More sand, more teams as 2008 Dakar Rally is unveiled

The 30th edition of the race attracts a record 570 teams from 50 countries and takes place over 9,273 kilometres from a January 5 start in Lisbon to a January 20 finish in Dakar.

 The main part of the damanding rallye, including a 1,500km monster stage, is set to take place in Mauretania. Lavigne said in Paris that potentially dangerous areas such as Mali have been omitted "because it is simply too complicated to organise a Dakar through such regions."

   Mitsubishi will be aiming for an eighth win in a row in the cars rankings, spearheaded by three-time winner Stephane Peterhansel and fellow-French 2006 champion Luc Alphand. Volkswagen finally wants to top the podium.

 Registered for the upcoming edition are 205 cars, 245 bikes, 20 quads and 100 trucks, 60 teams more than at the 2007 edition.