Just some of the more colourful characters among the Dakar spectators on the ground…

Pictures from the Dakar Facebook albums.

Hungry?

The old and the new, but everyone living it up...

Cooling off on Day 1.

The crowd cheering on Camélia Liparoti - only the second woman to complete a Dakar Rally riding a quad.

Dramatic scenery rewarded spectators and competitors alike on Day 3.