Dakar news: Brabec prevents Branch fightback Dakar Stage 11

Ross Branch has won the penultimate stage but Ricky Brabec will still take a lead of more than 10 minutes into the final day of the 2024 Dakar Rally.

BRABEC Ricky (usa), Monster Energy Honda Team, Honda, Motul, Moto, FIM W2RC, portrait during the Stage 10 of the Dakar 2024 on January 17, 2024 around Al Ula, Saudi Arabia — Ricky Brabec needs to do little more than make the finish of Stage 12 in order to win the 2024 Dakar Rally. Image: ASO/Julien Delfosse/DPPI

Brabec took a margin of 10:54s into Stage 11 and while Hero Motosports’ Branch prevailed on the day, he could only snip 32 seconds from the Honda rider’s advantage.

The 2020 champion is thus in the box seat to claim a second Dakar title, while Adrien Van Beveren is third in the general classification at 14:31s off the pace on another of the Monster Energy Hondas.

Stage 11 was a rocky, 420km special between AlUla and Yanbu and Branch, needing a big result, set the pace for most of the way.

Unfortunately for the Botswanan, though, opener bonuses kept Brabec in touch and the American even nosed ahead in the ‘virtual’ stage classification at one point.

Van Beveren was third on the day at 3:17s off the pace and Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides took fourth, one position ahead of Red Bull KTM’s Toby Price.

Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo was one of the day’s bigger losers, shedding time due to a fuel pump failure for his Honda.

The Chilean is still fourth in the general classification but, having slipped from less than two minutes behind Van Beveren to 24 minutes away, his hopes of an event podium are now relying on a mishap to strike at least one of those ahead.

Red Bull KTM’s Kevin Benavides continues to hold fifth in the general classification and team-mate Price sixth, while Australian Daniel Sanders remains eighth on his Red Bull GasGas.

The field remains in Yanbu for the final stage of Dakar 2024 for a relatively straightforward 382km final stage which includes a 175km special.

General classification: Bikes Top 10

Pos	Num	Nat	Rider	Team	Time	Gap
1	9	USA	RICKY BRABEC	MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM	49H 37′ 57”
2	46	BOT	ROSS BRANCH	HERO MOTOSPORTS TEAM RALLY	49H 48′ 19”	+ 00H 10′ 22”
3	42	FRA	ADRIEN VAN BEVEREN	MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM	49H 52′ 28”	+ 00H 14′ 31”
4	11	CHI	JOSE IGNACIO CORNEJO FLORIMO	MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM	50H 16′ 41”	+ 00H 38′ 44”
5	47	ARG	KEVIN BENAVIDES	RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING	50H 19′ 16”	+ 00H 41′ 19”
6	2	AUS	TOBY PRICE	RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING	50H 25′ 56”	+ 00H 47′ 59”
7	1	ARG	LUCIANO BENAVIDES	HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING	50H 33′ 45”	+ 00H 55′ 48”
8	5	AUS	DANIEL SANDERS	RED BULL GASGAS FACTORY RACING	50H 50′ 22”	+ 01H 12′ 25”
9	142	SVK	STEFAN SVITKO	SLOVNAFT RALLY TEAM	51H 32′ 15”	+ 01H 54′ 18”
10	23	CZE	MARTIN MICHEK	ORION – MOTO RACING GROUP	52H 21′ 37”	+ 02H 43′ 40”