The 2008 Dakar Rally has been cancelled over security concerns, organisers said on Friday.
The car and motorcycle race was due to start in Lisbon on Saturday but the death of four French tourists in Mauritania on December 24 led to the French government advising against any travel to the country.
Eight of the rally's stages were due to pass through the northern African country en route south for Dakar and the scheduled finish on January 20.
"Following consultations with the French government, the organisers of the Dakar have taken the decision to cancel the 2008edition of the rally scheduled for January 5-20 between Lisbon and the Senegalese capital," the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) said in a statement.
"ASO's prime responsibility is to ensure the security of everyone involved," the statement said.
It was the first time in its 30-year history that the race has failed to go ahead.
Scores of competitors in cars, motorbikes and lorries had already arrived in Lisbon for technical checks ahead of Saturday's spectacular start.
The rally was due to pass through Mauritania for nine days from January 11-19 before finishing in Dakar on January 20.
Race director Etienne Lavigne said it had been a crushing blow but that it was not the end of the road for the rally.
"The Dakar is reeling, but the Dakar is still on its feet," he said.
Source: Xinhua
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