Dakar vehicles arrived to Argentina

Most of the vehicles participating in the fourth South American Dakar Rally, which this year will be run in Argentina, Chile and Peru, was presented yesterday at the port of Zárate, on the banks of the Parana River.

The ship "Sao Paulo", with 680 vehicles including cars, motorcycles, quads and trucks (competition, support and the organization itself), landed in Zárate on ​​ Monday. That day at 8 am they started the "landing" and eleven hours after the job was done.

"Everything is ready and the Dakar 2012 will be a feast for all Argentines from its launch at Mar del Plata on January 1st," said yesterday the Minister of Tourism, Enrique Meyer. The machines will be stationed untill December 27, when they depart to Mar del Plata.

"To change the city of the start, Mar del Plata instead of Buenos Aires, was an idea that we suggested some time ago, is very good for the country" Meyer said.

About 60 workers participated in the task of landing vehicles that brought the ship from the French port of Le Havre, it was "a very clean operation" as defined by Albert André, institutional relations manager for Delta Dock Complex.

André said that "every year since 2009, when they came for the first time, things are going good" and stressed that the "enthusiasm" of those responsible for carrying out this task does not diminish over time, "or with the hot weather".

To the 680 vehicles that arrived at the port, we have to add those arriving by land in these hours from neighboring countries, or by air, such as cutting-edge equipment like BMW, Mini or Hummer.

All vehicles will be on the north breakwater of Mar del Plata on December 28, 29, 30, and 31 the activity is concentrated in the Dakar Village, which is mounted at the Naval Base in the city.




The official start will be on December 31 in front of "Hotel Provincial", as a party is expected to be enhanced in its concurrence by the mass of tourists who annually visit Mar del Plata for the summer.

Once the January 1, competitors will leave the "Plaza Colón", in the formal beginning of the rally, headed toward the Pampa as part of the first stage, a first day which organizers say will be no surprises and, as usual, will be a fast one.

Then the rally will go to San Rafael (Mendoza), San Juan, Chilecito (La Rioja) and Fiambalá (Catamarca), the last stage in Argentina before crossing into Chile through Paso de San Francisco. Check the Rally Stages here: Dakar Rally Route

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