'El Matador' bullish about Dakar title defense

'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), last year's runner-up.

A 434-strong colorful 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 Jan 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, organizers 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 kilometers of desert in two days."