The Dakar Rally 2014: Rest Day In The Bivouac

Rest Day for The Dakar Rally was on January 11, 2014 and teams made the most of it.  The competitors’ time was split among press interviews, physical therapy sessions, connecting with loved ones back home and preparing for the week of hard racing leading up to the finale January 18, 2014.

A number of the Dakar Rally riders and drivers were treated to a visit by Sébastien Loeb.  The nine-time WRC champion, X Games rallycross gold medal-winner and Pikes Peak world record-holder chatted with Dakar rally vets like Cyril Despres, Marc Coma and Carlos Sainz.  He also got a grand tour of the garages and even teased of competing in the race someday.

“It feels great to be here because there is so much about this race that you can only understand by coming here. You can feel the special atmosphere that exists in the bivouac when you have the trucks, the bikes and the cars all working together so closely. There is a sense of everybody sharing this adventure together. Even though there are rivals racing against each other to win you can see that there is a real bond between the competitors at the Dakar.” – Sébastien Loeb

“There was a lot of rain during the Rest Day so that will have an affect on tomorrow’s marathon stage. The challenge of going to Bolivia for the first time was already going to be tough but also very exciting because we discover a new place. It was great to see Sébastien here today and seeing him so interested in the Dakar. I think his style of driving flat out would be great to see in this race. Sébastien is such a big name in motorsport so it’s good for our sport to welcome him to the bivouac.” – #2 Marc Coma (Red Bull KTM Factory Team)