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Automotive

Gallery: 2020 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia was a photographic feast

By Loz Blain
January 20, 2020
Gallery: 2020 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia was a photographic feast
Simon Vitse and his BBR Mercier Racing quad are kissed by beautiful sunlight on dust outside Neom
Simon Vitse and his BBR Mercier Racing quad are kissed by beautiful sunlight on dust outside Neom
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Sand whirls and dances around the SRT Racing car of Mathieu Sarradori and Fabian Lurquin
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Sand whirls and dances around the SRT Racing car of Mathieu Sarradori and Fabian Lurquin
Alexandre Pesci and Stephan Kuhni launch their RD Limited race car through the dunes
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Alexandre Pesci and Stephan Kuhni launch their RD Limited race car through the dunes
The winning Mini of Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz flies through the air in the shakedown stage outside Jeddah
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The winning Mini of Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz flies through the air in the shakedown stage outside Jeddah
Adam Tomiczek captured in silhouette as he wheelies his KTM through stage 1 near Jeddah
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Adam Tomiczek captured in silhouette as he wheelies his KTM through stage 1 near Jeddah
Layers of dust mark the distance as Fabrice Lardon leads four other riders in Stage 1
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Layers of dust mark the distance as Fabrice Lardon leads four other riders in Stage 1
Curling sand dunes provide a backdrop for Sebastien Souday's bouncing Yamaha quad
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Curling sand dunes provide a backdrop for Sebastien Souday's bouncing Yamaha quad
Mountain ranges recede into the haze as Stephane Peterhansel and Paulo Fiuza fling sand behind their Mini
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Mountain ranges recede into the haze as Stephane Peterhansel and Paulo Fiuza fling sand behind their Mini
Pulling back to a helicopter view reduces the mechanical violence on the surface to a few wisps of dust
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Pulling back to a helicopter view reduces the mechanical violence on the surface to a few wisps of dust
Repairs and maintenance in the haunting light of a Saudi dawn
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Repairs and maintenance in the haunting light of a Saudi dawn
Francisco Contardo and Juan Pablo Latrach Vinagre navigate the sharp rocks between between Al Wajh and Neom during stage 2
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Francisco Contardo and Juan Pablo Latrach Vinagre navigate the sharp rocks between between Al Wajh and Neom during stage 2
Olaf Harmsen discovers how unfriendly the stage 2 surface can be to crashes
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Olaf Harmsen discovers how unfriendly the stage 2 surface can be to crashes
Adrien Van Beveren eyes the sharp rocks as he guides his Yamaha through Stage 2
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Adrien Van Beveren eyes the sharp rocks as he guides his Yamaha through Stage 2
Dakar cars tearing up sand through spectacular rock formations on a loop outside Neom
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Dakar cars tearing up sand through spectacular rock formations on a loop outside Neom
Martin Prokop and Viktor Chytka's Ford under the watchful gaze of a helicopter
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Martin Prokop and Viktor Chytka's Ford under the watchful gaze of a helicopter
Sainz
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Sainz and Cruz carve a line in the sand beneath ominous rock formations
The flying Honda of Kevin Benavides against the setting sun outside Neom
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The flying Honda of Kevin Benavides against the setting sun outside Neom
Vaidotas Zala and Saulius Jurgelenas are almost engulfed by sand in their Mini during Stage 3
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Vaidotas Zala and Saulius Jurgelenas are almost engulfed by sand in their Mini during Stage 3
Maintenance time for the John Cooper Works team
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Maintenance time for the John Cooper Works team
Santosh Chunchunguppe Shivashankar is spectacularly lit as he rides his Hero through stage 4
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Santosh Chunchunguppe Shivashankar is spectacularly lit as he rides his Hero through stage 4
A KTM and a helicopter over the Saudi dunes
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A KTM and a helicopter over the Saudi dunes
Simon Vitse and his BBR Mercier Racing quad are kissed by beautiful sunlight on dust outside Neom
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Simon Vitse and his BBR Mercier Racing quad are kissed by beautiful sunlight on dust outside Neom
Patrice Garrouste, Petr Vojkovsky and Szymon Gospodarczyk make their Fesh Fesh Tatra truck dance
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Patrice Garrouste, Petr Vojkovsky and Szymon Gospodarczyk make their Fesh Fesh Tatra truck dance
The photographer gets up close and personal with Neslon Augusto Sanabria Galeano, who takes the chance to wheelie his Yamaha
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The photographer gets up close and personal with Neslon Augusto Sanabria Galeano, who takes the chance to wheelie his Yamaha
Rising dust catches sunset in a series of gradients cascading back into the mountains
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Rising dust catches sunset in a series of gradients cascading back into the mountains
An eruption of sand as Janus Van Kasteren, Darek Rodewald and Marcel Snijders crest a hill in their Team de Rooy Iveco truck
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An eruption of sand as Janus Van Kasteren, Darek Rodewald and Marcel Snijders crest a hill in their Team de Rooy Iveco truck
Fernando Alonso and Marc Coma propel their Hilux forward during Stage 5
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Fernando Alonso and Marc Coma propel their Hilux forward during Stage 5
Galloping sands obscure Cyril Despres and Mike Horn in their Red Bull race car
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Galloping sands obscure Cyril Despres and Mike Horn in their Red Bull race car
Sainz and Cruz surf the sand dunes like waves
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Sainz and Cruz surf the sand dunes like waves
The surreal cleanliness of Jerome Pelichet and Pascal Larroque's Raidlynx Optimus race car as it's captured balancing on a peak
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The surreal cleanliness of Jerome Pelichet and Pascal Larroque's Raidlynx Optimus race car as it's captured balancing on a peak
Ignacio Casale's YAmaha quad floats down the slope of the sand in stage 7
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Ignacio Casale's YAmaha quad floats down the slope of the sand in stage 7
A haunting capture of Paulo Goncalvez wheelying his Hero motorcycle into the rising sun on day 7. Goncalvez, a beloved veteran of many Dakar races, would not survive this day. He succumbed to a fatal crash between Riyadh and Wadi Al-Dawasir
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A haunting capture of Paulo Goncalvez wheelying his Hero motorcycle into the rising sun on day 7. Goncalvez, a beloved veteran of many Dakar races, would not survive this day. He succumbed to a fatal crash between Riyadh and Wadi Al-Dawasir
A Mini is swallowed in an endless ocean of sand
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A Mini is swallowed in an endless ocean of sand
Locals cheer on Jerome Pelichet and Pascal Larroque during a subdued stage 8
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Locals cheer on Jerome Pelichet and Pascal Larroque during a subdued stage 8
The colossal Kamaz truck of Anton Shibalov, Dmitri Niktin and Ivan Taterinov races into the silky dust of the desert on a loop around Wadi Al-Dawasir on stage 8
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The colossal Kamaz truck of Anton Shibalov, Dmitri Niktin and Ivan Taterinov races into the silky dust of the desert on a loop around Wadi Al-Dawasir on stage 8
A hard shadow falling from the spare tire of Francisco Contardo and Juan Pablo Latrach Vinagre's Can-Am racing side-by-side contrasts against the soft lines of sand in motion in this longer exposure
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A hard shadow falling from the spare tire of Francisco Contardo and Juan Pablo Latrach Vinagre's Can-Am racing side-by-side contrasts against the soft lines of sand in motion in this longer exposure
Stage 9 takes the Dakar racers along the lips of spectacular canyons between Wadi Al-Dawasir and Haradh
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Stage 9 takes the Dakar racers along the lips of spectacular canyons between Wadi Al-Dawasir and Haradh
Neslon Augusto Sanabria Galeano flies down a dune on his Yamaha quad, carrying a fine spray of sand around him during stage 10
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Neslon Augusto Sanabria Galeano flies down a dune on his Yamaha quad, carrying a fine spray of sand around him during stage 10
Steep dunes in stage 10 between Haradh and Shubaytah give Akira Miura and Laurent Lichtleuchter a rough ride in their Toyota
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Steep dunes in stage 10 between Haradh and Shubaytah give Akira Miura and Laurent Lichtleuchter a rough ride in their Toyota
Imagine the weight of this Hino truck crashing forward through the sand with Teruhito Sugawara, Yuji Mochizuki and Hirozaku Somemiya on board
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Imagine the weight of this Hino truck crashing forward through the sand with Teruhito Sugawara, Yuji Mochizuki and Hirozaku Somemiya on board
It's a Big Shock indeed for the Iveco racing truck of Martin Macik, Frantisek Tomasek and David Svanda as they bounce down a treacherous hill
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It's a Big Shock indeed for the Iveco racing truck of Martin Macik, Frantisek Tomasek and David Svanda as they bounce down a treacherous hill
Andrey Karginov, Andrey Mokeev and Igor Leonov would go on to win the truck class of the 2020 Dakar in their giant Kamaz, captured here looking like it's about to lift off and launch itself into space
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Andrey Karginov, Andrey Mokeev and Igor Leonov would go on to win the truck class of the 2020 Dakar in their giant Kamaz, captured here looking like it's about to lift off and launch itself into space
Scarred sands show the path forward in Stage 11
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Scarred sands show the path forward in Stage 11
Bike and quad side by side as Manuel Andujar passes a struggling Colin Wilson
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Bike and quad side by side as Manuel Andujar passes a struggling Colin Wilson
Endless, glowing sands extend into the distance behind Joan Barreda Bort on his Honda
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Endless, glowing sands extend into the distance behind Joan Barreda Bort on his Honda
View gallery - 44 images

In 2020, the Dakar Rally made another controversial move, this time to the endless desert sands and razor-sharp rocky outcroppings of Saudi Arabia for the ultimate torture test of man and machine. And this year's images are absolutely stunning.

The 42nd edition of this storied race has been run and won, with just under 70 percent of starters making it to the finish line in the first Saudi Dakar. American Ricky Brabec took a long-awaited win in the motorcycle class for Honda, breaking an 18-year winning streak by KTM, and Ignacio Casale hopped back on a quad bike to dominate the field for his third quad title after a year floundering in the side-by-side division, which was won this year by American Casey Currie in a Can-Am on just his second Dakar start.

Spanish veteran Carlos Sainz drove his Mini to his third Dakar trophy in the cars category, and Kamaz again smashed the trucks division, with Andrey Karginov and his team stepping up to walk the rest of the field when last year's champion Eduoard Nikolayev retired with mechanical issues. A pall was cast over the event by the tragic death of motorcycle veteran Paulo Goncalvez, pictured below, who succumbed to injuries after a high speed crash during Stage 7.

A haunting capture of Paulo Goncalvez wheelying his Hero motorcycle into the rising sun on day 7. Goncalvez, a beloved veteran of many Dakar races, would not survive this day. He succumbed to a fatal crash between Riyadh and Wadi Al-Dawasir
A haunting capture of Paulo Goncalvez wheelying his Hero motorcycle into the rising sun on day 7. Goncalvez, a beloved veteran of many Dakar races, would not survive this day. He succumbed to a fatal crash between Riyadh and Wadi Al-Dawasir

The Dakar's mix of monstrous, high-powered machinery, sublime skill and remote, unforgiving terrain always results in a spectacular crop of photos, and this first year in Saudi Arabia showed that you don't need much of the color green to make an incredibly beautiful race and a photographer's feast. Below are some of our favorite photos, but click through into the gallery for many more.

The colossal Kamaz truck of Anton Shibalov, Dmitri Niktin and Ivan Taterinov races into the silky dust of the desert on a loop around Wadi Al-Dawasir on stage 8
The colossal Kamaz truck of Anton Shibalov, Dmitri Niktin and Ivan Taterinov races into the silky dust of the desert on a loop around Wadi Al-Dawasir on stage 8
Stage 9 takes the Dakar racers along the lips of spectacular canyons between Wadi Al-Dawasir and Haradh
Stage 9 takes the Dakar racers along the lips of spectacular canyons between Wadi Al-Dawasir and Haradh
Sainz and Cruz surf the sand dunes like waves
Sainz and Cruz surf the sand dunes like waves
Endless, glowing sands extend into the distance behind Joan Barreda Bort on his Honda
Endless, glowing sands extend into the distance behind Joan Barreda Bort on his Honda
Neslon Augusto Sanabria Galeano flies down a dune on his Yamaha quad, carrying a fine spray of sand around him during stage 10
Neslon Augusto Sanabria Galeano flies down a dune on his Yamaha quad, carrying a fine spray of sand around him during stage 10

Source: Dakar

View gallery - 44 images

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AutomotiveDakar RallySaudi Arabia
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Loz Blain
Loz Blain
Loz leads the New Atlas team as Editorial Director, after nearly two decades as one of our most versatile writers. He's also proven himself as a photographer, videographer, presenter, producer and podcast engineer. A graduate in Psychology, former business analyst and touring musician, he's covered just about everything for New Atlas, concentrating lately on clean energy, AI, humanoid robotics, next-gen aircraft, and the odd bit of music, motorcycles and automotive.

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