As the 2017 Dakar Rally kicks off, here is a preview and tips for betting on one of the toughest rally events in the world.

Regarded as one of the toughest motorsport events in the world, Dakar Rally was founded in 1979. For a major part of its history, it was held in Europe and Africa. Amaury Sport Organisation organises the race, which gained its name as a result of being conducted in Dakar, Senegal.

The 39th running of the world's most incredible off-road race began on New Year's Day. Probably the most important fact is that Toby Price, an Australian, won the race for the first time as a representative of this country. This year, the tournament will be hosted by Paraguay.

Key Details

French capital, Paris, has also played host to the race. In recent years, however, security threats have forced the organisers to conduct the race in South America, where it has been held since 2009. It will be no different in case of 2017 Dakar Rally.

It is one of the few rallies which are open to amateurs, who make up more than 80% of the entrants. The gruelling nature of the competition means that professionals fight very hard in order to succeed. Most of the rally competitions use on-road vehicles that have been modified for use on the rough terrain.

Favourites

At the Dakar Rally, teams use vehicles that have been purposefully built for off-road purposes. It is one of the several aspects that make rally betting tips extremely important regarding this competition. Teams are required to cover around 700 to 800 km per day.

The French have dominated the Dakar Rally for a long time. Makers like Peugeot and Citroën experienced a large amount of success during the days when the competition was held in France and Senegal. Bet online favourite Stéphane Peterhansel remains the most successful with 33 wins to date, but he is closely followed by Cyril Despres with 32 wins.

Spaniards Jordi Arcarons and Marc Coma come third and fourth respectively with 27 and 25 wins. Yet, Peterhansel manages to run comfortably ahead in terms of stage wins when it comes to cars and bikes. A perineal favourite in terms of the rally betting odds, he has 68 stage wins compared to Vladimir Chagin, who has 63 wins in the truck category.

The 2017 edition will take place across different climatic conditions ranging from a blistering 50°C heat to freezing temperatures. Teams will have to cover a distance of 9000 km spread across 12 stages. Approximately half of the distance will have specially timed events.

Rally predictions are likely to back teams with fewer mechanical problems, as there is just one rest day before the event concludes in Buenos Aires on the 14th of January. The best odds are likely to back defending champions Peugeot for another win.

Dakar 2017: Full Schedule

Bet Online

Get started with incredible opportunities here at OddsDigger. Bookmark our homepage and come back every day for the latest updates on all of your favourite sports. Get help of our experts and access to leading bookmaker's promotions! Start using our aggregator today.