A two-way fight
If in the twelve overall stages in the car category we witnessed continuous twists consisting of retirements, accidents or mechanical failures, the adventure of the motorbikes in the Saudi desert mostly saw a direct fight between two drivers who competed almost until the the victory of the 46th edition of this competition is the milestone. A battle, once again not without spectacle due to the often very small gap between the two, which ultimately rewarded the American Ricky Brabeca true standard bearer of the Honda.
Brabec Honda
Already in 2020, on the occasion of his first year in Saudi Arabia, Brabec had the opportunity to celebrate his success in the Dakar, also doing so on that occasion astride the Japanese motorbike. A victory that proved to be particularly emotional for the men of Minato's house and for his history, with Brabec who managed to bring theGolden Wing for the first time since 1982when the event was still known by the name and format of Paris-Dakar.
Branch's performance
A success that allowed Honda to repeat itself in 2021 with Kevin Benavides, only to be interrupted until this year, thanks to the success of the American. An edition that saw Brabec prevail only in the final stages after a duel with Ross Branchanother protagonist of this Dakar riding the Hero. A head-to-head that ended with a gap between the two of just over 10 minutes, and with the 36-year-old able to finish in second position, defending himself from the return of Adrien van Beveren, 3rd and another witness to Honda's potential in 2024. Twelve stages in which various doubles were seen from the Japanese manufacturer, with even hat-tricks in some cases, but with a final top-5 featuring Kevin Benavides and Toby Price with their KTMs , who prevailed in the final over José Cornejo Florimo. An edition which, unfortunately, recorded the painful death of Carles Falconwho died after a bad fall during the second stage.
Dakar Rally 2024 – Final Motorcycle Ranking (Top-10)
| POS | PILOT | MOTORCYCLE | TIME / GAP |
| 1 | Ricky Brabec | Honda | 51h 30′ 08” |
| 2 | Ross Branch | Hero | +10′ 53” |
| 3 | Adrien van Beveren | Honda | +12′ 25” |
| 4 | Kevin Benavides | KTM | +38′ 48” |
| 5 | Toby Price | KTM | +45′ 28” |
| 6 | José Cornejo Florimo | Honda | +46′ 38” |
| 7 | Luciano Benavides | Husqvarna | +53′ 31” |
| 8 | Daniel Sanders | GasGas | +1h 14′ 32” |
| 9 | Stefan Svitko | KTM | +1h 56′ 28” |
| 10 | Martin Michek | KTM | +2h 48′ 49” |
#Dakar #Rally #Final #Motorcycle #Ranking #FormulaPassion
