San Francisco Frontiers - Sainz set to step out of comfort zone to defend Dakar Rally title

Sainz's fourth title came when he was 61 -- the oldest winner of the race and the first Dakar victory for German outfit Audi.

Now 62, the Spaniard -- the father of Ferrari Formula One driver Carlos Sainz Jr -- recently became a grandfather, but the two-time world rally champion known as 'El Matador' professes to be in fine form.

"Personally I've done everything I can to arrive in a good physical condition and I will give everything to try to have a good race," Sainz said at the launch of his new Ford Raptor car.

"We are comfortable, we have done all the jobs we can."

Sainz added: "I expect first of all to enjoy, to have really good fun driving.

"I expect to have not so many problems and I expect to fight for the victory. I'm happy to help to try to win this challenge, the Dakar."

No one has managed to take a machine fresh from the factory to victory since Ari Vatanen, who triumphed with the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 in 1987 and then with the 405 --its technical heir -- in 1989, followed by the Citroen ZX in 1991.

But that hasn't stopped Sainz's rivals also choosing to blood new cars over the 5,115 kilometres (3,178 miles) of specials mapped out over 12 stages between Bisha and Shubaytah.

Five-time winner Nasser al-Attiyah of Qatar and France's nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb will be piloting Dacia Sandriders, while Spain's one-time Dakar winner Nani Roma will also be in a Ford.

One notable absentee from the action, however, will be France's 'Mr Dakar', 14-time champion Stephane Peterhansel, who hung up his keys last year.

- 'Rally of maturity' -

In the bike section, two-time winner Ricky Brabec (Honda) will be back to defend his title, with the American's main rival likely to be Botswana's Ross Branch (Hero), second last year.

A 434-strong colourful caravan made up of cars, bikes, quads and trucks sets out from Bisha with an opening prologue on Friday.

Twelve stages then await the 778 competitors from 72 countries, with a January 17 finish in Shubaytah, on the border of the United Arab Emirates.

This year's route includes a second 48-hour stage in the Empty Quarter, a vast sea of sand with dunes as far as the eye can see.

Introduced last year, organisers said the concept of the stage, during which competitors have to bivouac on the sand and are not allowed outside help, was simple: "Juggling the twin challenges of endurance and performance while blasting through a thousand kilometres of desert in two days."

"It's the rally of maturity," race director David Castera told AFP. "There's a real level of difficulty, it's a real, tough Dakar, which will push everyone beyond their limits, beyond their comfort zone."

The 47th running of the event may be called the Dakar, but the last time the Senegalese capital actually hosted the finish was way back in 2007 - the security situation in Mauritania forced the 2008 cancellation.

It moved then to South America until finding a new home in Saudi Arabia since 2020.

The Saudis are spending billions to turn the conservative Arab monarchy often criticised for its human rights record into a major sporting force as it tries to diversify its economy away from oil.

Aside from the Dakar the Saudis have invested spectacularly in luring some of the world's top footballers into the Saudi Pro-League.

The kingdom also stages a Formula One Grand Prix in Jeddah, high profile boxing fights, the world's richest horse race, and rocked the world of golf with the launch of the LIV Tour in 2022.

The latest scoop for the kingdom was being named as host of the the 2034 Football World Cup.

K.Hernandez--SFF