Dakar Rally To Bypass Peru, Which Withdraws From Hosting Due To El Niño

Dakar Rally organizers said on Monday that the annual South American off-road race "will be rerouted," according to Mitra Taj of REUTERS. Peru withdrew as a host due to forecasts for a strong El Niño weather pattern "which has caused floods and landslides there in the past." Peru "also canceled its hosting of a smaller Dakar Rally race in September" called the Desafío Inca. The Dakar Rally was scheduled to start in the coastal capital Lima on Jan. 3, "routing drivers of motorbikes, cars and trucks south through dune-filled deserts to Bolivia and Argentina." The '15 edition of the race covered 5,592 miles. Participating countries must pay to host the event. Peru said it will "instead focus on efforts to mitigate" El Niño. Dakar Rally organizers said that they "understood Peru's decision and would announce a new route for the annual event in the second half of September" (REUTERS, 8/24).