It looks like a change in venue may make it happen.

http://www.dakar.com/

Here's a link to Dakar 2009: Photos From The Scrutineering
http://news.motorbiker.org/blogs.nsf/dx/dakar-2009-photos-from-the-scrutineering.htm

As luck will have it for once in my life, I don't need to go very far to see a major motorcycle sport event. The Dakar is right next door to me, about 35 kilometers from my house.

The Dakar circus has arrived at the port city of Le Havre  for the technical and administrative scrutineering, and then shipping by boat to South America, to start the race in January.

So this morning I loaded the BMW with cameras and cold weather gear and headed over to Le Havre.

Any motorcycle sport has a technical scrutineering. They need to check to see if your motorcycle is ready to compete. The Dakar is an enormously dangerous race, and therefore the scrutineering is very heavy. ASO, the organizers of the Dakar, have loads of experience, and they installed a circuit through an abandoned hangar at the Le Havre Docks.

Hundreds of staff walk around, all in different outfits and colors, depending on what they are doing. The scene reminded me of an aircraft carrier's flight deck.

NOTE: There are 44 photos and one video following, so please be patient, and let everything load.

Sweet!  I wonder how it's going to compare to Dakar in the past.  It will be interesting to see how much the change in terrain effects the vehicles.

I think that it going to be a hole new learing curve for most every one should help level the playing field a bit. It would be vary fun

Sweet!  I wonder how it's going to compare to Dakar in the past.

A LOT shorter. I think the distance was cut in 1/2 this year?