rally Paris Dakar

A MAJESTIC BACKDROP IN LES COMES
The evening sun was still glowing over the horizon on the jaw-dropping Les Comes estate, tucked away in the hills of Súria, Catalonia, when the starting gun was fired for the 2025 Dakar. It was here, near Barcelona, which became the first Spanish city to host a Dakar stage in 1989, that David Castera declared entries open. After last year's curtain-raiser at the Châteaux de Lastours, the Dakar Tour circus rolled over the Pyrenees for a new launch pad. It was an exciting event for Spain, a hotbed of rally raids that has hosted the Dakar no fewer than thirteen times, most recently in 2007. "I wanted to alternate between France and Spain, two powerhouses of the discipline", explains the director of the Dakar. "We needed a location close to France and the Les Comes estate ticked all the boxes. I was familiar with the site, run by a team that is mad about the Dakar. It has loads of space, a huge bivouac and all the tools to work comfortably in a beautiful environment." The 700-odd guests basked in the amazing landscape as they enjoyed the various activities organised throughout the day. It was also an opportunity for prep crews and teams to promote and offer their services to competitors who came to test race vehicles and discuss assistance options for the next Dakar. Rally fans across the planet fixed their eyes on Les Comes for the big unveiling of the 2025 Dakar route.