The Dakar Rally has earned the “world’s toughest motor race” nickname for good reasons. In its 44 years, the rally has tested the world’s best riders with the toughest terrain that Europe, Africa, South America, and the Middle East have to offer. However, competitors have been calling for a longer event with more stages, distance, and dunes in recent years. Dakar will answer those calls in 2023, with a grueling 14-stage route.
Prior to the rally's first official stage, the competitors will vie for the top starting spot in a short Prologue on December 31, 2022. The route will then send the riders from the shores of the Red Sea to the city of Dammam on Saudi Arabia's eastern coast. Running from January 1-15, 2023, the 14-stage rally includes three stages in the country’s brutal Empty Quarter. The race organizers haven’t released the full route distance yet, but each stage will range from 350km to 500km and cover 70 percent of new tracks.
