The most grueling race one earth has concluded for its 2021 edition and in the two-wheeler category, Kevin Benavides, astride his Monster Energy Honda team, has emerged victorious after round 12. Ricky Brabec, his team-mate, accompanied him on the podium in second place.
It was an intense, yet intriguing 202-kilometre special stage, which brought down the curtain on the Dakar Rally on the shores of the Red Sea. And it could not have been a happier one for the elated Monster Energy Honda Team riders: who have won the 2021 Rally Dakar!
Kevin Benavides has clinched the 2021 Dakar crown with team-mate Ricky Brabec finishing runner-up. This marks a first title for the Argentinean Monster Energy Honda Team rider and, once again, a historic result for Honda, who dominated throughout the 2021 Dakar. Over twelve tough days, Monster Energy Honda Team commanded the rally, accomplishing the final mission for a second successive year.
Prior to the final stage, Ricky Brabec was third overall while Kevin was at the top of the table. In the penultimate stage of the Dakar, the longest special of the event, as had been expected, caused some major shake-ups in the overall rankings. The originally planned 511-kilometre special stage was trimmed down to 464 kilometres due to route modifications. Rains had left the pistes in extremely poor condition causing race authorities to annul the most affected sections, citing safety reasons. There was, nevertheless, some complicated navigation to deal with on a route over all kinds of terrain: hard rock-filled tracks, dunes, sand and even a downpour of rain to welcome the riders upon arrival at the new Yanbu bivouac.