2021 Dakar Rally Motorcycle Results
Sean Finley | January 2, 2021
2021 Dakar Rally Motorcycle Results—Prologue Day
Defending Dakar Champion Ricky Brabec took the top spot in the first timed stage during the 2021 Dakar Rally, ending the Prologue Day six seconds clear of Monster Energy Honda Team 2021 teammate Joan Barreda.
The stage was only 11 km (6.8 miles), yet Brabec made his intentions of being the first American back-to-back Dakar winner crystal clear by crossing the finishing line with a time of 6m01s. Dakar debutant, Australian Daniel Sanders (KTM Factory Team), impressed everyone by posting the third-fastest time, 13 seconds behind Brabec.
“Today was good. Pretty short – just a 10-kilometer prologue. Nothing to really lose or nothing to gain. Just enough to shake the bugs out of the bike and the body,” Brabec said. “We’re now ready for the actual start. Tomorrow we start nice and early. We came away with first and second place in the prologue for me and Joan. So tomorrow Joan and I will open the way and hopefully, it will go well. It’s a long race but I think strategy will start to play in, but as of now, it’s time to get lunch, get the gear off, and time to focus.”
Fourth for the Prologue Day went to Ross Branch (Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team), the rider who sensationally won a stage on the 2020 Dakar to become the first stage winner from his country of Botswana. Fifth was Sebastian Bühler, the German/Portuguese Hero Motosports Team Rally pilot ending the stage 16 seconds off Brabec.
Rounding out the top 10 was Andrew Short (Monster Energy Yamaha, +17 seconds to Brabec), Kevin Benavides (Monster Energy Honda Team 2021, +20 seconds to Brabec), Pablo Quintanilla (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, +22 seconds to Brabec), two-time winner Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, +22 seconds to Brabec), and Joaquim Rodrigues (Hero Motosports Team Rally, +23 seconds to Brabec).
The remaining American in the 2021 Dakar Rally, Skyler Howes (BAS Dakar KTM Racing Team) was 13th, 27 seconds from Brabec.
2021 Dakar Rally Motorcycle Results—Prologue Day (top five)
| 1 | Ricky Brabec | Hon | 06m01s |
| 2 | Joan Barreda | Hon | +06s |
| 3 | Daniel Sanders | KTM | +13s |
| 4 | Ross Branch | Yam | +14s |
| 5 | Sebastian Bühler | Her | +16s |
Full stage and general ranking results can be found here
Get daily updates on the 2021 Dakar Rally Motorcycle Results and News. After a ten-kilometer prologue on January 2nd, 2021 Dakar Rally runs from January 3rd to January 15th in Saudi Arabia with twelve stages.
2021 Dakar Rally Motorcycle Previews
Ricky Brabec became the first American to win the prestigious Dakar Rally in 2020. The HRC Honda factory rider came back from a bitter disappointment of losing the 2019 Dakar Rally due to a mechanical issue on the eighth stage of the ten-stage race while holding a significant lead. Monster Energy released the video below recapping Brabec’s climb to the top of the Dakar.
The Dakar organizers provided this excellent video outlining all the details on the 2021 Dakar Rally. For the second time, the Dakar Rally will take place in Saudi Arabia and the racers will cover 4,767 kilometers of special test and over 7,600 total kilometers of race course in total. The competitors will complete a short ten-kilometer prologue on January 2nd. Stage one will take place on January 3rd and they will complete twelve stages wrapping up on January 15th. Check out the educational video below.
Looking for the top riders to watch in 2021, check out the preview articles from several of the top teams below:
Monster Energy Honda 2021 Dakar Team.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 2021 Dakar Rally Preview.
Visit the Dakar Rally site here.
You can get all the latest Rally Racing news and information from Cycle News here.