After finishing second in the motorcycle section of the Dakar Rally in 2002, South African Alfie Cox will be pushing for top honours when the 2003 event begins on January 1.

After finishing second in the motorcycle section of the Dakar Rally this year, South African Alfie Cox will be pushing for top honours when the 2003 event begins in Marseille on January 1.

Run over a total distance of 8 550 km, the 2003 Dakar Rally has three stages in Tunisia, five in Libya and six in Egypt. The total race distance is 5 216 km, of which 5 205km is in Africa.

Two stages are contested without the assistance of GPS, while one marathon stage is included where competitors have to go without the assistance of their service crews.

Cox, of the Gauloises KTM Motorcycle team, said he was mentally and physically in good shape after taking a break from competitions on the advice of endurance medical specialist Dr Tim Noakes. Having raced in Tunisia and the Rally of Egypt, some of the terrain will not be unfamiliar to Cox.

Cape Town amateur Neville Murray, on a 650 Honda, has entered the Dakar race for the second year in succession.

South African Giniel de Villiers will be behind the wheel of one of the South African-built Nissan Hardbodys. The 30-year old De Villiers is racing in his maiden Dakar, but his co-driver will be Pascal Maimon, the winning co-driver from a previous Dakar.

Another South African, Wicus van Deventer, a Lichtenburg farmer, has cut his own niche in the Dakar race, having won the experimental class as amateur, with minimal support.

But the underdog was assisted by former Dakar finisher Kenny Skjoldhammer, who managed to put a package together that includes a Bombardier 650cc BAJA with additional modifications for long distance racing. With his best outfit to date and support from the Nissan Team, who will carry his spare parts, Van Deventer is definitely the main force to reckon with in the quad category.

Japanese driver Hiroshi Masuoka, in a Mitsubishi, claimed his first victory in the 2002 Dakar Rally, while Italian Fabrizio Meoni won the motorcycle section.

Original article from Car