Western Africa with it's rebels and gangs is a too dangerous place. I think, even if some are ready to sacrifice their health to win, a race isn´t worth sacrificing one´s life.
Though I´m not as charmed with rally raids as I used to be. Though it is possible to crash or get lost, much depends on the readiness to damage own´s health or even suicide, and team backing (i.e. the number of mechanics and spare parts).
Initially the idea came to Thierry Sabine after he got lost in the desert. I think, instead of an ultra-long marathon with very long stages they´d better make a long auto-orienteering in the desert, with GPS used only as a black-box or in case of emergency (and to draw cars' paths for TV coverage). That would have been more drivers and navigators competition than of cars and mechanics.
illepall
