Sports/Motorsport/Dakar Rally • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
The 1988 Paris-Dakar Rally was the 10th edition of the Dakar Rally, starting from Paris, France, on January 1, 1988, and finishing in Dakar, Senegal. The rally covered approximately 13,000 kilometers through France, Algeria, Niger, Mali, and Senegal. Ari Vatanen won the car category driving a Peugeot 205 T16, while Cyril Neveu claimed victory in the motorcycle category on a Honda. The rally was marred by a fatal accident involving the DAF truck team.
Chronological Storyline (8 Milestones)
Jan 1, 1988 CE
Rally Start from Paris
The 10th edition of the Paris-Dakar Rally began from Versailles, near Paris, with over 600 participants across cars, motorcycles, and trucks categories. The competitors faced a grueling route through France, Algeria, Niger, Mali, and Senegal.
3rd PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1981). Geographic limits of the map: N: 60.0° N S: 0.0° N W: 30.0° W E: 30.0° E By Redboston - Own work (based on File:PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1979).svg by Das steinerne Herz; using source information from official site and File:Whole world - land and oceans 12000.jpg for background, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15000865
Jan 3, 1988 CE
Crossing to North Africa
After completing the European stages through France, competitors crossed the Mediterranean Sea to begin the African leg of the rally in Algeria. The transition marked the beginning of the challenging desert stages.
3rd PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1981). Geographic limits of the map: N: 60.0° N S: 0.0° N W: 30.0° W E: 30.0° E By Redboston - Own work (based on File:PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1979).svg by Das steinerne Herz; using source information from official site and File:Whole world - land and oceans 12000.jpg for background, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15000865
Jan 7, 1988 CE
DAF Truck Fatal Accident
Jan de Rooy's DAF truck crashed at high speed during a stage, resulting in the death of his co-driver. The tragic accident led to DAF withdrawing from competition and raised serious safety concerns about the truck category.
Former Rallycross and later Dakar Rally legend Jan de Rooy from the Netherlands pictured during a Rallycross event in the Summer of 1979. By Eddi Laumanns aka RX-Guru - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6067933
Jan 10, 1988 CE
Mass Retirements in the Sahara
The harsh conditions of the Algerian Sahara led to a high number of retirements, with many competitors abandoning the rally due to mechanical failures, accidents, and exhaustion. The attrition rate underscored the extreme difficulty of the event.
3rd PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1981). Geographic limits of the map: N: 60.0° N S: 0.0° N W: 30.0° W E: 30.0° E By Redboston - Own work (based on File:PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1979).svg by Das steinerne Herz; using source information from official site and File:Whole world - land and oceans 12000.jpg for background, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15000865
Jan 12, 1988 CE
Crossing the Ténéré Desert
Competitors faced the grueling Ténéré desert stages in Niger, one of the most challenging sections of the rally with massive sand dunes and extreme temperatures. Many competitors got lost or were forced to retire due to mechanical failures.
3rd PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1981). Geographic limits of the map: N: 60.0° N S: 0.0° N W: 30.0° W E: 30.0° E By Redboston - Own work (based on File:PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1979).svg by Das steinerne Herz; using source information from official site and File:Whole world - land and oceans 12000.jpg for background, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15000865
Jan 16, 1988 CE
Stages through Mali
The rally continued through Mali, where competitors faced difficult terrain including savanna, river crossings, and dusty tracks. The stages tested both navigation skills and vehicle durability as the field thinned considerably.
3rd PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1981). Geographic limits of the map: N: 60.0° N S: 0.0° N W: 30.0° W E: 30.0° E By Redboston - Own work (based on File:PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1979).svg by Das steinerne Herz; using source information from official site and File:Whole world - land and oceans 12000.jpg for background, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15000865
Jan 20, 1988 CE
Final Stages in Senegal
As the rally entered Senegal for the final stages, Ari Vatanen in his Peugeot 205 T16 had established a commanding lead in the car category. The remaining competitors faced the last challenging stages before the finish in Dakar.
Finnish MEP and former rallye driver Ari Vatanen in Turku 2009. By Soppakanuuna - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6916159
Jan 22, 1988 CE
Vatanen and Neveu Claim Victory in Dakar
Ari Vatanen won the car category driving a Peugeot 205 T16, while Cyril Neveu claimed victory in the motorcycle category on a Honda. The 10th edition of the Paris-Dakar Rally concluded in Dakar, Senegal, after approximately 13,000 kilometers of competition.
3rd PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1981). Geographic limits of the map: N: 60.0° N S: 0.0° N W: 30.0° W E: 30.0° E By Redboston - Own work (based on File:PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1979).svg by Das steinerne Herz; using source information from official site and File:Whole world - land and oceans 12000.jpg for background, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15000865
