01-02-2011 13:48 BJT
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The Dakar Rally roared out of Buenos Aires. A ceremonial parade of hundreds of vehicles departed from the city's famed Obelisk landmark on Saturday.
Here's what it looked like on New Year's Day morning in Buenos Aires. The 407 drivers, riders, and teams received a general briefing. And then they would get a glorious send-off from the Argentine capital.
Dakar biking standout Marc Coma led the way, and then defending motorbike champion Cyril Despres mounted the podium. Both riders are aboard KTMs.
Then there was a huge cheer from the thousands of fans for the Patronelli brothers. The younger one, Marcos, is the defending quad champion, but he is still struggling to overcome a serious accident in late November that left him with two broken legs.
Another champion is back in the automobile category. Carlos Sainz is being accompanied by his fellow Spaniard, Lucas Cruz, in a Volkswagen Touareg.
The first leg was a 370-kilometre drive northwest to Victoria, where competitors will prepare for Sunday's first full race day. The 16-day Dakar trek will take drivers 9,500 kilometres across northern Argentina, through the Andes, the Atacama Desert of Chile and back to the Argentine capital.
Since 2009, the send-off show has taken place at the foot of the Obelisk in Buenos Aires.
The rally had traditionally been staged in Europe and Africa, but the 2008 race was canceled because of the threat of terrorism.
It was moved to South America for security reasons.
The 2011 route is longer with more difficulty, especially in Chile, with its mountainous roads and sharp turns. And the drivers can only enjoy sandwiches and water offered during their journey, in a race that's all about challenge and endurance in South America.
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