Official: Dakar Rally 2027 will start in the Algarve

The Dakar Rally 2027 will take place in Portugal, Spain, and Morocco in January, as announced by the organizers due to geopolitical issues in Saudi Arabia. The event will feature a prologue and 12 stages from January 9 to 23, starting in Loulé, Portugal, and ending in Marrakech, Morocco. The Algarve region will host the prologue and the first special stage, with operations centered at the Algarve Stadium. This marks the return of the Dakar Rally to Portugal after 20 years, having previously started in Lisbon in 2006 and 2007.