One of the worlds great races is wrapping up - the Dakar rally. Sadly, I find that us Americans are woefully unaware of this classic, especially now that it's taking place in our hemisphere. (The Dakar Rally historically was from Paris to Dakar - a bulk of the race going through the Sahara Desert. Several years ago because of terrorist threats and security concerns, the race moved to South America. This years race went through Argentina, Chile and Peru).

Happily this year in addition to the daily video updates on the internet, the new NBC sports network has been giving 30min daily updates - Thank You!

So whether you are a Dakar fan or never heard of it, these photos are great and give a great taste of the 8000 mile race.