( dpa ) - The Dakar rally was cancelled Friday on the eve of the race because of safety concerns in Mauritania, an official media partner of the event said. On Thursday, the French government had expressed concerns about the race following the deaths on December 24 of four members of a French family in Mauritania.
The 30th Dakar rally had been scheduled to start in Lisbon, Portugal, on Saturday and finish in Dakar, Senegal, on January 20.