Dakar Classic 2023
Today, the Dakar navigated through lands steeped in history, setting off from one of the centres of Nabatean civilisation on the way to Ha’il, which was a crossroads of commercial routes linking Europe to Asia. For the Dakar riders, drivers and crews, who had to tackle sometimes torrential weather conditions through the majestic canyons surrounding the sandy and sometimes rocky tracks, the challenge also involved having the capacity to focus on navigation where many criss-crossing tracks made it easy to get confused.
The Classic did not escape the rain that soaked the Dakar today. After the first two regularity tests occurred without any nasty effects from the weather, the level of water in the river beds took on proportions that incited the race management to decide to halt the race at CP1 after 318 km. However, there was somewhat of a great escape for the Galpins, winners in 2022, who had already set off for the next part of the programme! It was possible to recover both of them and they had the privilege of leading the caravan convoy to the bivouac, in the great tradition of the race, accustomed to this kind of strategic retreat which is also part of its history.
