the Botswanan Ross Branch wins the first stage in the motorcycle category, the Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren more than 20 minutes behind

The Hero driver signed his fourth victory on the Dakar on Saturday for his fifth participation.

After the prologue on Friday, it’s time to get down to business for this 46th edition of the Dakar. This first stage, 414 km long special, linking Alula to Al Henakiyah, was won by the Botswanan Ross Branch (Hero), Saturday January 6, who signs his fourth career stage victory on the famous rally-raid. Behind him, the Americans Ricky Brabec (Honda) and Mason Klein (Kove) are respectively 10’54” and 11’19” behind.

The Botswanan driver, who stopped to help the Spaniard Tosha Schareina (Honda), victim of a fall at kilometer 240 and evacuated by medical teams, saw his stopping time reinstated at the arrival. Ross Branch first crossed the finish line with the 16th time of the day, 16’10” behind Ricky Brabec, but was credited for the time spent with the Honda driver, thus recovering 25 minutes from the scratch final. Nice winner of this first stage with twists and turns, Ross Branch takes control of the general. Because if the event was launched on Friday with the prologue, the times are only counted at the end of this first stage.

The Spaniard Tosha Schareina, who signed his first victory on the Dakar on Friday during the prologue, was thus forced to retire. On a stony and tricky route, the first stage was also the scene of several other abandonments, starting with the Portuguese Joaquim Rodrigues, who had already had to give up during the fourth stage last year. Another notable abandonment, that of the South African Michael Docherty, provisional leader until km 318, and who fell at km 323. Suffering from a hip injury, he was airlifted to Medina hospital ( northwest of Saudi Arabia).

Mixed day for Van Beveren and the Benavides brothers

If the day started in the best way for Ross Branch, the Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren had a more difficult first stage, with a navigation problem, and quickly fell behind. At the end of this first stage, he was almost 21 minutes late on the winner of the day.

Complicated scenario also for Luciano Benavides (8th, winner of three stages on the 2023 Dakar and reigning rally-raid world champion. Although initially off to a good start on today’s special, he then fell behind, notably because of a tracking problem. His brother, Kevin Benavides, title holder, also did not have a good day (23rd), finishing more than 23 minutes behind the Botswanan.

Successful poker move for Mason Klein

Finally, the nice surprise of the day goes to the young American Mason Klein (Kove), who succeeded in his bet. The one who finished best rookie (beginner) in 2022 widened the gap throughout the special, at the end of a perfectly controlled stage. The driver, who is participating in his third Dakar, chose to start first, and take on the role of opener and thus create his mark, after his tenth place obtained during the prologue the day before.

A daring but calculated bet in order to grab as many bonuses as possible, given only to the driver who started in the lead. Objective achieved since he recovered the 6’21” bonus available, which now allows him to be in third place in the general classification.