There are lots of reasons to find the Dakar Rally and rally raids in general fascinating. Pitting riders and their machines against truly grueling courses, handing them roadbooks, and seeing how quickly they're able to traverse the terrain to get where they're going is only part of it.
Skills and camaraderie are also a major part of it. Call it the Dakar Spirit, or call it what you will, but it's always heartening to see competitors in a discipline look out for each other.
