 The race starts in Port Town , with the winners traveling in a boat to a large desert . Legend has it that four stone tablets are buried somewhere in the desert , and the contestants are sent out to dig for them and bring them to the Viscount . According to the stone tablets , the actual location of the Crystal is hidden somewhere on the ancient map . Before he can investigate the matter further , Doctor Neo Cortex <unk> in and <unk> the map . As the two struggle for the map , the map is torn to <unk> . 
