The Dakar rally begins in Portugal today under the watchful eye of the world's media with security and safety issues dominating the build-up.
Last year's race was overshadowed by three tragic deaths in the controversial race that is much criticized for the reckless manner racers charge through unchartered terrain in northwest Africa.
A year ago Australian motorbike rider Andy Caldecott died of neck injuries after a crash, the same injury that cost Italian rider Fabrizio Meoni his life a year previously.
PHOTO: AFP
But perhaps more shocking were the deaths of a 10-year-old Guinean boy and a 14-year-old Senegalese boy in the last edition.
Such accidents are not uncommon in the Dakar Rally, in which 47 people have died since its inception in 1979. One of the worst years was 1988 where six people died, although until last year's event no local children had perished since 1996.
But despite the inherent safety risks, leading figures such as Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade are determined to continue the tradition.
He said during last year's race: "It isn't necessary to stop Dakar because there's been an accident. The race is a very good thing."
"Here is a sport born in Africa and which has taken place for 28 years. As we speak the entire world is following this race. It's very important," he said. "But in the future we have to make sure as much as we can that there are no further deaths."
While this year's race will not pass through Guinea, that has nothing to do with the death of the young boy last year, according to race director Etienne Lavigne.
He said: "The Guineans regret we are not going there. The decision was not down to security problems but because of scheduling difficulties and our desire to have more time on desert terrain."
Security has become a major issue this year. with an Algerian militant Islamic group forcing the race to change course.
Stages 10 and 11, which were due to run from Nema in Mauritania to Timbuktu in Mali, and then back again, have been altered over fears the Algerian Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) are active on the border between the two countires.
A Mali security source said: "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."
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