Dakar Rally to start and end in Buenos Aires

The 2009 Dakar Rally will begin and end in Buenos Aires when it takes place outside of Africa for the first time next January, Argentina's President said. The rally, which was cancelled this year because of security concerns, will spend 10 days in...

The 2009 Dakar Rally will begin and end in Buenos Aires when it takes place outside of Africa for the first time next January, Argentina's President said.

The rally, which was cancelled this year because of security concerns, will spend 10 days in Argentina and five in Chile, crossing the Andes and covering 9,000 km in total from Jan. 3 to 18.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez announced the route after a meeting with rally organisers and said hosting the race was "an honour for all Argentines and also for Chile".

The race will retain the Dakar Rally name. Previously, the rally, originally known as the Paris-Dakar had run through Africa every year since it began in 1979.

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