Photos: Appalling weather and deadly landslides plague Dakar Rally 2017
'Extreme climatic conditions' have plagued this year's Dakar Rally, which runs for nearly 9,000km through three countries – Paraguay, Argentina and Bolivia.
A massive mudslide caused by thunderstorms forced the cancellation of the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally. The landslide hit the village of Volcan in Argentina, engulfing homes and killing two people. Appalling weather conditions have plagued this year's Dakar Rally. Stage six of the world's most gruelling motorsport event was also cancelled due to "extreme climatic conditions".
The route of the 2017 Dakar Rally runs for nearly 9,000km through three countries – Paraguay, Argentina and Bolivia – much of it across unmarked desert. Four categories of vehicles (motorbikes, quads, cars and trucks) tackle an incredible variety of terrains – many at high altitude – from deserts to mountain roads and flooded rivers to salt flats. The rally will end on 14 January in Buenos Aires. Photographers Franck Fife, Dan Istitene and Ricardo Moraes are following the action, taking spectacular photos in very challenging conditions. IBTimes UK presents the best photos of the action.
10 January 2017: An aerial view of a road in the village of Volcan, Argentina engulfed by mud after a deadly landslide during the 2017 Paraguay-Bolivia-Argentina Dakar rallyFranck Fife/AFP10 January 2017: An aerial view of the deadly landslide caused by a storm in the village of Volcan, ArgentinaFranck Fife/AFP10 January 2017: Maik Willems of France drives his Toyota with co-driver Robert Van Pelt during the eighth stage from Uyuni, Bolivia to Salta, ArgentinaRicardo Moraes/Reuters10 January 2017: Orlando Terranova of Argentina and Andreas Schulz of Germany drive their Mini during stage eight of the 2017 Dakar Rally between Uyuni, Bolivia and Salta, ArgentinaDan Istitene/Getty Images10 January 2017: Daniel Oliveras Carreras of Spain rides a KTM Bike during stage eight of the 2017 Dakar Rally between Uyuni, Bolivia and Salta, ArgentinaDan Istitene/Getty Images10 January 2017: Locals watch Stage 8 of the 2017 Dakar Rally between Uyuni in Bolivia and Salta in ArgentinaFranck Fife/AFP10 January 2017: Peugeot's driver Stephane Peterhansel and his co-driver Jean Paul Cottret of France compete during the eighth stage from Uyuni, Bolivia to Salta, ArgentinaFranck Fife/AFP10 January 2017: Chilean biker Pablo Quintanilla powers his Husqvarna during Stage eight of the 2017 Dakar Rally between Uyuni in Bolivia and Salta in ArgentinaFranck Fife/AFP10 January 2017: Peugeot's driver Stephane Peterhansel and his co-driver Jean Paul Cottret of France in action during the eighth stage from Uyuni, Bolivia to Salta, ArgentinaFranck Fife/AFP10 January 2017: Michael Metge of France rides a Honda bike during stage eight of the 2017 Dakar Rally between Uyuni, Bolivia and Salta, ArgentinaDan Istitene/Getty Images9 January 2017: Antanas Juknevicius and Darius Vaiciulis of Lithuania drive their Hilux Overdrive Toyota during stage seven of the 2017 Dakar Rally between La Paz and UyuniDan Istitene/Getty Images9 January 2017: Cyril Despres and co-driver David Castera both from France drive their Peugeot during stage seven of the 2017 Dakar Rally between La Paz and UyuniDan Istitene/Getty Images9 January 2017: Stephan Schott of Germany and Paulo Fiuza of Portugal drive their Mini during stage seven of the 2017 Dakar Rally between La Paz and UyuniDan Istitene/Getty Images9 January 2017: Max Hunt of Great Britain rides his Husqvarna bike during stage seven of the 2017 Dakar Rally between La Paz and UyuniDan Istitene/Getty Images9 January 2017: Juan Salvatierra of Bolivia rides his KTM bike during the seventh stage from Oruro to Uyuni, Bolivia as a dog approachesRicardo Moraes/Reuters9 January 2017: Peugeot driver Romain Dumas and his co-driver Alain Guehennec of France attend to their vehicle after it got stuck during the Stage seven of the Dakar 2017 between La Paz and Uyuni, BoliviaFranck Fife/AFP9 January 2017: France's Adrien Van Beveren falls off his Yamaha during stage seven of the Dakar 2017 between La Paz and Uyuni, BoliviaFranck Fife/AFP9 January 2017: Peugeot's French driver Cyril Despres works on his car at the bivouac in Uyuni, Bolivia, after stage seven of the 2017 Dakar Rally between La Paz and UyuniFranck Fife/AFP9 January 2017: Pablo Rodriguez of Argentina races his KTM motorbike during the seventh stage of the Dakar RallyMartin Mejia/AFP9 January 2017: Jakub Przygonski of Poland and co-driver Tom Colsoul of Belgium race their Mini during the seventh stage from Oruro to Uyuni, BoliviaMartin Mejia/AFP8 January 2017: Aerial view of La Paz taken from the cable car that connects La Paz with El Alto after the Dakar Rally cancelled its sixth stageJorge Bernal/AFP8 January 2017: Bolivian women in typical costume pose in the streets of La Paz, during the rest day of the 2017 Dakar RallyFranck Fife/AFP8 January 2017: A couple in La Paz during the rest day of the 2017 Dakar RallyFranck Fife/AFP7 January 2017: A quad makes its way through mud at the bivouac of the 2017 Dakar Rally in Oruro, Bolivia, after heavy rains led to the cancellation of stage sixFranck Fife/AFP6 January 2017: Cyril Despres of France drives his Peugeot with his co-driver David Costera during the fifth stage from Tupiza to Oruro, BoliviaRicardo Moraes/Reuters6 January 2017: Erik Van Loon drives with Wouter Rosegaar both of the Netherlands in the Hilux Overdrive Toyota car during stage five of the 2017 Dakar Rally between Tupiza and Oruro in BoliviaDan Istitene/Getty Images6 January 2017: An assistance truck is overturned due to poor weather during stage five of the Dakar Rally 2017 between Tupiza and Oruro, BoliviaFranck Fife/AFP6 January 2017: Juan Silva of Argentina and his co-driver Sergio Lafuent drive their Mercedes during the fifth stage from Tupiza to Oruro, BoliviaRicardo Moraes/Reuters5 January 2017: Carlo Vellutino of Peru rides a KTM bike during the fourth stage of the rallyDan Istitene/Getty Images5 January 2017: Gregorio Caselani of Brazil rides a CRF450 Rally Honda during stage four of the 2017 Dakar Rally between San Salvador de Jujuy in Argentina and Tupiza in BoliviaDan Istitene/Getty Images5 January 2017: Vincent Crosbie of Botswana rides his KTM bike through the desert somewhere between San Salvador de Jujuy in Argentina and Tupiza in BoliviaRicardo Moraes/Reuters5 January 2017: Kevin Echeveste of Argentina tries to fix his 450 Rally Husqvarna bike at an unspecified location in ArgentinaDan Istitene/Getty Images5 January 2017: Milan Engel of the Czech Republic falls off his bike during stage fourDan Istitene/Getty Images5 January 2017: Peugeot's Spanish drivers Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz compete during Stage four of the 2017 Dakar Rally between San Salvador de Jujuy in Argentina and Tupiza in BoliviaFranck Fife/AFP5 January 2017: Conrad Rautenbach of Zimbabwe drives during Stage four of the 2017 Dakar Rally between San Salvador de Jujuy in Argentina and Tupiza in BoliviaFranck Fife/AFP5 January 2017: Loic Minaudier of France competes during stage four of the 2017 Dakar Rally between San Salvador de Jujuy in Argentina and Tupiza in BoliviaDan Istitene/Getty Images5 January 2017: Robert Jr Van Pelt of the Netherlands competes during stage four of the rallyDan Istitene/Getty Images5 January 2017: Camelia Liparoti of France rides a Yamaha quad bike during stage four of the 2017 Dakar Rally between Argentina and BoliviaDan Istitene/Getty Images5 January 2017: Sylvio Barros of Brazil and co-driver Rafael Capoani of Italy drive their Mini somewhere between Argentina and BoliviaDan Istitene/Getty Images4 January 2017: Gerard Farres Guell of Spain rides a KTM bike during stage three of the 2017 Dakar Rally between San Miguel de Tucuman and San Salvador de Jujuy in ArgentinaDan Istitene/Getty Images4 January 2017: KTM rider Stefan Svitko of Slovakia competes during Stage three of the 2017 Dakar Rally between San Miguel de Tucuman and San Salvador de Jujuy in ArgentinaFranck Fife/AFP4 January 2017: Conrad Rautenbach of Zimbabwe and Imperial Toyota and co-driver Robert Howie of South Africa change a tyre on their ToyotaDan Istitene/Getty Images4 January 2017: Xavier se Soultrait of France rides his Yamaha bike during the third stage of the Dakar Rally 2017Ricardo Moraes/Reuters4 January 2017: Milan Engel of the Czech Republic rides a 450 Rally Replica KTM bike during stage three of the 2017 Dakar RallyDan Istitene/Getty Images4 January 2017: Portuguese rider Joaquim Rodriguez powers his Hero Speedbrain during the third stage of the rally, between San Miguel de Tucuman and San Salvador de Jujuy in ArgentinaFranck Fife/AFP3 January 2017: Toyota pilot Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar cools himself down after stage two of the 2017 Dakar Rally between Resistencia and San Miguel de Tucuman in ArgentinaFranck Fife/AFP3 January 2017: A biker competes during the second stage of the rally between Resistencia and San Miguel de Tucuman in ArgentinaFranck Fife/AFP3 January 2017: Peugeot driver Stephane Peterhansel smiles at the end of stage twoFranck Fife/AFP3 January 2017: Armand Monleon of Spain rides his KTM during the second stage of the rallyRicardo Moraes/Reuters3 January 2017: Sam Sunderland of Great Britain throws water on his face after riding his KTM from Resistencia to San Miguel de Tucuman, ArgentinaRicardo Moraes/Reuters2 January 2017: Spectators watch as competitors go past during the first stage of the rally between Asuncion and ResistenciaFranck Fife/AFP2 January 2017: Spain's Gerard Farres Guell powers his Yamaha during stage one of the Dakar Rally 2017 between Asuncion and ResistenciaFranck Fife/AFP2 January 2017: An aerial picture of the Bermejo river, demaracting the Argentine provinces of Formosa (L) and ChacoFranck Fife/AFP2 January 2017: Spectators perched on trees watch the action during the first stage of the rallyFranck Fife/AFP2 January 2017: Jakub Piatek of Poland rides his KTM bike during the first stage of the rallyRicardo Moraes/Reuters2 January 2017: Giniel De Villiers of South Africa and co-driver Dirk Von Zitzewitz of Germany drive their Toyota through water on the first stage of the Dakar Rally, between Asuncion and Resistencia in ArgentinaFranck Fife/AFP2 January 2017: Daniel Mazzuco of Argentina rides his Can-Am bike through water during the first stage from Asuncion in Paraguay to Resistencia in ArgentinaRicardo Moraes/Reuters
