Competitors ready for Saudi desert

PARIS: The Dakar Rally, the first major motorsport event of 2021, heads into the dunes and remote deserts of Saudi Arabia in a bivouac bubble this weekend.

All participants in the gruelling event, which starts in Jeddah on Monday and ends in the Red Sea port on January 15, have had to quarantine for Covid19 after arriving on charter flights.

Spaniard Nani Roma, a past winner on two wheels and four, had to change codriver after compatriot Dani Oliveras tested positive at home before Christmas and was unable to travel to the Middle East.

Frenchman Alex Winocq will take Oliveras’ place at the new Bahrain Raid Xtreme team.

‘‘It’s hard for us,’’ 2014 winner Roma said, speaking on a video call while isolating in his hotel room.

‘‘But anyway I think everyone had a real victory to start this Dakar in this situation around the world.’’

Ninetime world rally champion Sebastien Loeb, with longtime codriver Daniel Elena, will also be competing for the Bahrain team.

The Frenchman has not raced in Saudi Arabia before but competed when the Dakar was held in South America, finishing second with Peugeot in 2017.

Triple winner and defending champion Carlos Sainz, father of the Ferrari Formula One driver of the same name, returns with the XRaid Mini team.

‘I’m happy to be here after such a difficult year, like everybody, happy to be at the start,’’ the Spaniard said.

The Dakar has several changes aimed at improving safety after bike riders Paulo Goncalves and Edwin Straver died last year.

All bike riders must now wear an airbag jacket and are limited to six rear tyres to encourage lower speeds to reduce wear, although some have questioned whether that will really happen.

‘‘I do not agree with the new rules, I think they are more dangerous and worse than before,’’ defending champion American Ricky Brabec said. — Reuters