2017 Dakar Rally Route Revealed

The 2017 Dakar Rally is still over seven months away, but the route for the 2017 edition has already been released. The 2017 Dakar Rally will take place from January 2-14, but in this edition Chile has opted out. Next year's route will go through Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay.

Last year too, Chile faced problems after severe flooding in the country, and led the government to pull out of the rally and focus instead of rebuilding and rehabilitation. Chile has been an integral part of the desert rally event since the Dakar moved to South America from Africa in 2009 due to security concerns.

Paraguay's capital Asuncion will host the start of the 2017 Dakar, and will be the only stop for competitors in Paraguay. The bulk of the Dakar will still take place in Argentina, with only four stops planned in Bolivia, which will have plenty of high-altitude stages.

The 2017 Dakar Rally will end in Buenos Aires, and the next edition is expected to be as tough as ever, with stiff competition from the KTM, Honda, Husqvarna and Yamaha teams. KTM has been the most consistent performer at the Dakar, winning the last 15 editions of the rally.

The Dakar Rally was started in 1979 and is considered the holy grail of rally raid events across the world. Formerly known as the Paris-Dakar Rally, the event has been held in South America each year since 2009. The rally is also notorious for its fatal accidents; more than 50 competitors and spectators have lost their lives since its inception.