The 41st staging of the Dakar Rally is underway in Peru.
Racers in a variety of stages, including cars, bikes and trucks, tackled the sandy terrain of the opening 247km stage between Lima and Pisco.
The UAE's Mohammed Al Balooshi made a solid start in the bikes category, ending the first stage in 44th place, 18 minutes off the pace.
#Dakar2019 #DakarRally move ® pic.twitter.com/wBp3fDeB64
— Leonardo Mario Reyna Munar (@leoreymun) January 6, 2019
Double World Rally Championship title winner Carlos Sainz is second in the cars competition, behind Nasser Al Attiyah.
The second stage, between Pisco and San Juan de Marcona, takes place on Tuesday and is 211km in distance.
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