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DAKAR '25 -- Time to get our love of crazy going! - SPOILER ALERT-

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Mr Ricky Brabec, the only USA rider to win Dakar, and of course our defending champion in this race. :flag

Mr Brabec had a bad leg-break in October and is only just now recovering.

Guess I’ll hold off on mentioning results from today’s prologue stage, until Mr @budman can add a “spoilers” warning? :ride
 
Prologue results from today:

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word on the street is that Mr Sanders is super-happy with his brand new 2025 KTM Rally Factory and it’s new SOHC engine, and because he is happy with the racebike this year, compared to last year, he may be tough to beat.

we’re kinda living in a golden age of top-rider USA participation in the Dakar, with more USA riders in the top 13 than any other country. :ride
 
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I did catch a primer for this Dakar on MAV TV, last nite.
I found something labeled as Classic Dakar, older racers, two and 4 wheels, mechanic and driver solo, no support truck.
Wondering, when there will be some sort of righting equipment added, like as done on fighting robots.
Thinking about an excavator arm, that emerges from a battle truck, and pushes it upright.
 
Seems like Brabec set himself up nicely for the run. :flag
Skylar could be in an even better spot. :flag
Mason is top Kove rider. :flag
 
it's gonna bee a crazy first week ... heard on one of the Dakar podcasts that the organization may be shooting for reducing the bike class by at least 25% with stage dnfs, between the chrono stage and the marathon stage right before the first rest day--so they don't have as many people to feed the last half of the race. :laughing

but yes, starting 4th tomorrow may put Mr Brabec in the catbird seat. Mr Howes, too. edit: I didn't realize this, but the winner of the Prologue gets to choose their own starting position, tomorrow. So it will be interesting to see where Mr Sanders chooses to start in the am. Mr Cody on the Cycle News Dakar Daily podcast figures Mr Sanders may choose to start 18th or so, tomorrow. The top 10 Prologue finishers get to choose from the top 20 starting positions.

both Mr Brabec and Mr Howes are recovering from pretty bad crashes/broken legs the last couple months. the vid interview of Mr Howes, posted above, is pretty compelling, wrt his hard scrabble moto career. and Mr Mason is certainly a wild card dark horse on the new Kove.

USA Dakar riders have come a long way from when we used to send off privateer Mr Jonah Street at the SFMC back in the day. we always had it in us, with our vast desert SW riding terrain. :angel :flag
 
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Bikes out.

Question is how late can stay awake. :teeth
 


BRABEC BURSTS ONTO THE SCENE | RALLY GP​

21:17

Ricky Brabec has just blasted through km 39 with the fastest time, 11 seconds clear of the winner of the prologue, Daniel Sanders. Ross Branch and his Hero are third, 15 seconds ahead of Tosha Schareina on another Honda. Edgar Canet, fifth at 26 seconds, is the top-ranked Rally 2 rider. Nacho Cornejo, 1′58″ off the pace at km 92, is still the first man on the road and has scooped up 1′28″ in bonuses so far.
Click to expand...

:thumbup
 
Thank you for this thread!

Love Dakar rally raid racing! Been to watch and ride some in Argentina, Peru. Hard race to follow!

Met Ricky Brabec in Austin at MotoGP. Super mellow, he loved the GP scene!
 
I watched that last night before nodding off a little before 11. It was good.

Checked out a bit of the Cycle News Klim Dakar podcast too.

Maybe John is right and Sanders is loving his KTM so much he is in the zone.
Two :flag in the top 4 is sweet. Mason only a 20th is a bummer though. Go kid go!

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I’m hoping mason does well on the very attractive Kove 450, but not too bummed about his position at the moment. I want to see a clean finish on a still-functioning motorcycle.

What I am bummed about is only 1 woman in the motorcycle class. Sandra Gomez is a hard enduro badass and World Champion, and I hope she does well. I really miss following my girl crush Laia Sanz on 2 wheels. It’s not the same without her. She had a rough go of it and flipped her car over, and hopes of a good finish are diminishing already so early in the race.

One of our own has returned to Dakar 18 years after finishing in his first attempt on 2 wheels in Africa. Mike Krynock, who was Eric’s teammate on some winning WERA endurance efforts, is navigating for Taz Harvey in the #742 Nissan in the Classic class. Good luck to them!
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Mike is rocking Dakar.. awesome!!! :thumbup

He must be about 60 now.... Once a motorhead always one. :cool
 
budman said:
Mike is rocking Dakar.. awesome!!! :thumbup

He must be about 60 now.... Once a motorhead always one. :cool
Click to expand...

He just turned 64! :laughing

He was 28 in this photo, wearing his black Dunlop hat standing behind a much younger me at the bars. Eagle eyes will spot a few other racers of note!


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I just looked and there are almost 100 classics making a run at it. :wow

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Forgot he rode it in '06. :thumbup
 
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