Lisbon, Friday the 4th of January 2008
A.S.O. cancels the 2008 edition of the Dakar rally

After different exchanges with the French government - in particular the Ministry for Foreign Affairs - , and based on their firm recommendations, the organisers of the Dakar have taken the decision to cancel the 2008 edition of the rally, scheduled from the 5th to the 20th of January between Lisbon and Senegal’s capital.
Based on the current international political tension and the murder of four French tourists last 24th of December linked to a branch of Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb, but also and mainly the direct threats launched directly against the race by terrorist organisations, no other decision but the cancellation of the sporting event could be taken by A.S.O.
A.S.O.’s first responsibility is to guarantee the safety of all: that of the populations in the countries visited, of the amateur and professional competitors, of the technical assistance personnel, of the journalists, partners and rally collaborators. A.S.O. therefore reaffirms that the choice of security is not, has never been and will never be a subject of compromise at the heart of the Dakar rally.
A.S.O. condemns the terrorist menace that annihilates a year of hard work, engagement and passion for all the participants and the different actors of the world’s biggest off-road rally. Aware of the huge frustration, especially in Portugal, Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal, and beyond the general disappointment and the huge economical consequences in terms of direct and indirect repercussions for the countries visited, A.S.O. will continue to defend the major values of great sporting events and will carry on its engagement for a durable development through the Actions Dakar, started 5 years ago in sub-Saharan Africa with SOS Sahel International.
The Dakar is a symbol and nothing can destroy symbols. The cancellation of the 2008 edition does not endanger the future of the Dakar. To offer, for 2009 a new adventure to all the off-road rally passionate is a challenge that A.S.O. will take on in the months to come, faithful to its engagement and its passion for sports.


Source: http://www.dakar.com/indexus.html

Oh does that suck! :(

I love that competition.

Bad news here. I hope 2009 to be a better year for Dakar.

What's so wrong with a bunch of loons on wheels driving through some sand?

God wouldn't approve of a good time?

Get the stick out their asses. Sheesh.

That's terrible news. I was really looking forward to seeing how the Touareg would do this year. It kicked ass last year.

One of the world's most grueling rallies cancelled?!?!

*sigh* Not even an attempt of a re-route???.....

*Shakes Head* I love the Dakar rally. Its the most toughest auto events in the world and its cancled.

I'm with AWDFreak why won't they just re-route it? Thats kind of stupid.:-k

I just saw that and I am shocked. How can you cancel a race because of a possible terrorist incident? I just doubt that a race across Europe and Africa in mostly rural areas is going to make terrorists think that we are after them.

If they are really so paranoid, we might as well not do any sporting events.

what the hellllll!!!!!! This was a yearly thing for me, watching the dakar rally all night every night!

grrrrrrrrrrr.........

i'm sorry..but really....

some religions(in fact most)..
just really suck and hinder society WAY too much to be a good thing.

Terrorists - 1

Free world - 0

What a way to hand a victory to the Al Qaeda bastards by submitting to their terror.

****in terrorist assholes

goddamn, it's one thing to shoot a us soldier because he invaded your ****ing country (not the soldiers fault, btw, just saying, most of em aint terrorists, their just people that want us the **** out of their country) but it's totally another thing to say you'll shoot upon people who have no political affiliation whatsoever, and arent doing aything to your damn country or religion

seriously, this is a totally bullshit showing of the power of fear.

Estou muito desapontado com esta noticia, quando ouvi pensei que fosse adiado por alguns dias,mas quand sobe que este ano não havia fiquei mesmo muito triste, deve ser um dia mt triste para os concorrentes e para os fás que se deslocaram para assistir a prova.
Hoje sabemos que não temos condições de derrotar os terroristas é pena.
Penso que o DAKAR acabou para sempre!

Estou muito desapontado com esta noticia, quando ouvi pensei que fosse adiado por alguns dias,mas quand sobe que este ano não havia fiquei mesmo muito triste, deve ser um dia mt triste para os concorrentes e para os fás que se deslocaram para assistir a prova.
Hoje sabemos que não temos condições de derrotar os terroristas é pena.
Penso que o DAKAR acabou para sempre!

Translation courtesy of Google Translate:

"I am very disappointed with this news, I thought when I heard that was postponed for a few days, but quand rises that this year I had not even very sad, it should be a day mt sad for competitors and for fás who travelled to watch the race .

Today we know that we are not able to defeat the terrorists is a pity.
I think the DAKAR ended forever!"

Answer? Arm the competitors!

Give them all a rifle, time bonuses are rewarded for a known terrorist kill.

Terrorists ruin everything. I wait for the year when Christmas gets cancelled.

Chris.

Penso que o DAKAR acabou para sempre!

it's not over forever

eventually the builders of the dakar vehicles will make their vehicles armored, and with weapons, kind of like in the twisted metal game series

it's not over forever

eventually the builders of the dakar vehicles will make their vehicles armored, and with weapons, kind of like in the twisted metal game series


next year we will have a "tank class" as well.

Dammit...that's truly bullsh - I - t

...4 French tourists were killed...last month...

...French drivers make up about 30% of the race entry...

...It's the first time it's been cancelled in its 29 year history.

Eurosport news
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wD8w0Tmh9Y

Some reports (including this one (http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2008/01/05/dakar-rally-cancellation-to-cost-26million/)) suggest that no insurance company was willing to cover the event in light of the terrorist threats, as apposed to the organisers actually calling it off themselves by their own judgment.

Whether this is true or not remains to be seen.

^^^ ****, I didnt know people get insurance for that stuff...

im doing the baja 1000 with nothing but life insurance

'Bout time. That race takes 8 lives on average each year. If that happened in Le Mans or a Formula 1 race, the race would've been banned instantly.

But I don't know... I guess rally is a whole dfferent thing in that aspect. The spectators are allowed to literally stand on the racetrack during the races.

Estou muito desapontado com esta noticia, quando ouvi pensei que fosse adiado por alguns dias,mas quand sobe que este ano não havia fiquei mesmo muito triste, deve ser um dia mt triste para os concorrentes e para os fás que se deslocaram para assistir a prova.
Hoje sabemos que não temos condições de derrotar os terroristas é pena.
Penso que o DAKAR acabou para sempre!
Great another speaker of the great portuguese language

Otimo outro falante da grande lingua portuguesa

uma dica o pessoal não gosta muito de portugues, como você deve ter notado.

one tip the guy don't like portuguese very much, as you must noticed.

Estou muito desapontado com esta noticia, quando ouvi pensei que fosse adiado por alguns dias,mas quand sobe que este ano não havia fiquei mesmo muito triste, deve ser um dia mt triste para os concorrentes e para os fás que se deslocaram para assistir a prova.
Hoje sabemos que não temos condições de derrotar os terroristas é pena.
Penso que o DAKAR acabou para sempre!

Great another speaker of the great portuguese language

Otimo outro falante da grande lingua portuguesa

uma dica o pessoal não gosta muito de portugues, como você deve ter notado.

one tip the guy don't like portuguese very much, as you must noticed.
It's not a portuguese car forum.

Anyways dakar will not be over forever.

Great another speaker of the great portuguese language

Otimo outro falante da grande lingua portuguesa

uma dica o pessoal não gosta muito de portugues, como você deve ter notado.

one tip the guy don't like portuguese very much, as you must noticed.

no need to translate this one guys, the first line he says is the english form of what he says in portugese right under it, and the last line he says in english is a translation of what he said in the line above that

except in english he says guys, but in portugese he says staff...

^I observed that. It's no need speaking portuguese language here. Anyways that's me. End of conservation.

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/6916/motivator3868576wd3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

It always gets in the way. Even in bloody motorsport.

That is not right.

Too bad they probably wouldn't allow a US Special Forces Team entry. Maybe they would allow them to pre-run (clean) the course?

I don't get it. Us western infidels got vices aplenty; but what's wrong with int'l motorsports? If we didn't need to burn oil; most of these potential nutcases couldn't afford to buy an M-80 or a BB gun.

PS. Does "e non e vero, e ben trovado" mean, "even if false; it's well invented", more or less?