Argentine racer Kevin Benavides (C) of Team Honda wins the bike race at Dakar Rally, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, January 15, 2021. /CFP
The Dakar Rally 2021 concluded on January 15 in Saudi Arabia after racers roared into a journey of exploration from the sea to the mountains since January 3, after a prologue on January 2.
There are five major categories in the event: motorbikes, quads, cars, lightweight vehicles, and trucks.
Argentine racer Manuel Andujar celebrates victory on the podium after winning the quad category at Dakar Rally, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, January 15, 2021. /CFP
Argentine racers Kevin Benavides and Manuel Andujar claimed their first Dakar titles in the bike and quad events, respectively. Benavides was the first South American winner, giving his Team Honda back-to-back wins in the bike category.
French driver Stephane Peterhansel (R) and his teammate gesture the No. 14 to celebrate his Dakar victory for a record 14 times after finishing his rally in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, January 15, 2021. /CFP
In the car category, French veteran Stephane Peterhansel of Team Mini, assisted by his new co-pilot Edouard Boulanger, claimed his eighth triumph as a car racer. It was also his 14th Dakar victory, as the 55-year-old started racing in 1988 as a bike rider.
Chilean racer Francisco Lopez Contardo, along with his co-driver Juan Pablo Latrach Vinagre, led in the lightweight vehicle, while Russian Dmitry Sotnikov dominated the truck event.
Racers celebrate on the Dakar Rally podium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, January 15, 2021. /CFP
French driver Marc Douton and his co-driver Emilien Etienne won the Dakar Classic, a new edition that has been launched this year as a regular race for cars and trucks from the 80s and 90s.
Chinese pair of Zhang Guoyu and Sha He (L) from BAIC ORV Team celebrates after finishing the 12th stage of Dakar Rally in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, January 15, 2021. /CFP
Chinese racers shine
Chinese racers are regular title winners at off-road races, such as China's Taklimakan Rally and the Silk Way Rally ranging from Russia, Mongolia and China.
To kick off their 2021 adventure, the racers from China showed their muscles at the world's toughest Dakar Rally.
This year, four pairs of Chinese off-road drivers and one bike racer roared into the rally. In the car category, there were three crews from Beijing Automotive Industry Corp (BAIC) ORV Team and one duo from Quzhou Motorsport City Team, and one bike rider from Wupu Dahaidao Team.
BAIC's three pairs dominated between the 13th and 15th places, with Lu Binglong and Ma Wenke leading, followed by Zhang Guoyu and Sha He, Liu Yangui and Pan Hongyu.
The 50-year-old Ma, who made his debut at Dakar Rally this year, has set his lifelong ambition as an off-road racer. "The ultimate dream of every driver is the Dakar Rally," he said.
"I've been interested in cars since I first started driving. When I watched a rally in 1998 and I discovered that cars could drift sideways, I suddenly knew this was what I wanted to do!" Ma said as quoted by the Dakar Rally's official website Dakar.com.
China's Han Wei (L) and Liao Min celebrate on the podium after finishing second at the Silk Way Rally in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, China, July 16, 2019. /CFP
Quzhou's Han Wei and Liao Min, who finished 10th in 2020 and 27th in 2019, took the 18th place this year.
During an interview with Dakar.com, Han said, "In the coming years, I will get better results thanks to my unremitting efforts. It is my great honor to compete with top drivers. I can learn a lot from them, including the tempo of the race. Of course, my goal is to get closer and closer to the top drivers and finally be one of them."
In the bike category, Wupu Dahaidao's rider Yakp Zaker from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region improved his ranking from 42nd last year to 33rd this year.
"A lot of riders warned me that the Dakar is tough, but I never expected to be so exhausted at the start of every stage! Reaching the finish line in more or less the top 40 was an awesome feeling," Yakp recalled his experience last year.
French racer Pierre Cherpin at the Dakar Rally, January 11, 2015. /CFP
The loss of Pierre Cherpin
During the race, French veteran racer Pierre Cherpin passed away on January 14 at the age of 52, after he fell and crashed in the 7th stage from Ha'il to Sakaka on January 10.
"Doctors found him unconscious when they reached him by helicopter. Taken to Sakaka's hospital, the medical report revealed a severe head trauma with loss of consciousness," said a statement of the Dakar Rally on its official website.
"The French entrepreneur and sailing enthusiast had no other ambitions than to experience an adventure, without really worrying about the podium," the statement continued.
According to Darkar.com, Cherpin once said, "I am an amateur. I don't want to win but to discover landscapes that I would never have had the opportunity to see otherwise. Everything is exciting: riding the bike, living out your passion, getting to know yourself."
Unforgettable moments at Dakar Rally 2021