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Lisboa-Dakar Rally
Lisbon becomes once a year the motor sports capital, usually at the end of December, when the Lisboa-Dakar rally starts. Portugal will host the start of the Lisboa-Dakar rally until 2008.
In the first days, the Lisboa-Dakar rally is concentrated in historical zones of Lisbon like the Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower and the Coach Museum. Usually the roads in front on the Jerónimos Monastery are filled with assistance vehicles, racing cars and curious fans of this sport.
The route for Lisboa-Dakar rally has more stages. The cross-country rally between Lisbon and Portimão (Algarve) is the first stage and for the riverside zone of Belém it implies severe restrictions to traffic and parking of vehicles. The Lisboa-Dakar rally crosses Portugal and Spain. Once the Mediterranean Sea crossed, the Lisboa-Dakar rally passes through Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Guinea-Conakry and Senegal with the climax in Dakar. The Lisboa-Dakar rally ends in the capital of Senegal, after 9.043 kilometers (5,606 miles).
Tourists who come to see the Lisboa-Dakar rally have the opportunity to see major names in world motor racing such as Markku Allen (winner of the Portugal Rally in 1977, 1981 and 1987) and Miki Biasion (winner of the Portuguese Rally in three consecutive years, 1988-1990).
Each year, Lisboa-Dakar rally has more and more women entering into the race. In 2006 almost 750 vehicles (240 motorcycles, 187 cars and 80 trucks) will be lining up for the 28th edition of Lisboa-Dakar rally. | 
