2008/2009 The Official Web site of The Dakar Rally
http://www.dakar.com/index_DAKus.html

The adventure began back in 1977, when Thierry Sabine got lost on his motorbike
in the Libyan desert during the Abidjan-Nice Rally. Saved from the sands in
extremis, he returned to France still in thrall to this landscape and promising
himself he would share his fascination with as many people as possible. He proceeded to come up with a route starting in Europe, continuing to Algiers and crossing Agadez before eventually finishing at Dakar. Since then, the Paris-Dakar, a unique event sparked by the spirit of
adventure, open to all riders and carrying a message of friendship between all men, has never
failed to challenge, surprise and excite. Over the course of almost thirty years, it has generated innumerable sporting and human stories

Taken from the official site www.dakar.com