Dakar Rally 2023: Ricky Brabec Of Monster Energy Honda Bags Stage Win & Lead

With rider Ricky Brabec taking the lead and winning the race, the Monster Energy Honda Team is off to a strong start in the New Year. The first special stage of the 2023 Dakar Rally featured 360 kilometers of action across stony and sandy terrain, culminating in a start point and arriving at the Sea Camp bivouac, which is adjacent to Yanbu (South Arabia). On the day when all team riders were in the spotlight, American Ricky Brabec claimed the stage victory.

As a result, Brabec—the Dakar champion for 2020—moves up to the top of the standings. In this first stage, Jose Ignacio Cornejo—who had the challenging task of opening the stage—finished in 10th place, followed by Chilean competitors Pablo Quintanilla and Adrien Van Beveren in seventh and ninth, respectively.

The Dakar Rally's second stage will depart from the Sea Camp and head toward Al-Ula. Riders will experience mostly dirt tracks (59%), stones (26%), and only a tiny bit of sand (14% sand tracks and 1% dunes) on this particular stage's 430 kilometers of closed tracks, which will need excellent handling skills.

In addition to this competition section, there are 159 kilometers of liaison. Navigation will be essential as participants approach the magnificent canyons and picturesque surroundings close to the finish. The ASO organization claims that the dunes will serve as the stage, with some of the magnificent Nabataean temples visible in the background.

According to Ricky Brabec, goal one was not to open the stage. After today, I feel fairly confident, but I'll strive to move forward each day, keep up, and remain in the Top 10. It will be challenging to lose the lead, as we saw today, but we must wait until the rest day to see how things carry out. It was a nice and stress-free day!

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