40th edition - N°7 - Copiapo, just like at Lake Rose - Dakar 2018

With the arrival of the Dakar in South America, the rally discovered the Atacama Desert, which rivals the aridness of the Sahara and offers the drivers some of the most extraordinary dunes in the world. Located at the bottom of a basin, the Copiapo bivouac ideally lent itself to a mass start for the motorcycles, in step with the Dakar tradition that was employed for the Lake Rose final stage. In 2010, during the heyday of the Marc Coma - Cyril Despres rivalry, the Spaniard sped off from this prestigious start to win the 10th stage of his career. But at the finish in Buenos Aires, it was the Frenchman who went up 3-2 in overall victories.