Ceremonial parade in Buenos Aires launches Dakar 2011 in Buenos Aires

The KTM duo of title holder Cyril Despres and Marc Coma, who together
have won the rally the last five times lead the charge riding the newly
developed KTM 450 Rally bike, which has been developed to conform to
the new regulations that restrict the professional riders to a smaller,
less powerful machine. They compete this year in their own individual
teams together with Ruben Faria and Juan Pedrero as their co-riders.
 
The opening ceremony, which included a ceremonial ride,
departed from the city's famous Obelisk on Saturday with an increased
number of entrants from previous years. Southern hemisphere summer
temperatures graced the parade as riders set out down the capital's
broad Avenida 9 de Julio amid cheers from thousands of spectators who
lined the road to send them on their way. The race has attracted a huge
fan base in South America since it was moved from North Africa after
the 2008 edition was canceled on the eve of the race following
terrorist threats.

 
Riders then had a 377 km stretch of untimed ride from Buenos
Aires to Victoria to settle into the bivouac for the first night ahead
of Stage one on Sunday.

 
Sunday morning Marc Coma with bike number one will be first
out of the start gate at first light as riders head for Cordoba for
Stage One - 566 km on the road and a 192 km special timed section
designed for the technically proficient over narrow tracks that will
give riders a first taste of what to expect in the next 16 days. The
Dakar is the ultimate test of riding skill, physical and mental
strength. It is also the most demanding of all competitions for the
machines they ride.

 
The 2011 edition, the 33rd Dakar Rally, takes competitors
through Argentina and over the Andes, up to the northern most tip of
Chile, through the notorious Atacama Desert, the world's driest region
then looping back through Argentina to finish again in Buenos Aires.