Dec 24, 2007 CE
Murder of French Tourists in Mauritania
Four French tourists were murdered in Aleg, Mauritania, while on a picnic, raising serious security concerns about the upcoming Dakar Rally route through the country.
Chronological Storyline (8 Milestones)
Jan 3, 2008 CE
French Government Issues Travel Warning
The French government issued a formal advisory against travel to Mauritania, citing direct terrorist threats and the recent killings, which put the rally's passage through the country in jeopardy.
Jan 4, 2008 CE
ASO Officially Cancels the 2008 Dakar Rally
Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) officially cancelled the 2008 Dakar Rally, citing direct terrorist threats against the event. The cancellation came just one day before the scheduled start in Lisbon, Portugal. It was the first time in the rally's 30-year history that the event was cancelled.
Jan 5, 2008 CE
Scheduled Start Date Passes Without Rally
On what was supposed to be the start date of the rally in Lisbon, Portugal, competitors and teams instead packed up their equipment and departed. Over 500 competitors from 50 nations had been registered to participate.
Jan 20, 2008 CE
Scheduled Finish Date Passes Without Rally
The scheduled finish date in Dakar, Senegal, passed without the traditional podium ceremony on the shores of Lac Rose, marking the end of what would have been a 15-stage, approximately 9,000 km rally.
Feb 12, 2008 CE
Dakar Series Announced as Replacement
ASO announced the creation of the 'Dakar Series,' a set of rally raid events including the Central Europe Rally (April 2008) and the PAX Rally (Portugal, September 2008), to provide competition opportunities for teams affected by the cancellation.
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
Apr 20, 2008 CE
Central Europe Rally Held as Dakar Series Event
The Central Europe Rally, a replacement event organized by ASO, was held from April 20-26, 2008, covering Romania and Hungary. Carlos Sainz won the car category, providing some consolation for the cancelled Dakar Rally.
Jan 3, 2009 CE
Dakar Rally Moves to South America
As a direct consequence of the 2008 cancellation and ongoing security concerns in Africa, the 2009 Dakar Rally was relocated to South America, running through Argentina and Chile. This marked a permanent departure from the African continent for the event.