As the 41st running of the Dakar Rally ramps up and competitors get ready to race, check back here at ADVMoto for the latest and greatest news as we receive it from teams. What will a new continent bring to the new decade of Dakar?

CURRENT STANDINGS AFTER STAGE 4

News: 01/08/2020

FIRST DAKAR STAGE WIN FOR NACHO CORNEJO. BRABEC REMAINS LEADER

Stage four of the 2020 Dakar Rally saw the Monster Energy Honda Team components arrive at the final destination at the Al Ula bivouac, very well-positioned in the race. ‘Nacho’ Cornejo finished the race in first position, followed home by Benavides and Brabec. The American remains leader ahead of his team-mates.

The red livery of the Monster Energy Honda Team’s Honda CRF450 RALLYs was once again on victory parade today as the 2020 Dakar Rally arrives at day four. On the agenda, once more, was fast track which alternated between sandy and rocky sections.

Yesterday’s stage winner, American rider and current race leader Ricky Brabec, was the first to start out this morning, but despite the handicap of having to open without references ahead, was able, nevertheless, to set an infernal pace. Behind him, Nacho Cornejo was likewise putting pedal to the metal, not only maintaining his team-mate’s pace, but even managing to outstrip the Californian in the latter stretches. The Chilean, claimed his maiden special stage victory, after first place finisher Sam Sunderland was penalized. Cornejo holds third place overall.

Second on the day was Kevin Benavides, another rider in the frenetic battle for the stage triumph, who finished 35 seconds adrift of the stage winner. The Argentinean lies second in the general rankings. Behind him finished Monster Energy Honda Team stable-mate Brabec, who concluded the stage with a three-minute deficit from the Chilean stage winner. The Californian, nevertheless, continues to command at the head of the overall race standings with a 2’3” advantage over Benavides.

Not the best day at the office for Joan Barreda. Joan, starting from a favourable position, was victim of a fall, inflicting more damage to the rider, physically, and also to the machine navigation system. The Spaniard, who hails from Castellón, was able to make it back to the bivouac at Al Ula. Barreda is now seventh in the overall standings and is still maintaining his chances in the race.

Tomorrow, for the fifth stage, riders will once again be issued with the roadbooks 25 minutes before the start of the race. The race heads out from Al Ula, East-bound for Ha’il.

SANZ ENJOYS IMPROVED RESULT WITH 25TH PLACE FINISH ON STAGE FOUR OF 2020 DAKAR RALLY
OVERCOMING TWO DIFFICULT DAYS THE GASGAS FACTORY RACING RIDER DELIVERS A STRONG PERFORMANCE ON 672-KILOMETRE STAGE

GasGas Factory Racing’s Laia Sanz has enjoyed a notable upturn in her Dakar Rally results with a strong 25th place finish on the event’s fourth stage from Neom to Al Ula. Starting in 35th position this morning, with dust much less of an issue for her than it was during stage three, Laia was able to pass a number of the riders ahead of her and settle into a strong pace. Completing the stage aboard her GasGas RC 450F with no problems, she now sits in 24th position in the provisional overall classification.

• A positive day for Laia with less dust allowing her to increase her pace
• Neom to Al Ula stage ‘a long, tough day, but a good one’.
• With four stages now complete Laia sits 24th in the overall classification

Laia Sanz: “It was a long day, a tough day, but I am a lot happier compared to the last two days. From my starting position I improved some places, which is good, and I did enjoy some of the stage. Like I said it was tough again, with some tricky navigation during the technical section towards the finish. I was in some dust at the start, but I was able to pass some riders, which allowed me to find my rhythm and ride at a speed I was comfortable at. There were more stones than I ever thought possible, but the technical sections were good for me. A good day overall.”

Relieved to finally be able to ride at a good pace after two difficult days of dust-filled tracks and trails, for the first time in the 2020 Dakar Rally Laia was able to find her rhythm and focus only on her navigation and riding. Moving her way forward to 26th at the 296-kilometre mark, she enjoyed the tricky end-of-stage navigation and remains the leading female motorcycle competitor.

Stage five of the 2020 Dakar Rally will take the event east from Al Ula to Ha’il. Totalling 564 kilometres, the 353-kilometre special is expected to be less technical than earlier stages, featuring plenty of sandy hills and large rocks.

News: 01/07/2020

MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM LEAD THE DAKAR. HONDA RIDERS' PODIUM LOCK-OUT

It was an outstanding performance on track today from Ricky Brabec, José Ignacio Cornejo, Kevin Benavides and Joan Barreda on the looping circuit in Neom on stage three of the 2020 Dakar Rally. Monster Energy Honda Team riders currently occupy the top five positions in the general standings.

The Super Marathon stage wrapped up today with Monster Energy Honda Team riders scooping a fine haul of results. The 414-kilometre Neom loop proved to be a rewarding one for the crew who achieved the best stage CP times over the course of a lengthy and arduous special. The stage took place amid slippery gravel-filled mountain tracks connected by a breakneck high-speed section of off-piste racing through a valley. The navigation proved particularly taxing, but Brabec, Cornejo and Benavides were up to the task, giving Honda a podium lock-out at the end of the stage.

Earlier this morning, riders once again received the ready-to-use roadbooks just minutes before the race-start, but this was no impediment to Ricky Brabec, as the American Monster Energy Honda Team rider let rip on the Honda CRF450 RALLY registering the best times at the various waypoints of the special before reaching the goal back in Neom. The Californian now leads in the general standings.

José Ignacio Cornejo was also feeling at ease on this third stage of the rally in Saudi Arabia. Improving his skills as each day goes by, the Chilean made it home with the second best time of the day, less than six minutes behind Ricky Brabec.

Argentinean rider Kevin Benavides climbs positions on the 2020 Dakar overall leader board to second place, just 4’43 shy of his team-mate after a notable showing in the day’s tricky special where he took third place on the podium.

Joan Barreda likewise pushed hard to be among the frontrunners, posting sixth but still keeping his options open to stage an attack. The rider from Castellón holds fourth overall place some eleven minutes behind his team-mate.

Once the riders get back to the bivouac in Neom and have swapped information about the day’s event, they will again start work on the roadbook ahead of tomorrow’s fourth stage, given that the roll containing all the details of the course will once again be issued to each rider 25 minutes before the race on days five and six.

News: 01/06/2020

SUNDERLAND TAKES OVERALL RALLY LEAD WITH RUNNER-UP FINISH ON DAKAR STAGE TWO
Dakar Rally 2020 – Stage 2

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sam Sunderland has finished second on stage two of the Dakar Rally, moving himself into the provisional race lead. Luciano Benavides enjoyed another solid day in Saudi Arabia, finishing fifth. Matthias Walkner and stage one winner Toby Price finished in eighth and 15th places respectively after opening much of the special.

Stage two at the 2020 Dakar Rally presented riders with several new challenges. The pre-coloured road books used for the first time this year were only given to competitors 25 minutes before the start of the timed special. Also, with the day marking the first half of the event’s Super Marathon stage, riders were only allowed 10 minutes to work on their bikes at the end of the day, with no outside assistance permitted.

As the fifth rider to enter the day’s 367-kilometre special, Sam Sunderland was able to maximise his advantage and push right from the start. The 2019 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion was able to improve his position throughout that stage to ultimately post the second-fastest time. Sam now enjoys a lead of just over one minute in the provisional overall standings.

Sam Sunderland: “It was a really tough day today and it felt very long. There was a huge mix of terrain with high speed tracks and then slower technical sections. In and out of the canyons there were a lot of lines visible and that made navigation more of a challenge. I made a couple of mistakes, but I think everyone did out there today. All-in-all though I had a good run, just trying to stick to a steady rhythm and build up my pace as the race goes on.”

Luciano Benavides continues to show great pace and consistency at this year’s event. The young Argentinian, in only his third Dakar, placed fifth on the day’s special to elevate himself to seventh in the overall standings. With a strong start position for stage three, Benavides is confident of another good result.

Luciano Benavides: “It’s been a good day for me – I finished inside the top five and I’m really happy with my rhythm here in Saudi. I enjoyed the stage today but came very close to crashing at one point. Luckily, I was able to stay on and from there I decided to bring the bike home safely and make sure it is good for tomorrow.”

Despite being the third competitor into today’s stage, Matthias Walkner was able to use his skill and experience to carefully navigate the technically demanding route, making the minimum of errors to complete the stage in a solid eighth place. Now lying an excellent fourth overall, the Austrian rider will enjoy an advantageous start position for the second half of the Super Marathon stage.

Matthias Walkner: “I had quite a good day today – the navigation was tough but I was able to push on from the start and at about 45 kilometres I was able to catch Toby. From there I opened the piste to the halfway point. We then rode in a group of four until the finish, which can be tricky as the dust from any riders in front makes it difficult to see stones and rocks hidden in the soft sand. Thankfully I was able to look after the bike and it’s all ready to go for tomorrow.”

Winner of the first day, Toby Price had the unenviable task of opening stage two. That, combined with the limited time to acquaint himself with the road book, made navigating the stage extremely tricky from the front of the pack. Despite the disadvantages, the reigning champion put in a good ride to 15th place and now lies ninth in the provisional overall standings, seven minutes and 34 seconds down on Sunderland.

Toby Price: “Today was always going to be tough, leading out from the start without having had much time to read the road book. The stage went ok, I lost some time to the others but the most important thing is I looked after my bike and the tyres so should be in good shape to close down on the leaders again tomorrow. There’s still a long, long way to go, but the bike is working great, things are looking good and I’m happy.”

After a tough day in the Saudi Arabian sand, KTM Factory Racing’s Mario Patrao completed stage two in 41st place. An error early on cost the Portuguese rider some time and he was then forced to ride in a group until the finish. Despite the challenging day, Mario was able to bring his KTM 450 RALLY home in one piece and now looks forward to stage three.

Mario Patrao: “It was a difficult stage for me today, I made a mistake at kilometre six and was then caught by some other competitors. Riding in dust for the rest of the stage was really tricky as it’s so difficult to see any rocks or other dangers. To stay safe, I hung back a little, which cost me some time. Overall, the bike is good and I’m ready for tomorrow.”

Tuesday’s stage three of the 2020 Dakar Rally will see riders complete a looped course starting and finishing at the city of Neom. Of the 504 kilometres covered, 427 will be timed special, leading competitors towards the border with Jordon and rising to the highest point in this year’s rally at an altitude of 1,400 metres before returning to the bivouac.

LAIA SANZ COMPLETES CHALLENGING STAGE TWO DESPITE EARLY CRASH
GASGAS FACTORY RACING RIDER BATTLES TO THE END OF OPENING DAY OF SUPER MARATHON STAGE FOLLOWING HEAVY FALL

GasGas Factory Racing’s Laia Sanz has endured a highly challenging day two of the 2020 Dakar Rally, crashing early in the stage and having to complete the 367-kilometre special with impaired navigational equipment. Thankfully, the damage to her GasGas RC 450F was largely superficial and despite the heavy physical impact Laia rode on to complete the stage in 38th position.

• Laia completes difficult second stage despite an early ‘hard crash’
• Al Wajh to Neom stage delivers extremely challenging navigation
• Battered and bruised, Laia sits 28th in the overall classification

Laia Sanz: “It was a difficult day for me today. It’s never good to crash during any stage, but to crash at the start of a stage, and a stage that has tricky navigation, wasn’t good. I broke part of my navigational equipment, so I had to slow down to really concentrate on the navigation and lost a lot of time. Also, some riders passed me so there was a lot of dust. But it’s happened and more or less my bike and I are ok. In many ways I am lucky because all the important parts of my bike are working. I can forget this stage now and look forward. I’m expecting a tough day tomorrow, as I will start further down the start order and most likely in a lot of dust again.”

The 20th rider to leave the start of today’s stage, Laia unfortunately came off her GasGas RC 450F before the day’s first waypoint when she hit some stones while reading her road book. Suffering a sizeable fall, she was thankfully not seriously injured and rode on. Dropping to 49th she picked up a number of places during the 367-kilometre stage to earn a 38th place result.

With just 10 minutes and no outside assistance from her team allowed at the end of the stage, Laia was able to place her bike in the overnight parc ferme in good working order ahead of tomorrow’s stage three.

Forming the second half of the event’s super marathon stage, the 2020 Dakar Rally will continue with day three, which features a 427-kilometre special stage that takes competitors on a circular route from and back to Neom.

Provisional results: Dakar Rally 2020 Stage 2
1. Ross Branch (KTM) 3:39:10
2. Sam Sunderland (KTM) 3:40:34 + 0:01:24
3. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 3:41:31 + 0:02:21
38. Laia Sanz (GasGas) 4:23:02 + 0:43:52

Provisional standings: Dakar Rally 2020 (after stage 2)
1. Sam Sunderland (KTM) 7:05:22
2. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 7:06:40 + 0:01:18
3. Kevin Benavides (Honda) 7:06:54 + 0:01:32
28. Laia Sanz (GasGas) 8:06:20 + 1:00:58

News: 01/03/2020

MONSTER ENERGY HONDA TEAM ALL SET FOR THE 2020 DAKAR

With the shakedown completed and the administrative and technical verification processes carried out, 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.

This is… Stage 1
Liaison> 433 km – Special> 319 km – Total> 752 km

The opening stage is far from a stroll in the park. It features everything that makes up this rally in quick succession: fast, winding, dunes, stones. With all this variety, this mini-Dakar is not to be underestimated.


Kevin Benavides
#7
We have arrived in Arabia; we have carried out the shakedown and have passed the checks for this 2020 Dakar. I am excited about this new adventure that has been presented to us and which begins in a few days. We hope to be able to give it everything and do well in the race. We imagine that, like every other Dakar, it’s not going to be easy, which is why we have been preparing to perform as best we can in each stage.

Ricky Brabec
#9
There are a few days left before the great battle commences. I am glad to be here, in a new country. Everything so far has been going well, so I just trust that the good feelings will transfer onto the track and hopefully we will be able to get good results in this 2020 Dakar Rally.

Joan Barreda
#12
This will be my tenth Dakar and I hope that it turns out to be my best Dakar. At the moment, the sensations are good and we will see how the routes are that the organization has prepared for us. We have completed the shakedown and everything is all set. A short while ago we passed all the verifications too and the only thing left to do is to take the start on day 5. So, let's finish off preparing everything well!

José Ignacio Cornejo
#17
Once again this year we line up for the start of the Dakar. This year I am very excited because the preparation has gone really well and the team is at its best after a long season. I hope I can get a good result. We will fight as hard as we can to achieve it.

Aaron Maré
#26
Well, it is my first Dakar and I wish I was able to explain my feelings. I am very excited about this huge challenge that we all have ahead. So far everything has gone well; the tests, the races, the shakedown that we did yesterday and now we are ready to go out and give it some gas in the first stage. I hope everything goes well!

GASGAS AND LAIA SANZ SET FOR 2020 DAKAR RALLY
GASGAS FACTORY RACING RIDER AND DEFENDING WOMEN’S CLASS CHAMPION LOOKS AHEAD TO THE START OF THE 42ND DAKAR RALLY

Laia Sanz and the GasGas Factory Racing team are tonight looking forward to the start of the 2020 Dakar Rally after successfully completing a pre-event shakedown and event administrative controls. Riding the all-new GasGas RC 450F, Laia will start her 10th Dakar Rally when she begins the opening 752-kilometre stage on Sunday, January 5.

• Laia Sanz will debut the new GasGas RC 450F at the 2020 Dakar Rally
• The 12-stage event covers more than 7,800km including 5,118km of timed specials
• This 42nd edition will be held in the Middle East for the first time in its history

Laia Sanz:“It is always an exciting time, just before the start of Dakar. We had already completed a lot of testing on the bike in Morocco in December, but it’s been good to see and ride the terrain here in Saudi Arabia. So far, my feeling on the bike has been very good. I think once the race has started, we will see lots of different styles of terrain, and for sure a really challenging Dakar. My first impressions here have been good, the country is very beautiful. To join GasGas for their new rally project is motivating, I’m so happy to be representing the brand here and throughout the season. As everyone knows, it’s really tough to finish the Dakar and my goal is to be inside the top 15. The level of riders is really high right now and I will need to be smart to have a good race. Last year I finished 12th and had great results during the 2019 racing season, so I hope to keep this momentum going into the 2020 Dakar. I feel ready, I’ve been training hard, I feel healthy and my goal is to earn a good result for GasGas on this new bike.” 

The most successful female competitor at the Dakar Rally, Sanz comes into the 2020 event not only hoping to extend her 100 percent finishers record but to also claim another top-15 result. The Spaniard enjoyed a strong 2019 season including an excellent seventh place at the gruelling Silk Way Rally. Now, with the full support of GasGas Factory Racing, Laia hopes to continue her impressive run of form and successfully complete her 10th Dakar with a strong result.

Following an 11-year period of being held in South America, the 42nd Dakar Rally will see competitors face a new challenge with the event moving to Saudi Arabia for the first time in its history. The Middle Eastern country will present riders with a wide variety of terrain as they cover a total distance of more than 7,800 kilometres.

Starting in the coastal city of Jeddah, the 12-stage event will first lead riders north along the coast of the Red Sea, before returning south through the Empty Quarter and finishing in Qiddiya on January 17. With 75 percent of the race ridden in sand and with expected difficult navigation promising to truly test the riders, the 2020 race looks set to be one of the toughest yet.

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