Race to Dakar is a British television documentary series created by Charley Boorman and Russ Malkin which follows actor and keen motorcyclist Boorman's entry into the 2006 Lisbon-Dakar Rally.
The series originally aired in the UK on Sky Two from 17 October to 28 November, 2006. There are seven 60-minute episodes in the series (including commercials).
The series originally aired in South Africa on DStv's BBC Prime channel from 11 February to 25 March, 2007, on Sundays at 20h00.
Race to Dakar premiered on DStv's Discovery Channel on Thursday 28 August 2008, at 17h30.
Discovery Repeats
Fridays: 08h15
Sundays: 12h50
Synopsis
Meet actor and adventurer Charley Boorman. In 2004, Charley and his best friend, actor Ewan McGregor, set off on a huge motorcycle trip captured in the TV series Long Way Round which took them from London to New York via Europe, Russia and Mongolia.
This round-the-world journey merely inspired Charley’s appetite for more adventure and he promised he was going to take part in the Dakar Rally.
Race to Dakar follows Charley from the beginning of his new adventure. He has to overcome problems with funding the trip and the logistics of organising the race team, so it’s not just the race itself that's tough.
In preparation for racing, he embarks on a rigorous training regime, entering three races in the UK but in the end only completing one of them.
Then he heads out to Dubai where he wrecks two bikes and breaks his collar bone - things are not off to a good start.
At this point, it becomes more and more obvious that the Dakar Rally is going to be a challenge incomparable to anything he’s experienced before.
With competitors starting in Lisbon, Portugal, and then racing to Dakar, Senegal, over 16 days, they face miles and miles of tough terrain and conditions so hazardous that the Dakar Rally has been named the most dangerous race in the world.
Charley again works with BMW on this adventure and teams up with Australian-born Simon Pavey, who has competed in the Dakar five times and finished third.
Race History
The Dakar Rally originated in 1978, a year after racer Thierry Sabine got lost in the desert and decided it would be a good location for a regular rally.
Originally, the rally was from Paris, France to Dakar, Senegal, interrupted by a transfer across the Mediterranean. However, due to politics and other factors, the course - including its origin and destination - has been varied over the years.
The 2006 Dakar Rally started in Lisbon, Portugal. The series features the 28th Annual Dakar Rally that took place in Lisbon.