is January on the tracks of Saudi Arabia. (Here the Lithuanian pilot Vaidotas Zala). FRANCK FIFE/AFP
A year after the criminal attack on a vehicle, the rally-raid is organized in the face of the terrorist threat.
The Dakar started on Saturday for the fourth time in its history on Saudi Arabian soil (American Ricky Brabec on a motorbike and Spaniard Carlos Sainz in a car won the 1re stage and took the lead in the general classification) with the hope of leaving behind him the security torments of the past which had pushed him to flee Africa for South America in 2008 because of the terrorist threat. The 2022 edition has proven that the famous rally-raid is still not safe from risk. On December 30, two days before the start, Philippe Boutron’s vehicle was the victim of an explosion on the way to technical checks in Jeddah, the country’s second city. Placed under the floor of the vehicle, the bomb had seriously injured the pilot’s legs.
Operated on the spot, temporarily plunged into a coma, and transferred to France, the leader underwent a dozen operations. He has regained the use of his legs and hopes to be part of the adventure in 2024. Philippe Boutron…
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