Brabec takes win in Dakar Rally stage 10 as Cornejo crashed and lost time 13.01.2021: DAKAR RALLY 2021 Stage 10 from Neom to AlUla Wednesday 13 January at the start 72 bikes 13 quads 54 cars 55 lightweights

DAKAR RALLY 2021
Stage 10 from Neom to AlUla
Wednesday 13 January



at the start
72 bikes
13 quads
54 cars
55 lightweights
36 trucks


2:54 Brabec takes the spoils!

Ricky Brabec is the winner of stage 10. The American took the reins at km 126 and never looked back despite having to open the way after overtaking Nacho Cornejo. It's his third win of the year (including the prologue) and his sixth overall!




12:47 Brabec done for the day

Ricky Brabec has wrapped up the stage and will very likely take his second win of the year. Joan Barreda will have to settle for second, while Kevin Benavides, Matthias Walkner and Skyler Howes fight for third place.



12:22 Cornejo losing ten minutes to Brabec

Defending champion Ricky Brabec is still going strong at km 285, leading Joan Barreda by 2'30' and Matthias Walkner by over five minutes. Meanwhile, Nacho Cornejo is losing 10'41' after his crash, which is still not enough to topple the Chilean rider from the overall lead.




11:57 Brabec still ahead

Ricky Brabec is still in control with just over 100 km to go, one minute ahead of Nacho Cornejo, who crashed a few kilometres after the checkpoint. Joan Barreda lost an extra three seconds to Brabec compared with the previous checkpoint, while Kevin Benavides is still stuck in the doldrums at over five minutes back.



11:46 Cornejo crashes!

Nacho Cornejo has crashed at km 252. The overall leader has emerged unscathed and is now back on the move.





11:13 KTMs losing ground

Skyler Howes, sitting in fourth place, remains the top KTM man in the provisional standings at km 204. However, the American is just under four minutes behind the leader. Matthias Walkner is 4'04' back, while Daniel Sanders is 5'23' adrift and Sam Sunderland is losing over eight minutes!



10:58 200 km under the belt

The bikers are really going like a bat out of hell today! Some of them have already reached the 200 km mark. Ricky Brabec is still in the lead, 36″ ahead of Nacho Cornejo and 1′42″ ahead of Joan Barreda, who has faded a bit. Kevin Benavides is struggling again at 4′54″ behind the leader.



10:27 Benavides slowly climbing back into contention

After losing almost five minutes at the second time check, Kevin Benavides is now 3'50' behind Ricky Brabec at km 162. Overall leader Nacho Cornejo is conceding just under a minute to his teammate. It's no holds barred in the Honda Clan!





10:09 Brabec strikes back in the mountains

The motorbikes have just started the hilly part of today's special. Ricky Brabec has moved back into the lead at km 126 by 30' over Nacho Cornejo as Joan Barreda trails by over a minute. Kevin Benavides, opening the way today, has been overtaken by Brabec and is now almost 4'30' behind the American in the provisional classification.



09:52 Barreda goes on the attack

Nacho Cornejo has taken over the lead at the second time check by just 37' over Joan Barreda and 49' over Ricky Brabec. Honda are dominating the race so far with the notable exception of Kevin Benavides, who has slipped to ninth place at 4'51'!




09:38 Benavides haemorrhaging time!

Kevin Benavides is losing almost five minutes to new leader Nacho Cornejo at km 90. The Chilean is leading his HRC teammates Joan Barreda and Ricky Brabec, while Matthias Walkner is about a minute and a half back. The pressure is mounting for Benavides!



09:17 Walkner, Sanders and Sunderland two minutes back

Matthias Walkner, rookie Daniel Sanders and Sam Sunderland are already losing almost two minutes to Kevin Benavides after 40 kilometres. A cautious start for the KTM trio!




09:12 Howes third

Kevin Benavides still leads at WP1, ahead of Ricky Brabec, but Skyler Howes has now risen to third place at 23'. Joan Barreda is running in fourth place, while Nacho Cornejo is fifth at just 38' back.



08:51 Benavides in the lead

The first biker out of the starting blocks, Kevin Benavides, leads the stage by 16″ over Ricky Brabec and 30″ over Joan Barreda, who hurt his leg in a crash yesterday. Only seven bikers have gone through WP1 so far.




08:20 Van Beveren, The Last of the Yamaha-cans

Adrien Van Beveren is the only remaining factory Yamaha biker in the race after Ross Branch was knocked out by a mechanical yesterday. The Frenchman finished the stage fifth, which could have been his best performance so far, but he was handed down a 15-minute penalty after the special. He is now 11th overall at 1 h 17 back.




08:15 Gyenes gains time on Gelažninkas

Reigning champion Emanuel Gyenes won the previous stage in the Original by Motul category for bikers racing without assistance, clawing almost 20 minutes back from Arūnas Gelažninkas in the process. However, the Lithuanian is still almost 45 minutes ahead in the general classification. Gelažninkas will be seeking to consolidate his position with three stages to go…




08:10 It's over for Jugla and Bispo

Stage 9 was the end of the road for Sara Jugla and Pascal Bispo. After being relegated to the 'Dakar Experience' on Friday, the two bikers saw the writing on the wall 265 km into the loop stage around Neom. Jugla and Bispo gritted their teeth to keep going despite their difficulties and crashes, but fatigue overwhelmed them in the end. The smart money says they'll be back!




08:03 Benavides takes the start

Kevin Benavides was the first biker to start the tenth special. The Argentinian is sitting in second place overall, 11′24″ behind Nacho Cornejo. Will he manage to overcome the challenge of opening the way and narrow down that deficit?




07:30 Cornejo opens up a slight gap

Yesterday, Nacho Cornejo demonstrated his navigational talent. Although he had to open the way for his rivals, he only conceded 1’34’’ to stage winner Kevin Benavides and finished on the day’s podium. In the absence of the injured Toby Price and Xavier De Soultrait or Ross Branch, who exited the race due to a broken engine, Cornejo could take advantage of starting behind Kevin Benavides and Ricky Brabec to increase his lead in the general standings…




07:20 From sea to mountains

After a route on the shores of the Red Sea, the mountains await the competitors on the tenth special of the 43rd Dakar. Several sandy tracks will allow the riders and drivers to quicken the pace, but they will have to be careful not to get lost: a navigation error could cost them dearly and, with only two days left by the end of the day before the finish Jeddah, every minute will be count.

- ASO  photo Honda RallyZone