2013 Dakar Rally

The 2013 Dakar Rally was the 34th running of the event and the fifth successive year that the event was held in South America. The event started in Lima, Peru on January 5 and finished in Santiago, Chile on January 19 after fourteen stages of competition. 448 vehicles in four classes of competition started the event, which comprised a total distance of over 8,500 kilometres. The motorcycle category was won by French rider Cyril Despres for a fifth time, riding a KTM; Marcos Patronelli took his second win in the quad competition riding a Yamaha; Stéphane Peterhansel captured his eleventh Dakar victory in the car category alongside co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret at the wheel of a Mini; and Eduard Nikolaev's maiden victory re-captured the truck category title for Kamaz.

The official entry list for the rally was published in November 2012.

The entry list for the bike category would be headed by reigning champion Cyril Despres, who would spearhead the challenge of Austrian manufacturer KTM on board one of the Red Bull backed factory bikes. Absent however would be the Frenchman's long-time rival Marc Coma, who was forced to withdraw from the event due to a shoulder injury sustained whilst participating in Rally Morocco. The Spaniard was replaced by US rider Kurt Caselli, who would represent KTM's AMV team alongside Joan Pedrero. KTM would also be represented by Red Bull rider Ruben Faria, Francisco López and Pål Anders Ullevålseter among numerous others.

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