Ricky Brabec In 2020, he made history by becoming the first American rider to win the Dakar in the motorcycle category. Unless a major disaster occurs in the short 175-kilometer special race that closes the current edition, this Friday the Honda rider will be crowned for the second time in the rally.

Today Brabec faces penultimate stage with 480km of troublesome race He experienced many ‘pitfalls’ on the way to Yanbu, without as much pressure as the days when his main rival Ross Branch (Hero) was only 1 second behind in the general classification which he had already covered in the first week of the race. The Honda ‘army’ showed outstanding teamwork on Wednesday as the American driver managed to pull away from Botswana in almost 11 minutes. It is enough for him to go calmly, but he should not let his guard down, considering that he has to open the way.

And actually Branch started the day with a very strong rhythm put pressure on him. Brabec managed this advantage perfectly, helped by more than five-minute bonuses, as he opened up the track on one of the most complex stages of the 46th Dakar race. Even if, Branch beat him at the finish line by 32 seconds and took a partial victory, increasing the difference in the overall standings to 10’22”.

There was one last obstacle left for Brabec; A short twelfth stage that doesn’t present too much difficulty but should always be considered. We must not forget last year Kevin Benavides snatched final victory from Toby Price ‘over the top’ in the last special.

The son of drivers, Ricky Brabec competed successfully in BMX for many years before switching to the off-road discipline, where he won victories in some of the most prestigious events in the United States: Baja 500, Baja 1000 and Vegas to Reno. ability Ricky He caught the attention of HRC, which invited him to participate in the Abu Dhabi Desert in 2015. Now 32, he is one of the most seasoned veterans of the Dakar, where he has proven himself through two weeks of racing. at the highest level and without errors.

stage 11 (provisional classification)

1. ROSS BRANCH (HERO) 4H 51′ 57”

2. 32” RICKY BRABEC (HONDA)

3. ADRIEN VAN BEVEREN (HONDA), 3′ 17”

4. LUCIANO BENAVIDES (HUSQVARNA), 4′ 38”

5. DANIEL SANDERS (GASGAZ), 12′ 23”

6. JOSE IGNACIO CORNEJO (HONDA), 25′ 28”

The general classification is as follows:

1. RICKY BRABEC (HONDA) 49 SA 37′ 57”

2. ROSS BRANCH (HERO) 10′ 22”

3. ADRIEN VAN BEVEREN (HONDA), 14′ 31”

4. JOSE IGNACIO CORNEJO (HONDA), 38′ 44”

5. KEVIN BENAVIDES (KTM), 41′ 19”