Dakarrallyt, som år 2002 kördes för 24:e gången, är världens längsta och hårdaste rally – man kan kalla det motorsportens Mount Everest.
9.436 km från Arras i norra Frankrike till Dakar i Senegal, motsvarar nästan ett kvarts varv runt jorden – på 2 veckor.
Endast knappt hälften av deltagarna brukar nå målet, år 2002 lyckades bara en tredjedel av motorcyklarna. Fyra svenskar startade i MC-klassen och ett svenskt bilekipage. Det är det största svenska deltagandet någonsin.
Läs Annies berättelse dag för dag... Dakar-dagboken !

Den förste svensken att på MC genomföra Paris-Dakar var Olle Ohlsson 1998. Dessutom har PG Lundmark och Lukas Lundin kört Dakar-Kairo år 2000. Svenska tjejer som startat men brutit är, Marie Hessel 1999 och Maria Sandell 2000.

Dakar 2002 i korta drag

26-27 Dec 2001: Teknisk besiktning, anmälan & administration.
28 Dec 2001 : Start Arras, Frankrike kl. 20.00
13 Jan 2002 : Mål Dakar, Senegal

Längd: 9.436 km totalt

BANSTRÄCKNING
2 i Frankrike
1 i Spanien
3 i Marocko
6 i Mauretanien
2 i Senegal
14 sträckor TOTALT (Se sträckorna dag för dag och översiktskarta nedan.)

Därav är:
2 Maraton stäckor, ca 1.500 km vardera (se beskrivning nedan)
2 sträckor utan GPS navigation, endast med kompass/roadbook (se beskrivning nedan)
Längsta sträcka(Maraton): 1.541 km, Stage 7 Ouarzazate-TanTan-Zouerat
Längsta special: 520 km, Stage 11 Tidjikja-Tichit

EUROPA
Den 28 dec körs första sträckan som är en lång nattransportfrån Arras till Chateau-Lastours. Dagen efter kör de tävlande sin första tidtagna specialsträcka, för att sedan fortsätta till Narbonne i syd. På morgonen den 30 dec körs en specialsträckan, innan man fortsätter in i Spanien till Madrid. På nyårsaftonens morgon körs specialen i Madrid, för att sedan fortsätta till färjeläget i Algeciras. På nyårsnatten går färjan till Marocko där ytterligare 300 km nattransport väntar.

AFRIKA
Den 1 jan startar det egentliga Dakar rallyt med en 8 mil specialsträcka i norra Marocko. 2 veckor senare nås slutligen målet i Dakar. Däremellan kommer man att ha utsatts för alla typer av terräng; steniga platåer i Marocko, ökenvidderna med oändliga sanddyner i Mauretanien, och till sist slingriga och gropiga grusvägar genom bitvis tät vegetation i Senegal innan målet vid Lac Rose stränder i Dakar uppenbarar sig.

Maraton sträcka
Med det nya konceptet Super Maraton sträcka, vill organisation att varje tävlandes uthållighet sätts på prov. Under 2 dygn ska man utan assistans, genom intelligens och mod, lägga drygt 1.500 km bakom sig. Två trans-Sahara sträckor kommer att ingå. Första dagen körs en sträcka på ca 600 km, därefter ett obligatorisk stopp på 6 timmar i väntan på mörkret. Efter stoppet startar nästa sträcka om 300 km, nu med natten som ytterligare utmaning. En timmes vila föregår de sista ca 600 km på Maraton sträckan.

Sträckor med neutraliserad GPS
Organisationen kommer även att begränsa användningen av GPS-navigationen, för att verkligen utmana de tävlandes navigationsförmåga. Här får man endast använda sig av kompass, roadbook och den egna orienteringsförmågan. Detta kommer att bli verkligt utslagsgivande.

The official route of Dakar 2002

Stage = Liason + Special
Liasion = transport, no timing
Special = timed section

STAGE		DESCRIPTION
STAGE 1: ARRAS-CHATEAUROUX Friday 28/12 2001, start: 20h00 Liaison : 465 km Total : 465 km		The start is given for the first time in the evening. The competitors leave the Parc Fermé, situated on the Grand Place, in the centre of Arras. The starting podium is set up at the Place des Héros. From 20h00 onwards the first of the bikes will set off in a Southwards direction, heading for Châteauroux for the first bivouac. The podium in Châteauroux is situated at the Belle-Isle Site. The stage, in the night, is a liaison.
STAGE 2: CHATEAUROUX-NARBONNE Saturday 29/12 2001 Liaison : 82 km Special : 6 km Liaison : 510 km Total : 598 km		Whilst the last of the competitors are still arriving in Châteauroux in the early hours of the morning, the first of the bikes prepare to set off for the second stage. A short special of 6 km is traced out in the Croisière Activity Parc, in La Souterraine. From there, the competitors move towards Narbonne, passing through Brive-la-Gaillarde where a Passage Control is organised.
STAGE 3: NARBONNE-MADRID Sunday 30/12 2001 Liaison : 25 km Special : 35 km Liaison : 870 km Total : 930 km		Start from the podium, situated in the town centre, opposite the theatre, at 8h00 for the first bikes. From there, competitors will arrive in Château-Lastours, for a special of 35 km, traced out over winding routes, between vines and scrub land. They continue with a long liaison stage until Madrid.
STAGE 4: MADRID-RABAT Monday 31/12 2001 Liaison : 5 km Special : 6 km Liaison : 950 km Total : 961 km		The special will take place near to the Spanish capital. At the end of this, the competitors continue on a long liaison stage which leads them right into the South of Spain. From there, they board the boat to Morocco. Another liaison stage for their arrival in Rabat, first stage town in Morocco. New Year’s Eve at the bivouac in Rabat.
STAGE 5: RABAT-ER RACHIDIA Tuesday 1/1 2002 Liaison : 10 km Special : 80 km Liaison : 444 km Total : 534 km		After a festive evening in Rabat, a must for New Year’s Eve (!), the competitors set off on a first special, short and original, which alternates between smooth running parts, rapid with navigating zones and more winding and sandy parts. It is essentially traced out in a forest area, amid cork trees, eucalyptus and pine trees.
STAGE 6: ER RACHIDIA-OUARZAZATE Wednesday 2/1 2002 Liaison : 56 km Special : 338 km Liaison : 182 km Total : 576 km		The track, rapid, stony, at times “jumpy” then smoother leads the competitors towards the sandy and deserted zones of the South. We see the apparition of the first ‘dunes’ and the crossing of Ergs with, in particular, the mythical Chebbi Erg, in Merzouga, the highest dunes in Morocco. Further South, the special digs deeper into valleys which wind around the oueds, on large plateaus closed in between the mountains.
STAGE 7: First Marathon Stage OUARZAZATE-TAN-TAN Thursday 3/1 - Friday 4/1 2002 Liaison : 176 km Special : 351 km Liaison : 266 km      [break 6 of hours] TAN-TAN-ZOUERAT Liaison : 365 km Special : 371 km Liaison : 16 km Total : 1 545 km		First of the two “Marathon” stages! From Ouarzazate, the competitors set off on a liaison stage then continue on the first special which leads them to Tan-Tan. There, a compulsory “break” of 6 hours is organised before continuing the liaison. A new “break”, is respected (they can have something to eat)… then they set off on the second special of this “Marathon” stage (start, in Mauritania, in the early morning). The first third of the special is winding and sandy then becomes very rapid. As a whole, it remains relatively smooth running. * Parallel route for assistance vehicles, to Tan-Tan.
STAGE 8: ZOUERAT-ATAR Saturday 5/1 2002 Liaison : 9 km Special : 383 km Liaison : 4 km Total : 396 km		Last stage before the rest day. The special is relatively short, but is the first real Erg crossing stage. It is traced out off the tracks, in the middle of Erg “fields” which are closer and closer together… until the culminating point: the crossing of the Erg de El Beyyed. After this, the special becomes more smooth running, on sandy and “rapid” tracks.
REST DAY Rest day in ATAR Sunday 6/1 2002 Service		Service bike & equipment, eat and sleep.
STAGE 9: Loop ATAR-ATAR Monday 7/1 2002 Liaison : 33 km Special : 366 km Liaison : 5 km Total : 404 km		Loop stage around Atar. After the first 100 kilometres traced out over existing tracks, the special is very varied and totally new. On the programme : the crossing of Ergs, passes to be found, lots of navigation, off track,… and a little camel grass! * Assistance vehicles remain at the bivouac.
STAGE 10: ATAR-TIDJIKJA Tuesday 8/1 2002 Liaison : 33 km Special : 467 km Liaison : 2 km Total : 502 km		It is one of the hardest stages and one of the longest specials in the 2002 edition. The first 100 kilometres take place in a magnificent setting, in a canyon, along a Oued, with the sea of sand that touches the edge of the cliffs. The rest of the stage includes numerous navigating difficulties and lots of Erg crossing. It takes place off track in the middle of the dunes with trunks of camel grass. The stage finishes on winding but relatively rapid tracks up to Tidjikja. Be careful of fuel consumption.
STAGE 11: TIDJIKJA-TICHIT Wednesday 9/1 2002 Liaison : 18 km Special : 520 km Total : 538 km		One of the most beautiful stages, very complete : stony tracks, crossings, off track, navigating, camel grass, i.e. a compressed version of all that can be found on a stage. A magnificent but hard stage which starts with a winding 100 km, over stony tracks, along the mountains. Then a change of direction and profile : the crossing, on the way down, of the Nega pass and of deserted zones, sandy up until Tichit.
STAGE 12: Loop TICHIT-TICHIT Thursday 10/1 2002 Special : 450 km Total : 450 km		Second loop stage. The special is traced out like an Olympic sailing race, the CP’s replacing the buoys. It takes place to the North of Tichit. After 80 “known” kilometres, the 370 remaining km are totally new ! The emphasis is on navigating skills, the special taking place for the most part completely off track, in the dunes. * Assistance vehicles stay at the bivouac.
STAGE 13: Second Marathon Stage TICHIT-KIFFA Friday 11/1 - Saturday 12/1 2002 Special : 457 km Liaison : 4 km      [break 6 hours] KIFFA-DAKAR Liaison : 450 km Special : 165 km Liaison : 396 km Total : 1 472 km		Second Marathon stage. From Tichit, the competitors set off directly on the special up to Kiffa. There, a compulsory 6 hour “break” is organised before continuing on liaison, by night, up to Boutilimit. Another “break” is respected before attacking the second special. Liaison stage of 396 km with an arrival in Dakar. This second Marathon stage is long and difficult. As you get to the end, anything can still happen. The special between Tichit and Kiffa is traced out off track, in the middle of the big dunes. There are a few camel grass passages. The liaison between Kiffa and Boutilimit is traced out on tarmac. Be careful, there are 200 km in bad condition. The second special of the stage is a very beautiful driving special. The main difficulty is the presence of numerous parallel tracks : it’s not easy to find reliable bearings.
STAGE 14: DAKAR-DAKAR Sunday 13/1 2002 Liaison : 38 km Special : 31 km Total : 69 km		Last loop stage around the Lac Rose. The competitors move up the beach in a Northerly direction before starting on the traditional tour of the Lac. After the finishing podium, the competitors arrive at the Méridien in Dakar in procession. Parc Fermé at the Méridien. Prize giving, in the evening, in the gardens of the Méridien.
9.436 km in total