One of the most gruelling sporting challenges on the planet gets the motorsport year off to a flying start as the 2013 Dakar Rally takes place in South America.
For the fifth edition organised on the continent, the Dakar will be hosted by three countries – Peru, Chile and Argentina – that have unveiled their characteristics over the last few years.
British Eurosport provides daily coverage from every twist and turn of the race, with the conclusions of selected stages live.
For the first time, the desert stages will make their appearance in the first few days of the rally.
After reacquainting with Lima, the riders and drivers will get straight to the heart of the matter.
The release of the start list reveals a new twist in the battle for the honours as Honda steps into the fray as an official motorcycle manufacturer to take the fight to KTM.
Two-time World Rally champion Carlos Sainz combines forces with Nasser Al Attiyah in the hopes of challenging the powerful Mini trio led by Stéphane Peterhansel.
In the car category, X-Raid are fielding a star-studded team including Nani Roma and Krzysztof Hołowczyc.
But rulebook amendments may have changed the state of play and now no-one knows if they still have an edge over the promising Toyotas of Giniel De Villiers and Lucio Álvarez.
In the truck category, the Ivecos of Team de Rooy handed the Kamazs their first defeat since 2007.
They are hoping to build on this success with defending champion Gerard de Rooy, his cousin Hans Stacey and Italy’s Miki Biasion.
This year’s event also features the British team Race2Recovery, which consists of injured servicemen, former soldiers, sailors and airmen, and also people with no military background who are able to offer rally driving expertise.
The team is aiming to become the first disability team to complete the entire rally, raising thousands of pounds for a Help for Heroes project, the Tedworth House recovery centre in Wiltshire.
British Eurosport is the only place to follow the action from the 2013 Dakar Rally. Details below:
Saturday 5th January
Stage 1 – Lima (PER) to Pisco – 263km
LIVE: 6.00pm-6.30pm – British Eurosport
Highlights: 10.00pm-10.30pm – British Eurosport
Sunday 6th January
Stage 2 -Pisco to Pisco – 327km
Highlights: 10.00pm-10.30pm – British Eurosport
Monday 7th January
Stage 3 – Piscoto Nazca – 343km
LIVE: 7.00pm-7.30pm – British Eurosport
Highlights: 10.00pm-10.30pm – British Eurosport
Tuesday 8th January
Stage 4 – Nazca to Arequipa – 717km
Highlights: 10.15pm-10.45pm – British Eurosport
Wednesday 9th January
Stage 5 – Arequipa to Arica (CHI) – 509km
Highlights: 10.35pm-11.05pm – British Eurosport
Thursday 10th January
Stage 6 – Arica to Calama – 767km
LIVE: 6.45pm-7.15pm – British Eurosport
Highlights: 11.00pm-11.30pm – British Eurosport
Friday 11th January
Stage 7 – Calama to Salta (ARG) – 754km
Highlights: 10.15pm-10.45pm – British Eurosport
Saturday 12th January
Stage 8 – Salta to San Miguel de Tucuman – 849km
LIVE: 6.15pm-6.45pm – British Eurosport 2
Highlights: 10.00pm-10.30pm – British Eurosport
Sunday 13th January
Rest Day
Week 1 Review: 11.00pm-11.30pm – British Eurosport
Monday 14th January
Stage 9 – San Miguel de Tucuman to Cordoba – 852km
LIVE: 6.00pm-6.30pm – British Eurosport
Highlights: 10.00pm-10.30pm – British Eurosport
Tuesday 15th January
Stage 10 – Cordoba to La Rioja – 623km
LIVE: 5.30pm-6.00pm – British Eurosport
Highlights: 10.15pm-10.45pm – British Eurosport
Wednesday 16th January
Stage 11 – La Rioja to Fiambala – 481km
Highlights: 10.00pm-10.30pm – British Eurosport
Thursday 17th January
Stage 12 – Fiambala to Copiapo (CHI) – 715km
LIVE: 6.30pm-7.00pm – British Eurosport
Highlights: 11.00pm-11.30pm – British Eurosport
Friday 18th January
Stage 13 – Copiapo to La Serena – 735km
LIVE: 5.45pm-6.15pm – British Eurosport
Highlights: 10.00pm-10.30pm – British Eurosport
Saturday 19th January
Stage 14 – La Serena to Santiago – 630km
LIVE: 5.45pm-6.15pm – British Eurosport 2
Highlights: 11.00pm-11.30pm – British Eurosport
