ARGENTINA: MOTOR RALLYING - Dakar Rally participants make final preparations before the New Year's race

Record ID: 213948

  • Title: ARGENTINA: MOTOR RALLYING - Dakar Rally participants make final preparations before the New Year's race
  • Date: 31st December 2010
  • Summary: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (DECEMBER 30, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF VEHICLES PARKED IN PLAZA ITALIA FOR TECHNICAL CHECKS AND PEOPLE WALKING AROUND VARIOUS OF IAN STEVENSON, A PARTICIPANT FROM SOUTH AFRICA, PREPARING HIS MOTORBIKE (SOUNDBITE) (English) IAN STEVENSON, A PARTICIPANT FROM SOUTH AFRICA, SAYING: "Fourteen days of racing with a rest day - that's a long time to be in the saddle. It's a big distance, just under 10,000 kilometres [6,200 miles] so my objective is to finish the race, to take it easy in the first week and see how it goes." PEOPLE WALKING VARIOUS OF STAGE AND EXHIBITION AREA, WHERE CARS ARE BEING DISPLAYED AND PEOPLE ARE WATCHING FLORENCIO RANDAZZO, INTERIOR MINISTER, WITH ENRIQUE MAYER, TOURISM MINISTER, AND ANOTHER AT PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FLORENCIO RANDAZZO, INTERIOR MINISTER, SAYING: "For us it is extremely important. It is important for tourism, for the country's profile, when one sees that 53 drivers with 53 different nationalities are participating. More than 190 countries televise the Argentina-Chile Dakar. It is going to have 2,500 [million] spectators." VARIOUS OF TEAM WITH THEIR CAR AND PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PICTURES MECHANIC PREPARING A MOTORBIKE VARIOUS OF MECHANICS PREPARING CARS AND MOTORBIKES MOTORBIKE CHECK-IN TEAM MEMBERS WITH VAN ARGENTINE DRIVER, PABLO BUSIN, WITH HIS MOTORBIKE AND TEAM MEMBERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ARGENTINE DRIVER, PABLO BUSIN, SAYING: "I have to say that one of the motives that I race the Dakar is for the public. They are sincerely spectacular, fanatical, marvelous, and they give up their timetables, their time. To share the moment with the driver and the Dakar caravan." DRIVERS LEAVING AFTER CHECK-IN PEOPLE WATCHING MOTORBIKES LEAVING MOTORBIKE LEAVING VARIOUS OF A PARKED TRUCK
  • Embargoed: 15th January 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Argentina, Argentina
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA9X5NU7TZ3TLBAZ2T1I3BUFCLU
  • Story Text: Drivers and team members finalise registrations and checks ahead of the two-week rally's start on January 1st.
    Vehicles participating in the Dakar Rally were undergoing final checks in Buenos Aires on Thursday (December 30).
    Over 400 vehicles will set off from the capital's starting line on January and traverse a 9,500-kilometre (5900 mile) route, via Chile, before returning back to the starting city on January 16.
    Many of the drivers have come from far afield, including Ian Stevenson, from South Africa, who said he was expecting a tough challenge.
    "Fourteen days of racing with a rest day - that's a long time to be in the saddle. It's a big distance, just under 10,000 kilometres [6,200 miles] so my objective is to finish the race, to take it easy in the first week and see how it goes," says Stevenson.
    This is the 32nd edition of the overland race and the third time hosting responsibilities have been shared between Argentina and Chile.
    The French-run event was previously held in Africa from 1979 to 2008, when it was suspended for a year due to terrorist threats and then moved to South America.
    The race's director has said that the event will not be returning to Africa.
    Argentina's Interior Minister, Florencio Randazzo, and Tourism Minister, Enrique Mayer, gave a conference, during which Randazzo spoke of the value of the event's international media coverage.
    "For us it is extremely important. It is important for tourism, for the country's profile, when one sees that 53 drivers with 53 different nationalities are participating. More than 190 countries televise the Argentina-Chile Dakar. It is going to have 2,500 [million] spectators" said Randazzo.
    Dakar Rally, named after the Sengalese capital, is often said to be the most difficult and dangerous cross-country race in the world.
    Around 60 people - participants and spectators - have lost lives as a result of the event. In September, Frenchman Jean-Michel Baron died after being in a coma since a Dakar Rally accident in 1986.
    The race has caused controversy in Africa where children have been killed by being in the path of rally vehicles.
    Since then, safety measures have been increased and one of the challenges of organisers remains to be the promotion of safe-viewing practices to the public.
    The vast majority of spectators watch the event without problems and Argentine driver Pablo Busin said it was public support that motivated him to take part.
    "I have to say that one of the motives that I race the Dakar is for the public. They are sincerely spectacular, fanatical, marvelous, and they give up their timetables, their time. To share the moment with the driver and the Dakar caravan," said Busin.
    This year's race has attracted 20% more participants, including more from South America.
    Registration is open to professional and amateur entries, with the latter making up the vast majority of participants.
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