Bivouac (Rally Camp)

The bivouac is the temporary camp at the end of each stage in a rally raid such as the Dakar. Competitors, mechanics, organisers and support crews sleep there, eat, service and repair the motorcycles, and receive information and the roadbook for the next day.

Big factory teams arrive with trucks, workshops and staff, while privateers often rely on a shared service crew. In the toughest category, riders compete without outside assistance: they carry spares in a common trunk and must do all work on their own bikes, often late into the night.

For smaller amateur rallies and multi-day enduros the bivouac can be a simple field camp. Rest and food matter as much as bike preparation, because fatigue causes most mistakes on the following day.