The 45th edition of Dakar kicked off on New Year’s Eve with a short 13km timed run on the shores of Red Sea in Saudi Arabia, with the entire section designed around the Sea Camp that also serves as the first bivouac of the rally.
Although there was little opportunity to gain time on rivals, the Prologue was fairly significant as it helps determine the starting order for the first stage proper on Sunday - with the top 10 finishers getting the chance to pick their preferred starting positions.
