Dakar rally 2012- Top shots

Published January 13, 2012
Poland's Krzystof Holowczyc and co-pilot, Belgium's Jean-Marc Fortin, drive their Mini Monster during the eight stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 from Copiapo to Antofagasta January 9, 2012. - Reuters Photo
Poland's Krzystof Holowczyc and co-pilot, Belgium's Jean-Marc Fortin, drive their Mini Monster during the eight stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 from Copiapo to Antofagasta January 9, 2012. - Reuters Photo
Picture released by Noticias Argentinas showing South African Giniel de Villiers driving his car along a road in the Argentine province of Catamarca on January 6, 2012. -AFP Photo
Picture released by Noticias Argentinas showing South African Giniel de Villiers driving his car along a road in the Argentine province of Catamarca on January 6, 2012. -AFP Photo
Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and co-pilot Lucas Cruz of Spain, driving their Hummer, overtake Russia's Leonid Novitskiy and co-pilot Andreas Schulz of Germany in their Mini Monster during the fifth stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 from Chilecito to Fiambala. - Reuters Photo
Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and co-pilot Lucas Cruz of Spain, driving their Hummer, overtake Russia's Leonid Novitskiy and co-pilot Andreas Schulz of Germany in their Mini Monster during the fifth stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 from Chilecito to Fiambala. - Reuters Photo
Spain's Nani Roma and co-pilot Michel Perin of France drive their Mini Monster during the 10th stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012  from Iquique to Arica January 11, 2012.- Reuters Photo
Spain's Nani Roma and co-pilot Michel Perin of France drive their Mini Monster during the 10th stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 from Iquique to Arica January 11, 2012.- Reuters Photo
South Africa's Vos Ducan and co-pilot Howie Robert drive their Toyota during the fifth stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 from Chilecito to Fiambala.- Reuters Photo
South Africa's Vos Ducan and co-pilot Howie Robert drive their Toyota during the fifth stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 from Chilecito to Fiambala.- Reuters Photo
An assistant washes a truck in Copiapo, Chile -the day in which organizers of the 2012 Dakar rally were forced to cancel the sixth stage between Fiambala in Argentina and Copiapo due to summer snow in the Andes. 

Organisers were left with no choice but to call off the 394km run from Fiambala to Copiapo containing 247km of timed special after the frontier at Paso de San Francisco was closed by Chilean authorities. The Dakar has decided to organize a convoy for all vehicles and the event will resume on Saturday in C
An assistant washes a truck in Copiapo, Chile -the day in which organizers of the 2012 Dakar rally were forced to cancel the sixth stage between Fiambala in Argentina and Copiapo due to summer snow in the Andes. Organisers were left with no choice but to call off the 394km run from Fiambala to Copiapo containing 247km of timed special after the frontier at Paso de San Francisco was closed by Chilean authorities. The Dakar has decided to organize a convoy for all vehicles and the event will resume on Saturday in C
Spain's Marc Coma rides his KTM  during the fourth stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 from San Juan to Chilecito - Reuters Photo
Spain's Marc Coma rides his KTM during the fourth stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 from San Juan to Chilecito - Reuters Photo
Hummer driver Robby Gordon and co-driver Johnny Campbell, both of the U.S., compete in the 9th stage of the 2012 Argentina-Chile-Peru Dakar Rally between Antofagasta and Iquique, Chile, Tuesday Jan. 10, 2012. - AP Photo
Hummer driver Robby Gordon and co-driver Johnny Campbell, both of the U.S., compete in the 9th stage of the 2012 Argentina-Chile-Peru Dakar Rally between Antofagasta and Iquique, Chile, Tuesday Jan. 10, 2012. - AP Photo
Spain's Nani Roma and co-pilot France's Michel Perin drive their Mini Monster during the 10th stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 from Iquique to Arica January 11, 2012. - Reuters Photo
Spain's Nani Roma and co-pilot France's Michel Perin drive their Mini Monster during the 10th stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 from Iquique to Arica January 11, 2012. - Reuters Photo
Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and co-pilot Lucas Cruz of Spain drive their Hummer during the fifth stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 from Chilecito to Fiambala January 5, 2012. - Reuters Photo
Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and co-pilot Lucas Cruz of Spain drive their Hummer during the fifth stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 from Chilecito to Fiambala January 5, 2012. - Reuters Photo
France's Christophe Blondeau rides his Yamaha during the seventh stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012, in Copiapo January 7, 2012. - Reuters Photo
France's Christophe Blondeau rides his Yamaha during the seventh stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012, in Copiapo January 7, 2012. - Reuters Photo
A helicopter lands in a camp during the Stage 9 of the 2012 Dakar Rally between Antofagasta and Iquique in Chile, on January 10, 2012. - AFP Photo
A helicopter lands in a camp during the Stage 9 of the 2012 Dakar Rally between Antofagasta and Iquique in Chile, on January 10, 2012. - AFP Photo
German Stefanie Manns drives his Mc Rae next to a Dakar camp during the Stage 9 of the 2012 Dakar Rally between  Antofagasta and Iquique, Chile, on January 10, 2012. - AFP PHOTO
German Stefanie Manns drives his Mc Rae next to a Dakar camp during the Stage 9 of the 2012 Dakar Rally between Antofagasta and Iquique, Chile, on January 10, 2012. - AFP PHOTO
Mechanics prepare the Man truck of France's Raphael Gimbre on the eve of the eighth stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 in Copiapo January 8, 2012. - Reuters Photo
Mechanics prepare the Man truck of France's Raphael Gimbre on the eve of the eighth stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 in Copiapo January 8, 2012. - Reuters Photo
Mechanics prepare cars on the eve of the eighth stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 in Copiapo January 8, 2012. - Reuters Photo
Mechanics prepare cars on the eve of the eighth stage of the fourth South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2012 in Copiapo January 8, 2012. - Reuters Photo

The 2012 Dakar Rally is the 33rd running of the event. Most events since the inception of the rally in 1978, were from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal.

The course, however, changed because of security reasons and this is the fourth consecutive year during which the race is being held in South America.

In the past three years, the race consisted of loop courses from Buenos Aires to Chile and back to Buenos Aires. This year the race began in Argentina, passing through Chile and will finish in Lima, Peru, on 15th January 2012.

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