Dakar Rally

Stage 1 (2016x2)

Air date: Jan 03, 2016

Rosario > Villa Carlos Paz [CANCELLED] The first stage of the 38th Dakar has been cancelled due to extreme weather on the course. A double whammy of storms and extremely thick low clouds kept aircraft grounded, making it impossible for them to guarantee the safety of the competitors. As a result, race director Étienne Lavigne was left with only one realistic option. The competitors headed to Villa Carlos Paz under link section rules after the decision was announced. A route has been selected on which motorcycles and quads move in a convoy, while cars are allowed to travel on their own. The trucks had not departed the Rosario bivouac yet, so they are heading to today's finish on the course for assistance vehicles. It goes without saying that there were no changes in the classification and the start of stage 2 tomorrow will be based on the places at the end of yesterday's prologue. Joan Barreda's Honda will be the first motorcycle and Bernhard ten Brinke's Toyota the first car. In the latter category, the 46 competitors who were unable to start the prologue's timed section due to the accident of competitor 360 will be assigned notional times by race officials. Tomorrow's stage from Villa Carlos Paz to Termas de Río Hondo is tricky to say the least. An initial link section 70 km long will take the competitors to the start of the second special, the longest of the 2016 edition. With 510 km's worth of easy but fast tracks on the menu for the cars and trucks and 450 km for the motorcycles and quads, the first gaps could open up between the favourites in each category. The end of the special lies about 250 km from Termas de Río Hondo.