Summarize

Dakar 2024’s shorter than usual Stage 10 proved a thrilling affair on the 371 km loop over dirt tracks and a little sand  around Al’Ula, as the overall leaders diced for the dy lead throughout. But it was Ricky Brabec who was ahead when it mattered, as he further opened his lead over Ross Branch.

Multiple former South African champion, Botswana hero Branch was quick out the box aboard his Hero, running second to KTM Privateer Martin Michek and ahead of 2023 winner Luciano Benavides’ Husqvarna. Unusually, current South African champion Bradley Cox KTM followed ahead of a line of Rally 2 riders, with Daniel Sanders’ GasGas tenth, and overall leader Brabec 16th on his Honda.

The order returned to more or less normality as Branch led Michek, Benavides, Brabec and his Honda teammate Jose Florimo, and Cox at the second waypoint. Overall leader Brabec was however on the move and into the lead by mid distance, ahead of Indian Rally 2 rider Harith Noah and Branch, a minute and 17 behind, as Cox slipped back.

Brabec kept the pressure on through the next few waypoints to take the stage and benefit a 2 minute 20 bonus for his unfavourable second starting position. Branch meanwhile slipped back to end up three and a quarter seconds off Brabec in seventh. Jose Florimo and Adrien van Beveren made it a Honda 1-2-3 from Daniel Sanders’ GasGas, R2 winner Noah, Luciano Benavides, and Branch.

It was a crucial stage win for Brabec, who now leads Branch by 9 minutes 7 seconds. Van Beveren is less than three minutes behind Branch in third, with Florimo and KTM man Kevin Benavides and Toby Price in the top six. Bradley Cox slipped to sixteenth but remains 14th overall and fourth in Rally 2. Compatriot Charan Moore ended 32nd overall and provisionally lies 28th, Zimbabwe’s Ash Thixton was in 39th, Roland Venter 61st and Stuart Gregory 74th.

Ross Branch, who has a favourable starting position over his rival, has one more chance to steal the win from Ricky Brabec on Dakar 2024’s 480 km sting in the tail across more sandy dirt tracks to Yanbu, before Friday’s final 175 km loop to the finish there. Your Daily Dakar Bike Report is powered by Tork Craft tools