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Monster Energy Honda HRC Team triumphs over adversity at Dakar 2021 with a 1-2

Jan 19, 2021 Dakar 021, Monster Energy Honda HRC Team


A nail-biting final day capped what has been a roller-coaster rally for the four riders from the Monster Energy Honda HRC Team powered by Motul at the 43rd edition of the Dakar – the second to be held entirely within the borders of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

 

After 12 stages and a continuous battle against challenging terrain, stricter navigational rules and a heavy fall on Stage 5 which saw Argentinean rider Kevin Benavides shatter his helmet and break his nose; undeterred, he went on to win becoming the first South American rider to lift the coveted bronze Tuareg trophy. Despite the Dakar’s strong associations with South America, no rider from that continent has previously won the Dakar. With 7 500km of difficult dunes and gravel plains under his belt, Benavides’ final margin of victory was a mere 4 minutes. In second place – after a dramatic final stage win that saw him leapfrog KTM’s Sam Sunderland in the general rankings – was his teammate, defending champion Ricky Brabec. Their historic 1-2 is the first time that Honda has occupied the two top spots on the podium since 1987 – before either Benavides or Brabec was born. 

 

“Everyone at Motul sends their warmest and sincerest congratulations to Honda and all within the HRC Team,” commented Mercia Jansen, Motul Area Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa. Honda’s dominance of the desert at this year’s Dakar was however more hard-fought than the final rankings might suggest. Ricky Brabec, who in 2020 became the first North American to win the Dakar, took an unplanned diversion early in the race and lost 25 minutes on the leaders. His two Honda teammates, Nacho Cornejo and Joan Barreda, both ultimately had to withdraw: Nacho after a crash on Stage 10, at which point he was the overall leader, while Joan also had a fall that led to navigational errors and meant that he was forced to retire after requesting medical assistance.  

 

Between them, the Honda riders notched up an impressive 10 Stage wins at this year’s Dakar and led nine of the 13 days of racing. After a relatively slow start, the Honda riders began to dominate from the fourth stage onwards and the fact that they held on for the win and second place is testament to their skill, experience and consistency as well as the mechanical strength of their Honda CRF450 Rally mounts. HRC Team General Manager Ruben Faria described the Dakar as ‘the toughest of races’ and Benavides and Brabec both had to contend with dramatic incidents that could have ended the race for each of them, had they not been able to dig deep and find what it took to carry on. 

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