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Peru to return to Dakar Rally schedule for first time in five years

Peru will return to the Dakar Rally schedule in 2018, hosting stages of the event for the first time in five years.

The country hosted the opening ceremony of the 2013 edition of the Dakar, but has been absent from the programme since.

The Peruvian government announced it wanted to return to the rally route soon after the conclusion of the 2017 event, and will be back on the schedule next year - hosting the opening stage.

Next year's Dakar route will kick off in the capital city Lima, and will then run through the Andes towards Bolivia.

The rally will then run on both sides of Lake Titicaca, which is on the border between the two countries, and then approach the Bolivian capital of La Paz.

It will reach its conclusion in Cordoba in Argentina.

"The 40th edition of the rally will unleash its creativity with the wide range of landscapes next January," said Dakar director Etienne Lavigne.

"The Bolivian section of the rally will tackle multiple sides of Lake Titicaca, followed by a rest day in La Paz and a rather different trek through the Altiplano.

"The in-line course will let the 2018 Dakar come into its own in the third part of the rally, where the vast and varied terrain of Argentina will set the scene for the race.

"Many competitors already see Cordoba as the daunting peak they need to crown. The Dakar podium is another one which fits in perfectly."

The 2018 Dakar Rally will consist of 14 stages and will be held on January 6-20.

Zdroj: autosport.com