The 40th Dakar Rally and the 10th one to be held outside of Dakar itself saw very incredible moments as riders and drivers tried to survive through the harsh environment from Peru to Argentina. They had to cross through deserts, salt lakes, ocean beaches, mountains and much more. Not only is this an extremely exhausting experience for all the drivers and the riders but it also takes a high level of expertise to prepare the vehicles for such a strenuous event. It takes an incredible level of preparation to get everything packed on the machines and also mechanical expertise.
This year over 330 vehicles participated in the event and only 185 of these managed to finish the race. Winners of each category are below:
-Matthias Walkner (KTM Red Bull) - Bike Division
-Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz (Peugeot Total) - Car Division
-Evgeny Yakolev, Vladimir Rybakov, Edouard Nikolaev (Kamaz-Master) - Truck
-Ignacio Casale (Casale Racing) - Quad Bike
-Reinaldo Varela and Gustavo Gugelmin (South Racing - Can Am) - Side-by-Side ATV
Below you can find some of the most impressive photographies taken at the event where brave photographers often stand just few meters from the cars and bikes.
Photography credits go to Eric Vargiolu/DPPI/Aurelien Vialatte/Florent Gooden/Julien Bielher/Nikos Katikis
