Here he is, the almost certain winner of the 2024 Dakar Rally: Ricky Brabec. The Honda rider was super excited to finish another stage of the competition in great shape, after finishing second. He now has over 10 minutes difference over Ross Branch, and considered this to be his best performance so far.
Right after the end of the stage – when it comes to final and defined results – Brabec spoke about his day and how he relied on his teammates’ help to achieve the best possible result: ‘It’s almost there. I started the day all alone and was waiting for my teammate [José Ignacio] Nacho [Cornejo] to catch up with me, but unfortunately he had a little problem. Then I was waiting for my teammate Adrien [Van Beveren] to gain some bonus time. I know Ross [Branch] is pushing hard today and I don’t know the stage results so far, but I have the feeling that tomorrow it will be me, Adrien, and Ross as the top three’.
So far, Brabec considers this to be his best performance in the competition: ‘We’ll see what happens, but there’s still one stage left. I would say it was my best rally performance. In the last 100 km, I went very slow just to get here and wait for my teammate, but today I didn’t make any mistakes. I kept my head down and made it to the finish line. The first goal in Dakar is always to reach the rest day. Obviously, we have to do it day by day, so the first goal is essentially to do it day by day, but after we pass the first day, we say, “I want to pass the second day,” and then we want to reach the rest day’.
El piloto de Honda destacó el gran esfuerzo que supone participar en una competencia de este tipo: ‘Cuando llegas al día de descanso, el siguiente objetivo es llegar al final. Si terminamos el Dakar, es una victoria. El Dakar es duro, no es fácil, especialmente para las motos, porque nos levantamos a las tres de la mañana y andamos toda la mañana, andamos todo el día y regresamos tarde al campamento. Pero terminar el Dakar es una victoria para mí y si logramos ganar el Dakar, es legendario. Volveremos al campamento, hablaremos con el equipo y continuaremos mañana’.
Y concluyó: ‘Hay tantos arbustos afuera, no hay ninguno aquí en el video, pero estos arbustos tienen espinas muy largas, como garras de gato. Agarré uno aquí mismo en el primer día y tuve que ir al equipo médico para que me lo cortaran del brazo, pero las espinas llegan y nos agarran muy fácilmente. No tener una camiseta rasgada al final del Dakar es difícil, no se pueden evitar los arbustos’.
