It is now definitive: the Dakar flees from Saudi Arabia and changes dates

BarcelonaIt is now definitive: the 2027 Dakar will take place. After many weeks of doubts, which had jeopardized the organization of the toughest rally on the planet, a solution has finally been reached. As ARA has learned, the event will change its venue and will be held between Europe and Africa, thus moving away from Saudi Arabia.

Although the Saudi country had a signed contract with ASO, the company that organizes the Dakar, the war conflict in the Middle East had raised many doubts about whether the event could be organized. Above all, for security reasons. For this reason, ASO has been working on a plan B that was confirmed this Monday, the day it was communicated to pilots and teams. The final itinerary will feature 12 stages, about 4,900 kilometers of total route, and a demanding marathon stage. It remains to be defined whether the first stage will be in Spain or Portugal. On the other hand, the route in Morocco has already been finalized.

More than a decade later, the race will start again in Europe and end in Africa. It will be a Dakar "as God intended", say sources familiar with this agreement. Although the route has not yet been presented to the public, ASO has detailed that the event will consist of 12 stages –one of which is a marathon stage–, in addition to a prologue stage and a rest day. In this way, it has been possible to maintain the original format, instead of cutting the competition short and holding it in half the number of days.

The big change is with the dates, as it will not start on January 1st, as was usual. Finally, the prologue stage will be on January 9th, and the last one will be on the 22nd. Furthermore, the event will also be able to keep its name and be called Dakar, a fact that had been at risk due to the commercial commitments signed between ASO and Saudi Arabia. The teams and riders have celebrated this news, both for what it implies for the competition and for the sponsors.

The announcement puts an end to a long period of doubt that especially worried private and independent riders. Until now, the lack of certainty about the destination country hindered technical planning, the search for sponsor support, and specific training, since each terrain requires a completely different preparation of the vehicle and its tuning. The Catalan rider Josep Pedró, who will compete for the second time in the demanding Original by Motul category, has valued this decision very positively: "The most important thing for all the riders was safety and having certainty. Knowing that the organization has found a solid solution in a safe environment gives us a lot of peace of mind. The previous uncertainty was not easy to manage, but seeing that they have worked on a real Plan B, structured between Europe and Morocco, demonstrates ASO's commitment to the participants". Pedró explained that "there was some concern about whether this change meant having a shorter rally. Knowing that we will finally have 12 stages, a prologue in Europe, almost 5,000 kilometers and its corresponding marathon stage comforts us. We have been preparing all year to compete in the toughest race in the world, and this route through Morocco will be a good option".

A blow to the prestige of the Saudis

Saudi Arabia has been investing many millions for a decade to improve its image by organizing sporting events like the Dakar. But in recent months, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, where a civil war with Saudi participation is taking place, have expanded their operations to attack Saudi Arabia, which forms a military coalition with Turkey and Pakistan and currently carries out up to 300 daily airstrikes against rebel strongholds. The fact of seeing different ports and the international airport of the Saudi capital being bombed has been causing the suspension of many events. A few days ago it was confirmed that the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition tournament in Riyadh would also not take place, following bomb attacks at Riyadh international airport. The competition, featuring stars like Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur, or Taylor Fritz, has theoretically been postponed until December. Each of the six participants was guaranteed an appearance fee of 1.5 million dollars, and the winner would receive an additional 4.5 million, which would bring the total to 6 million, the largest prize in tennis history. The cancellation in Riyadh has been beneficial for the Vienna ATP 500 tournament, which will now feature six top-ten players, including Carlos Alcaraz.

IN the last week, an anti-drone alarm postponed a Saudi football league match where Cristiano Ronaldo was playing for two hours. At the end of the match, the Portuguese player kissed a Saudi flag to make clear his support and gratitude to the local government, which pays his salary. Having to allocate more funds to the war effort has modified the priorities of the Saudi authorities, who have also seen howLIV Golf, the professional circuit created by the Saudis in 2022 with more than 5 billion dollars from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), declared bankruptcy on September 8. Some of the best golf players had signed for this circuit and now see how they are owed millions. The Basque Jon Rahm wants out, because the promises made are not being kept. And some of the works on new facilities, such as golf courses, are no longer being carried out. The war in Yemen and the Gulf conflict have managed to ensure that Saudi Arabia is no longer a paradise for professional sports.