And there's the rub. I've followed the race for years, and there have been lots of times where cancellation has been rumored, mostly due to insurance problems, lack of funding, local permit issues, conflict with African governments, conflict between the organizers, fears of terrorist attack, banditry, or fallout from violent conflicts, and criticism from Europeans who feel that racing in Africa is somehow in poor taste, and negatively affects or endangers the local people and ruins the environment.

There was a couple of times in the late '80s where infrastructural components of the race pulled out (in '87 due to conflict between organizing members of the race, and in 1989, because the '88 race had a shitload of bad stuff happen), and the race teams and privateers literally cooperated or fended for themselves in Mauritania and Mali, actually making several legs of the race "unofficial" in the process. Which is what should be done now. Racers should just show up and do the race anyway, fuck the sponsors, the French and Portuguese governments, and the insurance companies. Do it like the old days.

Hell, give me a truck or a car. I'll run the fuckin' thing. Tally Ho!