Joao Lagos, the entrepreneur who secured the rights to organise next years departure of this contest in Portugal, has announced that the Dakar rally, considered the most important all road contest in the world will depart from Lisbon on the 1st of January 2006.

The chairman of Joao Lagos Sport has stated that now that the rights to organise the event have been secured, they must now secure a four to five million-euro investment and the “crucial” support of the Government. 

According to Joao Lagos, Rome and Barcelona were the other candidates to organise the Dakar Rally next year but the Portuguese Capital was the organisers’ favourite.

The entrepreneur further added that the “most difficult” has been achieved and that “public and private support will be easy” since having the contest start from Lisbon “is an unique opportunity for Portugal to affirm itself to the world”.