Chilean gov't offers up desert for Dakar Rally
The head of Chilean Tourism, Oscar Santelices, has offered up his homeland as a possible venue for the recently cancelled Dakar Rally. The grueling event, which was recently cancelled due to terrorist threats, might be rescheduled in a different location sometime in February and Chile is now in the running with Australia, China and Russia.
If the event would take place in Chile, parts of the race would be held through the northern Atacama Desert, apparently the world's driest arid landsacape, and the local for the annual Patagonia-Atacama rally. We're sure that Santelices offer is more than just a goodwill gesture, considering the amount of revenue the event could provide, however, he made it clear to local media that no financial support would be offered from the government.
Thanks to all that tipped in!
[Source: ESPN]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
EMC 8:11PM (1/08/2008)
good move!
A Dakar rally hosted in Chile is better than no rally at all!
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kay 8:18PM (1/08/2008)
Chile, Australia, China or Russia?
hmmm.... I pick, yes!
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DS 8:20PM (1/08/2008)
Id go with Chile
mostly dry sand so there wont be any crashing into rocks
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EMC 8:28PM (1/08/2008)
awww, but thats the fun part! :P
Maestro1 8:46PM (1/08/2008)
I'm sure there'll be quite a few mountain stages so no worries. If they do go to Chile it'll still be awesome and a worthy substitute.
Bring It On!!!
PandaBeat 9:05PM (1/08/2008)
I like Chile more than all the mentioned countries.
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steveo391 9:43PM (1/08/2008)
I'd like to a race like this in Russia just think instead of racing in a hot desert they could race through the arctic circle.
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chuck goolsbee 10:05PM (1/08/2008)
Viva Chile!
Trade and commerce is what makes the world turn, not guns & religion. If the nutbars of the world don't want you, then go where you *are* wanted.
--chuck
http://chuck.goolsbee.org
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Bert 10:09PM (1/08/2008)
I can see the "Dakar" going global, with a yearly race that moves around year to year.
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Mauricio 10:52PM (1/08/2008)
My vote for Chile, a splendid desert and wonderful wines.
Viva Chile !!!
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Tim Dennison 12:33AM (1/09/2008)
Anything for a buck, I guess, as long as it ends in some politico's back pocket. The Atacama is one of the world's driest areas and the eco-system it can support (mostly sub-surface) is one of the most delicate on earth. Very dumb to pummel it with 4x4's to prove that massive horsepower and mounds of money can conquer sand. The Wild West died ages ago, boys and girls, time to wake up.
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jgp 7:01AM (1/09/2008)
Aww, it's a leftie. How cute!
AzzardX 12:34AM (1/09/2008)
Chile, Australia, China, Russia... whatever, it's good news that the civilized world wants to hold such an important automotive event on their soil instead of North Africa, far away from those islamic savages (do not read 'muslims', these are very good guys). Though I hope it'll go back eventually when these animals get tamed.
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Benoît RIEU 1:38AM (1/09/2008)
I think that you're off route Damon, no pun intended. The Dakar for the current year IS cancelled. Patrice Clerc, CEO of ASO, the rally's organizer, explained it last weekend on France 2 (the channel), no doubt about it, and they begin to refund the drivers and riders. Plainly.
Besides, they're studying a new route that would cross sub saharan Africa to rally the city of Dakar, for 2009, and South America is just NEXT on the list.
Guess we can't avoid people from Chile making some buzz for their country, but that's totally wrong.
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nam 2:19PM (1/09/2008)
I'll drink a bottle of Cristal to that!!!
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Mauricio 9:10AM (1/16/2008)
... better try with Kunstmann Torobayo !!!, the best chilean beer.
HotRodzNKustoms 3:28AM (1/09/2008)
A rally through the artic circle of Russia would be interesting. Oh oh oh let's have a rally from South Africa to the North Pole and back!
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Avinash machado 6:13AM (1/09/2008)
The Australian outback could also be a good place to hold it.
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ritocs 6:45AM (1/09/2008)
Chile, Australia, China or Russia, sounds great all; but it's never going to be called Dakar Rally again.
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Ben H. 9:10AM (1/09/2008)
Chile to Dakar? Amphibious cars? =]
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