2008 Dakar Rally
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Dakar Rally
would have been the 30th running of the annual off-road race. The rally was to start in Lisbon
, Portugal
on 5 January 2008, running through Europe
and Africa
until the finish in Dakar
, Senegal
on 20 January. The event was cancelled one day before the intended start date, due to concerns over a possible terrorist attack aimed at the competitors.
, following the killing of four French tourists
there on Christmas Eve, December 2007. France-based Amaury Sport Organisation
(ASO), in charge of the 6000 km (3,728.2 mi) rally, said in a statement they had been advised by the French government to cancel the race. They said direct threats had also been made against the event by "terrorist organizations". Before the start of the race, rally director Étienne Lavigne had approved the Mauritanian legs only after two stages planned for Mali were scrapped. An Al-Qaeda
affiliate organization was blamed for the cancellation.
, Portugal
, and passed through Spain
, Morocco
, Western Sahara
, Mauritania
and Senegal
. The total race distance would have been 9273 km (5,762 mi), of which 5732 km (3,562 mi) was timed special stage
. There would have been a rest day in Nouakchott
on 13 January.
†Smara is located in the Moroccan-administered portion of the Western Sahara
Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally is an annual rally raid type of off-road automobile race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation...
would have been the 30th running of the annual off-road race. The rally was to start in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
on 5 January 2008, running through Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
until the finish in Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
on 20 January. The event was cancelled one day before the intended start date, due to concerns over a possible terrorist attack aimed at the competitors.
Cancellation
The rally was cancelled on January 4, 2008, due to safety concerns in MauritaniaMauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
, following the killing of four French tourists
2007 French tourists killing in Mauritania
The 2007 killing of French tourists in Mauritania happened on December 24, 2007. The attack happened near Aleg, 250 km east of the capital Nouakchott....
there on Christmas Eve, December 2007. France-based Amaury Sport Organisation
Amaury Sport Organisation
The Amaury Sport Organisation is part of the French media group, EPA . It organises sporting events including the Tour de France and Paris–Nice professional cycle road races, and the Dakar Rally...
(ASO), in charge of the 6000 km (3,728.2 mi) rally, said in a statement they had been advised by the French government to cancel the race. They said direct threats had also been made against the event by "terrorist organizations". Before the start of the race, rally director Étienne Lavigne had approved the Mauritanian legs only after two stages planned for Mali were scrapped. An Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
affiliate organization was blamed for the cancellation.
Entrants
As of December 2007 there were 245 motorbikes, 20 quads, 205 cars and 100 trucks. A total of 570 teams from various countries (50) would have raced in the Dakar this year, up from 510 in 2007.Route
The race would have begun in LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, and passed through Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Western Sahara
Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly...
, Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
and Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
. The total race distance would have been 9273 km (5,762 mi), of which 5732 km (3,562 mi) was timed special stage
Special stage (rallying)
Special stages are the competitive sections of a stage rally event where the goal is to cover a stretch of closed road in the shortest time. On a special stage cars are set off individually at set intervals to reduce the chances of being impeded by other competitors. Each special stage is a...
. There would have been a rest day in Nouakchott
Nouakchott
-Government:The town was first divided into districts in 1973. First it was divided into four. From 1986, the city has been split into nine districts.* Arafat* Dar Naim* El Mina* Ksar* Riad* Sebkha* Tevragh-Zeina* Teyarett* Toujounine...
on 13 January.
Planned Stages
| Stage | |From | |Connection | |Connection | km | mi | km | mi | km | mi | km | mi | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 January |  LisbonLisbon Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban... |
Portimão Portimão Portimão is a Portuguese town located in the District of Faro in the Region of Algarve, the southern coast of Portugal. It was formerly known as Vila Nova de Portimão . In 1924, it was incorporated as a cidade and became known merely as Portimão. The town has 41,000 inhabitants and the Portimão... |
104 | 65 | 120 | 75 | 262 | 163 | 486 | 302 | |
| 2 | 6 January | Portimão |
 MálagaMálaga Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe... |
15 | 9 | 60 | 37 | 460 | 286 | 535 | 332 | |
| 3 | 7 January |  NadorNador Nador is a city located in the northeastern Rif region of Morocco. The city is a Mediterranean port on the Bḥar Ameẓẓyan lagoon , and it is the major trading center in the region for fish, fruit, and livestock... |
Er Rachidia Er Rachidia Errachidia, is a city in Morocco, located in the province of the same name province of Errachidia, in the region of Meknès-Tafilalet. It was formerly known as "Ksar Es Souk". is a partially Amazigh and Arabic-speaking town in the in eastern Morocco.... |
182 | 113 | 372 | 231 | 16 | 10 | 717 | 446 | |
| 4 | 8 January | Er Rachidia |
Ouarzazate Ouarzazate -See also:* Tizi n'Tichka: The mountain pass that leads to Ouarzazate* List of Movies shot in Morocco-External links:* at IMDb... |
29 | 18 | 356 | 221 | 199 | 124 | 584 | 363 | |
| 5 | 9 January | Ouarzazate |
Guelmim Guelmim Guelmim , is a town in southern Morocco, often nicknamed Gateway to the Desert . The population of the city is 95,749 . It is the capital of the Guelmim-Es Semara region which includes southern Morocco and northern Western Sahara. It is home to a camel market... |
188 | 117 | 498 | 309 | 148 | 92 | 834 | 518 | |
| 6 | 10 January | Guelmim |
Smara Smara Smara, also Semara , is a city in the Moroccan-Administered Western Sahara, with a population estimated at 42,056.-History:The largest city in its province, Smara was founded in the Saguia el-Hamra as an oasis for travellers in 1869. It is the only major city in Western Sahara that was not founded... † |
66 | 41 | 454 | 282 | 105 | 65 | 625 | 388 | |
| 7 | 11 January | Smara† |
 AtarAtar, Mauritania Atar is a town in northwestern Mauritania, the capital of the Adrar Region and the main settlement on the Adrar Plateau. It is home to an airport, a museum and a historic mosque, constructed in 1674... |
198 | 123 | 619 | 385 | 12 | 7 | 829 | 515 | |
| 8 | 12 January | Atar |
Nouakchott Nouakchott -Government:The town was first divided into districts in 1973. First it was divided into four. From 1986, the city has been split into nine districts.* Arafat* Dar Naim* El Mina* Ksar* Riad* Sebkha* Tevragh-Zeina* Teyarett* Toujounine... |
44 | 27 | 450 | 280 | 37 | 23 | 531 | 330 | |
| 9 | 13 January | Rest day in Nouakchott | ||||||||||
| 10 | 14 January | Nouakchott |
Nouadhibou Nouadhibou Nouadhibou is the second largest city in Mauritania and serves as a major commercial centre. The city itself has about 75,000 inhabitants expanding to over 90,000 in the larger metropolitan area. It is situated on a 40-mile peninsula or headland called Ras Nouadhibou, Cap Blanc, or Cabo Blanco, of... |
37 | 23 | 525 | 326 | 86 | 53 | 648 | 403 | |
| 11 | 15 January | Nouadhibou |
Atar |
111 | 69 | 552 | 343 | 22 | 14 | 685 | 426 | |
| 12 | 16 January | Atar |
Tidjikja Tidjikja Tidjikja is the capital of the Tagant region of central Mauritania, lying on the Tagant plateau. Founded in 1680, it has a population of around 6,000 people.The town is known for its palm trees and its vernacular architecture... |
35 | 22 | 524 | 326 | 133 | 83 | 692 | 430 | |
| 13 | 17 January | Tidjikja |
Kiffa Kiffa Kiffa is a city and department in south-central Mauritania. Kiffa is capital of Assaba Region. It is located at around .It is famous for its antique Kiffa beads.... |
131 | 81 | 398 | 247 | 2 | 1 | 531 | 330 | |
| 14 | 18 January | Kiffa |
Kiffa |
25 | 16 | 484 | 301 | 6 | 4 | 515 | 320 | |
| 15 | 19 January | Kiffa |
 Saint-LouisSaint-Louis, Senegal Saint-Louis, or Ndar as it is called in Wolof, is the capital of Senegal's Saint-Louis Region. Located in the northwest of Senegal, near the mouth of the Senegal River, and 320 km north of Senegal's capital city Dakar, it has a population officially estimated at 176,000 in 2005. Saint-Louis... |
326 | 203 | 301 | 187 | 130 | 81 | 757 | 470 | |
| 16 | 20 January | Saint-Louis |
Dakar Dakar Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland... |
239 | 149 | 23 | 14 | 42 | 26 | 304 | 189 | |
| km | mi | km | mi | km | mi | km | mi | |||||
†Smara is located in the Moroccan-administered portion of the Western Sahara
Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly...