Cape Town - On Monday, January 2, the 39th Dakar Rally will begin in Asunción, Paraguay.
It's the first time the world's toughest race will visit the country and kicks off the 9 000km rally which ends in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Saturday, January 14.
Dakar 2017: Your ultimate rally guide
The South African focus will be squarely placed on the Toyota Gazoo racing team and their star-studded drivers: 2009 Dakar winner Giniel de Villiers from South Africa and two-time winner Nasser Al-Attiyah from Qatar.
*Wheels24's Sean Parker will be reporting from Paraguay and Argentina from January 2. Follow coverage of the event on Instagram and Twitter and Snapchat (Wheels24_sa).
De Villiers posted a video on Twitter of his Hilux race car being offloaded on a busy street in Asunción ahead of the race.
Race cars being offloaded in Paraguay.#Dakar2017 #hilux #toyota pic.twitter.com/rtiEKheMrL
— Giniel de Villiers (@TheRealGiniel) December 29, 2016
The Dakar 2017 programme:
Monday, January 2 – Stage 1: Asunción to Resistencia: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV-trucks – Special section: 39km – Total 454km
Tuesday, January 3 – Stage 2: Resistencia to San Miguel de Tucumán: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV – Special section: 275km – Total
803km, Trucks – Special section: 284km –Total 812km
Wednesday, January 4 – Stage 3: San Miguel de Tucumán to San Salvador de Jujuy: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV – Special section: 364km – Total 780km, Trucks – Special section: 199km – Total 757km
Thursday, January 5 – Stage 4: San Salvador de Jujuy to Tupiza: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV-trucks – Special section: 416km – Total 521km
Friday, January 6 – Stage 5: Tupiza to Oruro: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV – Special section: 447km – Total 692km, Trucks –Special section:
438km –Total 683km
Saturday, January 7 – Stage 6: Oruro to La Paz: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV – Special section: 527km – Total 786km, Trucks – Special section: 513km – Total 772km
Sunday, January 8 – Rest day
Monday, January 9 – Stage 7: La Paz to Uyuni: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV-trucks – Special section: 322km – Total 622km
Tuesday, January 10 – Stage 8: Uyuni to Salta: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV-trucks – Special section: 492km – Total 892km
Wednesday, January 11 – Stage 9: Salta to Chilecito: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV-trucks – Special section: 406km – Total 977km
Thursday, January 12 – Stage 10: Chilecito to San Juan: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV-trucks – Special section: 449km – Total 751km
Friday, January 13 – Stage 11: San Juan to Rio Cuarto: Motorcycles-quadbikes-trucks –Special section: 288km – Total 754km, Cars-UTV – Special section: 292km – Total 759km
Saturday, January 14 – Stage 12: Río Cuarto – Buenos Aires: Motorcycles-quadbikes-cars-UTV-trucks – Special section: 64km – Total 786km