Fine debut for Monster Energy Honda at the Dakar in Saudi Arabia

Ricky Brabec and Kevin Benavides were the fastest names among the Monster Energy Honda Team riders as the Dakar Rally made its maiden outing in the Middle East. The American rider, placing second, and the Argentinean, in fourth, shone in the opening 2020 Dakar stage.

Two of yesterday’s most photographed protagonists at the starting podium in Jeddah, which got the 2020 Dakar Rally underway, turned out to be Ricky Brabec and Kevin Benavides. Both featured in the battle for the win in the opening special, and although their starting positions on the day proved unfavourable for the win, the two riders did, however, eventually post excellent final positions.

Riders made a very early start this morning from Jeddah, riding the first 195-kilometre liaison section along the coast of the Red Sea, to dispute the opening 86-kilometre special amid canyons and dried-out river beds.  After a 19-kilometre neutralization section, competitors faced a 213-kilometre timed special. Before arriving at the first bivouac in Al Wajh, in this new chapter in Dakar Rally history, participants had to complete a further 237-kilometre link section. It was a tough trek, requiring some deft navigation due to the multiple parallel tracks on a course which took in hard, stony terrain as well as the first dunes. The sand, although not significantly high, made its appearance at kilometre 27.

Ricky Brabec began the Dakar 2020 at white-knuckle pace, intent on building on the fine work done in the previous edition. The American registered notable times in the earlier stages to eventually take the stage’s second fastest overall time.

Kevin Benavides was also setting an infernal pace, showing that he clearly intends to be among the frontrunners this year, posting fourth fastest time at the end of the special, but citing good sensations on such a tough opening to the rally.

Meanwhile, Joan Barreda, in stark contrast to last year’s rally, was taking things cautiously, knowing full well that today’s start order was not the most favourable to his strategy. The Spaniard will now await the most opportune moment to pounce after finishing the stage in seventh. It was also a noteworthy stage for Chilean rider José Ignacio Cornejo, who recorded fine partial times to post eleventh overall.

South African Aaron Maré got his maiden Dakar adventure underway with a fall early in the special. The Monster Energy Honda Team newcomer came off onto the rocks, taking a blow to the hand, but he will take the tomorrow start. Maré battled on to eventually finish the stage in thirty-fifth place.

Monster Energy Honda Team are all set and ready to tackle tomorrow’s Super Marathon stage, which will see the bikers chalk up some 890 kilometres over the two legs.  Top of the agenda will be taking care the mechanics and main elements of the bikes, given that mechanical assistance is totally forbidden.

This is … Stage 2

Liaison> 34 km – Special > 367 km – Total > 401 km

Mostly made up of tracks, this day’s challenge is technically accessible. But you start to get a feel for what makes Saudi navigation particularly difficult. It is time to learn to trust new landmarks, when multiple tracks lead to confusion. For bikes and quads, this is also the first part of the “Super Marathon” stage.

Monster Energy Honda Team all set for the 2020 Dakar

With the shakedown completed and the administrative and technical verification processes carried out, the Monster Energy Honda Team is now 100% set to get the 2020 Dakar Rally underway. The five factory riders, along with the entire team supporting them, are poised to tackle the world’s toughest rally on January 5.

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s second city, will host the build-up to the start of the Dakar Rally 2020. After the recent arrival in the most extensive country in the Middle Eastern region, Monster Energy Honda Team, with their five official riders, have made it through a positive ‘shakedown’ with everything deemed to be in order. Today, Friday, saw all team members pass through, first, the administrative verifications and, subsequently, the technical ones, with the entire entourage of vehicles and personnel given the all-clear to race.

Argentine rider Kevin Benavides, runner-up in 2018 and fifth in the most recent edition, will face his fourth Dakar, aiming at improving on previous results while reasserting himself as a candidate for the overall victory. The number seven will adorn the bike’s fairings for the rider from Salta.

Also among the favourites will be American Ricky Brabec, number nine. The occasion marks a fifth participation in the world’s toughest rally for the Californian. Brabec has experienced the Dakar in its rawest form, after being forced to withdraw just two days from the end of the last edition while holding a very solid overall lead.

Another rider likely to be in hot contention for the victory will be Joan Barreda, and not without reason, as the Spaniard has so far racked up 23 Dakar stage wins. With the number twelve decorating his bike, the rider from Castellón will be making a tenth Dakar participation, moving into the “legendary rider”category. What better way to celebrate the feat than on the top step of the podium!

Young José Ignacio Cornejo finished both his Dakar participations for Monster Energy Honda Team amongst the top ten. The Chilean believes it’s time to make a move upwards and has high hopes that the Saudi terrain could be a perfect match for his riding style.

South African rider Aaron Maré, a residence in Dubai, is the latest addition to the team and will focus on the steep day-by-day learning curve that his first Dakar outing requires. The young rider is skilled in the dunes and should be the ideal pilote to round out the Monster Energy Honda Team.

The 2020 Dakar Rally starts on January 5 from the starting ramp set up in the Jeddah Corniche.

Dakar 2020: New information

A new chapter in the Dakar Rally story has opened with the official presentation of the 2020 edition due to take place in Saudi Arabia. After Africa and South America, the Middle East now takes up the baton of the rally-raid race par excellence. New details were unveiled yesterday in Paris.

With an audience crowded with future participants and various team leaders, the Dakar 2020 Race Director, David Castera outlined more details of the race which was first presented in Saudi Arabia a month ago. In a meeting which took place at the Institute of the Arab World in the French capital, Castera confirmed the race’s course will cover some 9000 kilometres to be tackled over a fortnight with 12 stages, as well as other as yet unknown details about the Middle East’s maiden Dakar

After sending the participating vehicles by maritime transport from South of France to Saudi Arabia, the team will recover them in the port of Jeddah on New Year’s Day 2019. The build-up to the race will take place in the country’s second largest city, as events get underway with the ceremonial starting ramp on January 4. The start of the first stage is scheduled for January 5. The rest day will be held on January 11 in the country’s capital, Riyadh, and the event will conclude in Al Qiddiya on January 17 where the final podium and celebrations will take place.

Furthermore, other data, as yet unknown, was revealed by Castera to those present at the conference, including a prohibition of any training in Saudi Arabia, the distribution of roadbook prior to the stage, the creation of a Super Marathon stage for motorcycles (there will be two marathon days) plus a varied route design, which will cover different types of terrain in the Arab country.

Monster Energy Honda Team has confirmed its inscription for this new edition of the most veteran Cross-Country Rally in the world, and it will do so with a mixed team which will line-up experience alongside ambition.

The riders of the Monster Energy Honda Team will participate, this July, in the Silk Way Rally, the second round of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship to be held in Russia, Mongolia and China.