STAGES, 14 DAYS OF RACING
Following a demanding edition that revealed the competitors’ capacity for resistance, the tone of the Dakar 2024 will be just as respectful of their expectations in terms of a challenge. The route, which will cover an equivalent distance of 5, 000 kilometres, of special stages continues the exploration of Saudi territory, with 60% of all-new sections. A total of nine bivouacs will be set up on a large swathe running west-east, crisscrossing the route in both directions to a final finish in Yanbu, on the shores of the Red Sea.
48-HOUR STAGE: ENGINES CUT AT THE CANNON BLAST
This is a new stage format, contested over two days with the constraints of a marathon stage, although competitors are permitted to help each other during the evening. But this time, there will be no choice of canteen or repair companions, as the drivers and crews will be spread out over eight different bivouacs. When the clocks strike 4 pm, all vehicles will be required to stop at the next bivouac they come across. With no connection and therefore no visibility of their rivals’ performances, the competitors will camp and set off again at 7 am the following day to complete the remaining section of the route. The tally will be counted after around 600 kilometres of special stage.
EMPTY QUARTER: TWO SPECIAL DAYS
The immense desert of the Empty Quarter will be the venue for the all-new 48-hour stage, with a special format that surpasses the time limit imposed on the first sequence. The terrain lends itself particularly well to two separate courses, one for motorbikes and quads and the other for cars and trucks. Therefore, the top FIA teams will not benefit from the tracks left by the two-wheelers and will have to navigate based on their talent. The system of ‘bonuses’ awarded to motorbike stage openers introduced in the previous edition will be, exceptionally, employed.
| STAGE |
DATE |
START AND FINISH |
RACE DISTANCE |
|
|
|
Total | Special |
| PROLOGUE |
Fri, Jan 5 |
ALULA > ALULA |
158 km | 28 km |
| STAGE 1 |
Sat, Jan 6 |
ALULA > AL HENAKIYAH |
532 km | 405 km |
| STAGE 2 |
Sun, Jan 7 |
AL HENAKIYAH > AL DUWADIMI |
662 km | 470 km |
| STAGE 3 |
Mon, Jan 8 |
AL DUWADIMI > AL SALAMIYA |
733 km | 440 km |
| STAGE 4 |
Tues, Jan 9 |
AL SALAMIYA > AL-HOFUF |
631 km | 299 km |
| STAGE 5 |
Wed, Jan 10 |
AL-HOFUF > SHUBAYTAH |
727 km | 118 km |
| STAGE 6 |
Thurs, Jan 11-12 |
SHUBAYTAH > SHUBAYTAH |
766 km | 532 km |
| REST |
Sat, Jan 13 |
RIYADH |
REST |
| STAGE 7 |
Sun, Jan 14 |
RIYADH > AL DUWADIMI |
873 km | 483 km |
| STAGE 8 |
Mon, Jan 15 |
AL DUWADIMI > HAIL |
678 km | 458 km |
| STAGE 9 |
Tues, Jan 16 |
HAIL > AL ULA |
639 km | 417 km |
| STAGE 10 |
Wed, Jan 17 |
AL ULA > AL ULA |
609 km | 371 km |
| STAGE 11 |
Thurs, Jan 18 |
AL ULA > YANBU |
587 km | 480 km |
| STAGE 12 |
Frid, Jan 19 |
YANBU > YANBU |
328 km | 175 km |
The following is an update from June, 2023:
The Dakar Rally’s fifth edition in Saudi Arabia will be held from January 5 to 19, 2024, starting in the thousand-year-old city of AlUla, crossing the country in the direction of the Empty Quarter and finishing in Yanbu on the shores of the Red Sea.
1 Prologue, 12 Stages, 14 Days of Racing
The route, which will cover an equivalent distance of 5000 kilometers, of special stages continues the exploration of Saudi territory, with 60% of all-new sections. A total of nine bivouacs will be set up on a large swathe running west-east, crisscrossing the route in both directions to a final finish in Yanbu, on the shores of the Red Sea.
VIDEO | 3D Ride – Dakar 2024
Dakar 2024
New 48-Hour Marathon Stage Planned
A new stage format has also been created. Called the “48H Chrono Stage,” the new feature will be contested over two days with the constraints of a marathon stage. When the clocks strike 4 p.m., all vehicles will be required to stop at the next bivouac they come across. With no connection and therefore no visibility of their rivals’ performances, the competitors will camp and set off again at 7 a.m. the following day to complete the remaining section of the route.
There will be no choice of canteen or repair companions, as the drivers and crews will be spread out over eight different bivouacs. Competitors are permitted to help each other during the evening. The tally will be counted after around 600 kilometers of special stage.
VIDEO | Teaser 48H Chrono – Dakar 2024
Dakar 2024
Dakar Future “Mission 1000”
As part of the Dakar Future program, the Mission 1000 operation offers constructors an opportunity to test vehicles with innovative technologies on Dakar terrain: over a hundred kilometers per day, with their performance evaluated in a giant laboratory.
The parallel challenge has the vehicles on a route of around 100 kilometers that will not be the same as the official route but will pose similar difficulties. In an experimental mode, only the energy sources that consume the least fuel are included in Mission 1000: hydrogen, 100% electric or hybrid engines with a minimal amount of biofuel on board. No winners, no losers. Although Mission 1000 participants will eventually be entered into a real competition.
VIDEO | Teaser Dakar Future Mission 1000 – Dakar 2024
Dakar 2024
