With the start of the 2019 Dakar Rally growing closer and closer, we take a look at 10 things you probably didn’t know about the world’s toughest cross-country rally. From the fuel used by the bikes on the long, arduous days to what the riders do when it comes to bathroom breaks when out in the desert …
Stefan Huber talks rally testing, rider characters and improvement by destruction!
KTM had been unbeaten since 2001 when more than 140 riders lined up for the start of the 39th edition of the Dakar Rally in Asunción on January 2, 2017. Orange was once again the predominant color at the start line – over half of the competitors had opted for the machine that so often wins this event, the KTM 450 RALLY.
The Dakar Rally has exerted a special fascination for motorcycle fans for more than three-and-a-half decades. The heroes of the early years have never been forgotten. Marc Coma also deserves his place among the greats, having dominated the Dakar for more than a decade with his fellow KTM factory rider Cyril Despres.
The KTM Team unwillingly experienced the closeness of good fortune and tragedy during the 27th edition of the Dakar Rally. Two-time Dakar winner Fabrizio Meoni lost his life the next day in a serious accident on Stage 11. Then on 16 January 2005, Cyril Despres arrived at Lac Rose in Dakar ahead of Spanish rider Marc Coma and the South African Alfie Cox, thereby securing KTM’s fifth Dakar victory in succession.
Citius, altius, fortius – this motto equally applies for Olympia and motorsport. In Europe the Erzberg race meets all requirements of the term “higher” – for 20 years now!
