The 31st running of the Dakar Rally is being held in South America for the second year, instead of the traditional African route, due to ongoing security concerns. This year's race began and will end in Buenos Aires, covering a looping 9,000 kilometers between Argentina and Chile over 14 stages. 362 Teams began the race with 176 motorcycles and quad bikes, 134 cars, and 52 trucks. The race is just over halfway completed now, the winners expected to cross the finish line on January 16th. Collected here are several photographs from the first 8 stages of this year's rally.
1. Spain's Gerard Farres Guell kicks up sand with his Aprilia during the 4th stage of the Dakar 2010 between Fiambala, Argentina, and Copiapo, Chile on January 5, 2010. Spain's Marc Coma won the stage, France's David Casteu took the second place and France's Cyril Despres the third. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
2. Aerial view of the Parc ferme of the Dakar 2010 in Buenos Aires on December 31, 2009. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
3. The Volkswagen Touareg of South African driver Giniel De Villers and co-driver Dirk Von Zitzewitz of Germany attends the symbolic start of the Dakar 2010 in Buenos Aires on January 1, 2010. (ALEJANDRO PAGNI/AFP/Getty Images)
4. Spanish KTM rider Jordi Viladoms greets onlookers during the opening presentation of the Dakar 2010 on January 1, 2010 in Buenos Aires. (Maxi Failla/AFP/Getty Images)
5. Poland's Krzysztof Holowczyc in his Nissan passes race fans on a hillside during the Dakar 2010 between Colon and Cordoba, Argentina, on January 2, 2010. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
6. Chile's Francisco Lopez Contardo guides his Aprilia through water during Stage 1 of the Dakar 2010 between Colon and Cordoba, Argentina, on January 2, 2010. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
7. People watch Nissan's Jean-Pierre Strugo and co-driver Yves Ferri, of France, splash their car through a river crossing during stage one of the Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally 2010 in Rio Cuarto, Argentina, Saturday, Jan. 2, 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
8. France's Jean Claude Mazet falls from his KTM during the 2nd stage of the Dakar 2010 between Cordoba and La Rioja, Argentina, on January 3, 2010. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
9. Manuel Jamett of Chile climbs a rocky road on his Yamaha motorcycle during the sixth stage of the Dakar Rally 2010 from Antofagasta to Iquique January 7, 2010. (REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen)
10. Spectators lie on the ground, hurt after the Desert Warrior of Germany-Swiss drivers Mirco Schultis and Ulrich Leardi careered off the road into a crowd, in Alpa Corral, Cordoba on January 2, 2010. One spectator was killed and four other fans were also hurt in the incident. (HO/AFP/Getty Images)
11. Aprilia rider Francisco "Chaleco" Lopez Contardo, of Chile, looks at his GPS at a check point during stage seven of the Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally 2010 between Iquique and Antofagasta, Chile, Friday, Jan. 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
12. BMW's driver France's Stephane Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret cross a valley during the seventh stage of the Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally 2010 between Iquique and Antofagasta, Chile, Friday, Jan. 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
13. Russia's Leonid Novitskiy crosses dunes in his BMW during the 7th stage of the Dakar 2010, between Iquique and Antofagasta, Chile, on January 8, 2010. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
14. Volkswagen's Carlos Sainz and co-driver Lucas Cruz, of Spain, compete during stage six of the Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally 2010 between Antofagasta and Iquique, Chile, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
15. Italy's Luca Manca throws water over his head during the 3rd stage of the Dakar 2010 between La Rioja and Fiambala, Argentina, on January 4, 2010. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)
16. Yamaha's rider France's David Fretigne crosses a dune during the eighth stage of the 2010 Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally between Antofagasta and Copiapo, Chile, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
17. A KTM mechanic works on Spain's Manuel Garcia's motorcycle during the resting day of the Dakar 2010, in Antofagasta, Chile, on January 9, 2010. (MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty Images)
18. Carlos Sainz of Spain in his Volkswagen is followed by a helicopter during the seventh stage from Iquique to Antofasgasta in the 2nd South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2010, January 8, 2010. (REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen)
19. Frans Verhoeven of the Netherlands approaches the photographer across rocky terrain on his BMW during the 8th stage of the Dakar 2010, between Antofagasta and Copiapo, Chile, on January 10, 2010. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
20. France's Stephane Peterhansel in his BMW glides past a road sign during the 7th stage of the Dakar 2010, between Iquique and Antofagasta, Chile, on January 8, 2010. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
21. A rider climbs a riffled sand dune during the seventh stage of the Dakar Rally between Iquique and Antofagasta, Chile, Friday, Jan. 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
22. Russian BMW driver Leonid Novitskiy and German co-driver Andreas Schulz try to escape after becoming stuck in the sand during the 8th stage of the Dakar 2010, between Antofagasta and Copiapo, Chile, on January 10, 2010. (NATACHA PISARENKO/AFP/Getty Images)
23. A mechanic wakes up in the early morning of the rest day of the 2nd South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2010 in Antofasgasta January 9, 2010. (REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen)
24. A mechanic works on a truck in the Dakar encampment on the only rest day of the Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally in Antofagasta, Chile, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
25. Helder Rodriguez of Portugal rides his Yamaha motorcycle during the eighth stage of the Dakar Rally from Antofasgasta to Copiapo, January 10, 2010. (REUTERS/Stringer/Pool)
26. An aerial view shows the site where a Robinson 44 helicopter crashed in Fiambala, Catamarca province, January 4, 2010. The pilot, co-pilot and two reporters who were following the Dakar Rally sustained injuries when their helicopter crashed, local media reported. (REUTERS/Gendarmeria/Handout)
27. A racer crosses desert terrain in stage six of the Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally 2010 between Antofagasta and Iquique, Chile, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
28. China's Wenmin Su rides his Jincheng past cheering onlookers during the 4th stage of the Dakar 2010 between Fiambala, Argentina, and Copiapo, Chile on January 5, 2010. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
29. Italy's Luca Manca, competitor in the Argentina - Chile Dakar Rally 2010, is carried by medical personal in Calama, Chile, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010. Manca was seriously wounded after falling from his bike during stage six of the rally between Antofagasta and Iquique in Chile, and remains under observation in stable condition. (AP Photo/Pedro Tapia)
30. The Dakar encampment is seen during stage five of the Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally 2010 in Antofagasta, Chile, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Frederic Le Floc'h)
31. Spain's Juan Pedrero prepares to go to the start line with his Aprilia during the seventh stage of the Dakar 2010, between Iquique and Antofagasta , Chile, on January 08, 2010. (MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty Images)
32. Foggy clouds cover part of the area where the 5th stage of the Dakar 2010 between Copiapo and Antofagasta, Chile, is taking place on January 6, 2010. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
33. Aprilia rider Chile's Francisco Lopez Contardo prepares his tent after the 5th stage of the Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally 2010 between Copiapo and Antofagasta in Chile, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
34. Yamaha's rider Argentina's Alejandro Patronelli climbs a dune on his quad bike during the seventh stage of the Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally 2010 between Iquique and Antofagasta, Chile, Friday, Jan. 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
35. South African Giniel De Villiers drives his Volkswagen during the 8th stage of the Dakar 2010, between Antofagasta and Copiapo, Chile, on January 10, 2010. (NATACHA PISARENKO/AFP/Getty Images)
36. Italy's Silvia Giannetti falls from her KTM during the 5th stage of the Dakar 2010 between Copiapo and Antofagasta, Chile, on January 6, 2010. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
37. France's Cyril Despres crosses a wide plain his KTM during the 8th stage of the Dakar 2010, between Antofagasta and Copiapo, Chile, on January 10, 2010. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
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