Ross Branch wins stage 1 of the 2024 Dakar Rally
Rider Ross Branch wins stage 1 of the 2024 Dakar Rally, in a day marked by several crashes, including that of Tosha Schareina.
Today stage 1 of the 2024 Dakar Rally was run, between ALULA > AL HENAKIYAH, a long 414-kilometre special that from the very start posed real difficulties for the riders and teams of the Dakar.
Leaving Alula, the slalom section between the canyons was run on sand, but the terrain quickly became more technical. Several riders fell victim to the rocks, among them the prologue winner Tosha Schareina, who was among the favourites on his bike, but not today’s winner Ross Branch.
Rider Ross Branch, who ultimately set the best time, for the fourth time in his Dakar career, has managed to extend his lead over the 2020 Dakar winner, Ricky Brabec, by almost 12 minutes, as well as over Mason Klein, who was impressively bold in opting to “open the trail” and stay alone at the front for the entire special.
Branch was not awarded the stage victory until they had counted the time he spent stopped helping Tosha Schareina. The young HRC rider suffered a very heavy crash at kilometre 240 and broke his arm, so he had to withdraw from this edition, but while the medical services were on their way, Branch stayed to attend to him.
So after recovering the 25 minutes, Branch snatched the victory from Brabec’s rider. Branch set the best time, 10’54” ahead of Brabec and 11’19” ahead of Mason Klein. The top 10 was completed by Cox 4th, Cornejo 5th, Dumontier 6th, Santolino 7th, K. Benavides 8th, Sanders 9th and Michek 10th. The rest of the Spanish riders finished Barreda 13th, Martín 39th, Subirats 42nd, Vega 52nd, Vingut 67th, Rojo 72nd, Falcón 76th, Martí 85th, Conde 94th, Amat 95th, Iglesias 107th, Llibre 119th, Campos 120th, Al-lal 124th, Garrido 127th, Pes 131st.
On to stage 2.
