00:00Every race day in the Dakar Rally starts and ends at a bivouac and is made up of two different sections known as the special and the liaison.
00:13The special stages are the most exciting parts of the Dakar.
00:17These are the competitive timed sections often off-road across hostile terrain in which competitors try to achieve the fastest time possible while trying desperately not to crash out completely.
00:28The time set in the special stage to which are added possible penalties determines the overall positions in the classification standings.
00:36The sections before and after the specials are referred to as liaison sections.
00:40For safety and security reasons, it is not always possible to begin and end the special stage at the bivouac sites.
00:46In this case, race vehicles must proceed from the bivouac site to the special stage start point.
00:51Crucial to success in the special stages is navigation, as the Dakar is, in essence, an orienteering race.
00:57Competitors must find their way through, over and around the many obstacles of the course, as quickly as possible.
01:04However, they must do so in a way that preserves both man and machine.
01:08The goal is to not make any navigational mistakes that could result in a crash, penalties, poor performances or getting lost.
01:15Speed is important, but not as important as safety and attention to detail.
01:20To aid competitors in their quest, they are provided with a digital roadbook.
01:25The roadbook is the key navigation element.
01:28It describes all the necessary information to navigate between the many waypoints and checkpoints during each stage.
01:34The roadbook is provided by the organizers and is distributed every morning, five minutes before the start of the stage.
01:41The rally route remains a secret until the delivery of the roadbook to the competitors.
01:46But even then, the roadbook only provides step-by-step instructions on how to navigate the course.
01:53An overall map remains elusive.
01:55It is only through following the instructions in the roadbook and then validating the checkpoints and waypoints during the race that the overall route of the course is discovered.
02:05The roadbook is divided into three columns and is read from left to right.
02:09On the left, the large number is the total number of kilometers into the section.
02:13The smaller number in the bottom corner is the number of kilometers from one item to the next.
02:18Notification of start and ending of speed control zones as well as checkpoint and waypoints will also appear in this box.
02:25In the middle is the tulip, which is a drawing showing the trail, terrain and landmarks at that particular kilometer.
02:32You enter each tulip drawing from the bottom of the drawing.
02:35On the right is an observation giving more information about that tulip, such as its cap or compass headings, the relevant speed for speed control zones and whether or not there is waypoint marker in that section.
02:48The observations use a lexicon of symbols established by race organizers, which also must be learnt.
02:55So, as much as the race is a physical challenge for riders, drivers and navigators, it is equally a mental challenge to stay focused, alert and prepared over the two weeks in order to face all difficulties.
03:12The
