Stéphane Peterhansel is set to make his Desafío Ruta 40 later in May, but Argentina is a country he’s well familiar with. The Dakar Rally crossed through Argentina every year except for 2019 during its stay in South America, during which Peterhansel won four times.

“I’m very fond of racing in Argentina,” said Peterhansel. “I’ve had success with stage wins and overall victories there during the Dakar Rally’s South American era.

“It’s a terrain I’m familiar with but this will be a new experience for Mika (Metge) and myself, racing in the Defender Dakar D7X-R. I’m looking forward to it.”

The Dakar Rally left its longtime African home in 2009, one that Peterhansel has been frank about missing, for the Americas.

Argentina’s capital of Buenos Aires hosted the start from 2009 to 2011 and again in 2015–2016, while Rosario did so in 2014 and Resistencia was the conclusion of 2017’s opening leg that began in Paraguay. Conversely, the country was the finish in 2009–2011 and from 2015 to 2018. As such, every South American Dakar except for the last in 2019—which was solely in Peru—had at least some Argentinian stages.

San Juan and San Rafael, the two cities that will host the DR 40’s bivouacs, were also Dakar mainstays. Both were even linked together for Stage 12 in 2010 as well as the third legs in 2012 and 2014.

Peterhansel won the South American Dakar in 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2017. Of his 24 stage wins on the continent, 11 came in Argentina:

• 2010: Stages 3 (Córdoba to La Rioja) and 13 (San Rafael to Santa Rosa)
• 2012: Stage 4 (San Juan to Chilecito)
• 2013: Stage 7 (Calama, Chile, to Salta)
• 2014: Stages 2 (San Luís to San Rafael) and 6 (Tucumán to Salta)
• 2016: Stages 4 (San Salvador de Jujuy) and 10 (Belén to La Rioja)
• 2017: Stages 3 (San Miguel de Tucumán to San Salvador de Jujuy) and 10 (Chilecito to San Juan)
• 2018: Stage 10 (Salta to Belén)

Although the Desafío Ruta 40 also happened during this period, Peterhansel didn’t prioritize it among his select rally entries. Instead, his focus was predominantly on other marathon rallies like the Silk Way Rally, bajas in Europe, or various rounds on the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies.

He also didn’t take part when the race was revived for the W2RC in 2023 and 2024. Now that he’s competing for the Stock championship, however, he’s eager to return to familiar territory for the first time in years.

Peterhansel is currently third in the W2RC’s Stock standings with 118 points behind his Defender Rally teammates Rokas Baciuška (153) and Sara Price (127). While last among the category’s full-timers, he has momentum going into the DR 40 after winning the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal.

Featured image credit: Marcelo Maragni / Red Bull Content Pool