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The story of the Dakar Sweeper
© Red Bull
Rally Raid
What happens when it all goes wrong at the Dakar?
Exclusive video: Meet the mechanics and medics who follow the rally providing emergency help.
Written by Paul Keith
1 min readPublished on
Meet the team who run the sweeper truck. Their job is to follow the pack on the lookout for competitors who’ve fallen foul of the Dakar.
Using the sentinel tracking system, the sweepers can monitor the progress of competitors and provide emergency assistance to those in need.
The truck carries a doctor, emergency medical supplies plus a large selection of spare parts to resupply the rally raider in distress.
2 minTo the rescue: The Dakar rally sweeper teamWhen it all goes wrong at the Dakar, meet the men who come to the rescue.
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It’s an essential part of the Dakar, especially for the privateer racers who compete without a support team, carrying out repairs to their machines in the bivouac overnight. But even the big teams occasionally rely on the sweeper for rescue.
But how do you avoid an appointment with the sweeper team? Qatar Rally Team driver Nasser Al Attiyah and co-driver Matthieu Baumel reveal how they keep their MINI running from stage to stage.
Find out why in our animated history; find out about Peugeot’s return to the Dakar and get up to speed with the rest of the Dakar Rally at our dedicated homepage.
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Jakub Przygoński

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Nasser Al Attiyah

Nasser Al-Attiyah is the sporting hero of his native Qatar who's won the Dakar Rally on five occasions while also excelling in skeet shooting.

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Cyril Despres

A five-time winner of the Dakar Rally on a motorbike, France's Cyril Despres switched to the car category in 2015 and has his sights set on more success.

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A former track racer, South Africa's Giniel De Villiers has gone on to become one of the most experienced and successful Dakar Rally drivers ever.

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