Two stages of the Dakar Rally have been canceled because of security fears on the Mali-Mauritania border, officials said on Sunday.
Stages 10 and 11 have been scrapped after reports suggested that a radical Islamist organization, the Algerian Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), was active on the border between the two countries.
"A few days ago, we had this disturbing news and it was decisive in the modification of the layout of the course," a Mali security source said.
Movement
"Friendly foreign services had indicated that in the last few weeks there has been a movement of dozens of salafists between the Mali and Mauritania frontiers, not far from the area where the race was due to pass," he said.
The 10th and 11th stages of the race, which would have seen drivers and riders racing from Nema in Mauritania to Timbuktu in Mali and back, have now been canceled.
Stage 10 will now be a 400km loop starting and ending in Nema while the 11th stage will be from Nema to Ayoun-el-Atrous.
Last month, the French secret service had warned the Mali government of the dangers posed by the GSPC.
The GSPC, created in 1998 by dissidents from the Armed Islamic Group, rejects Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's policy of reconciliation.
It is regarded as the only radical Islamist movement left in the country capable of causing serious trouble.
500 armed men
The French secret service believes the organization can call upon 500 armed men of which 400 are in Algeria with the remainder in the Sahara zones of Mauritania, Mali and Niger.
Dakar 2007 gets under way on Jan. 6 in the Portuguese capital Lisbon and ends in Dakar, Senegal, on Jan. 21.
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
RSS