Stage 1 - Dakar 2025 sees Brabec & Branch on the podium
Two-time Dakar Rally champion Brabec takes 2nd on Stage 1, Branch 3rd, while Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally teammates Howes & Schareina go 4-5!
Stage 1 of the 2025 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship’s legendary Dakar Rally featured two Monster Energy-backed racers – defending Dakar champion Ricky Brabec (Honda HRC Rally) and defending WRRC series champion Ross Branch (Hero Motosports) – grab the No. 2 and No. 3 positions, respectively, behind Saturday’s stage winner Daniel Sanders (KTM).
Rounding out the top five positions in the tricky/technical Bisha to Bisha stage were Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally teammates Skyler Howes (4th) and Tosha Schareina (5th).
Stage 1 also took out its first Monster Energy-backed racer of the ’25 Dakar Rally as Hero Motosports’ Sebastian Buhler wadded up his Hero 450 Rally at the 68 km mark and was unable to complete the race. More on that below.
Looking ahead, Sunday’s Stage 2 will morph into Monday’s Stage 3 in the second installment of what Dakar official call the “48 Hour Chrono.” Also, more on that below.
Overall after the Prologue and Stage 1, Brabec and Howes sit in 2nd and 3rd positions, followed in the top ten by Howes (4th), Schareina (5th), Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally teammates Pablo Quintanilla and Adrien Van Beveren in 7th and 8th positions, with Hero Motosports/Fueled by Monster Energy’s Jose “Nacho” Cornejo in 9th.
Said Brabec: “Stage 1, Dakar Rally’s in the books. Really happy with the result. It was a really physical day and, like I said, I’m happy with the result and looking forward to the Chrono stage. Definitely a little more difficult than I was expecting. Lots of vegetation with thorns. Battled dust all day. Looking forward to a difficult week here, beginning tomorrow with the Chrono stage. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Said Branch: “Today was good. Super long stage. Lots of bushes and pretty tight in some places. But all in all I enjoyed it. Difficult to make up time with so much dust. But I’m good. Bike’s good. And looking forward to tomorrow.
Said Howes: “Stage 1 was difficult. Not only the course, but it was super, super dusty. And with the bushes, which are made out of steel and have spikes on them … the body is pretty wrecked.” After stopping to lend assistance to fallen Hero Motosports/Fueled by Monster Energy racer Sebastian Buhler, Howes picked back up and joined the race. “After that I hopped back on the trail, just behind my teammate Ricky (Brabec). He had a super high pace going, did a really good job at pushing the pace also with tricky navigation. I pretty much just latched on with him, rode with him all day. Bit of a navigation mistake there in the last 40 kilometers, lost a couple minutes. For me it was more or less a good stage. To come back and have a good result was important. I also puts us in a really good position for the Chrono stage tomorrow.”
Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally): “Tough day for me. Not the best birthday gift I give myself. I crashed at kilometer 15. Didn’t see the turn and went into the bushes. But no pain. Didn’t hurt myself. I just stood the bike up and went again. I was then in the dust for the rest of the way, but I understand that most of us had trouble with the dust. And then my roadbook stopped working, so I was unable to push the button and change the roadbook notes. I had to do it manually, by hand, which made it hard for me to catch a good rhythm. But yeah, this is part of Dakar, you know?”
Stage 1 Notes:
- The reigning Dakar champion (Brabec), the overall WRRC champion (Branch) and Friday’s Prologue winner, Daniel Sanders (KTM), made up Saturday’s overall Stage 1 podium. Added Branch: “It was a long, tough one. If that’s the first stage for Dakar, it’s going to be a long Dakar.”
- Dakar race officials set a very jagged course in terms of turns and flow, which Brabec pointed out on WRRC’s Stage 1 Highlights on YouTube: “You couldn’t really find a smooth rhythm. You were always making 90-degree quick corners.”
- Brabec (Honda), Branch (Hero) and Sanders (KTM) makes for some good parity in the motorcycle class with three different manufacturers holding the top three positions so far.
- Tough news for Hero Motosports, fueled by Monster Energy’s Sebastian Buhler, who crashed out at Kilometer 68 and suffered a reported broken collarbone. “In the braking zone I hit a rock,” said Buher, showing team officials a photo of the giant rock that was partially hidden in the sand. “It kicked the rear end over the bars. The crash was not a big crash, but yeah, I feel the pain in the collarbone and it hurt too much to continue.”
- Stopping to lend assistance to Buhler was Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally’s Skyler Howes. Howes, who suffered a gnarly get-off himself earlier this year racing WRRC, was all over it when he came across the fallen Buhler. “Yeah, it was around Kilometer 65 I stopped for Sebastian Buhler, spent a few minutes on the side of the trail with him, until the helicopter got there.”
- Quick shout out the Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally’s Adrien Van Beveren who was not only racing today, but also celebrating a birthday. Happy Birthday, AVB, from everyone at Monster Energy!
- Sunday-to-Monday’s 48 Hour Chrono Stage 2 from Bisha to Bisha, which was introduced in 2024, the ‘Chrono’ combines the challenges of endurance and performance – some 1,000 km through the desert in 48 hours. So after Sunday’s start, racers will try and chew up all the distance they can, then make a required (overnight) stop at one of six rest areas.
- More Chrono 48H… Monster Energy’s racers will “Enjoy the experience of camping under the starry skies and share a spartan dinner with direct rivals,” according to Dakar officials. Racers are up at dawn the next morning and battle to the finish (in Bisha) on Monday.
Monster Energy Dakar Stage 1 Motorcycle Results
Place/Name/Team/Time
2nd – Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy/Honda)
4:43:31 (- minus 00:02:04)
3rd – Ross Branch (Hero/Monster Energy)
4:43:53 (- minus 00:02:26)
5th – Skyler Howes (Monster Energy/Honda)
4:45:34 (- minus 00:04:07)
Monster Energy Dakar Motorcycle Standings (after Stage 1)
Place/Name/Team/Time
2nd – Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy/Honda)
5:00:40 (- minus 00:02:22)
3rd – Ross Branch (Hero/Monster Energy)
5:00:56 (- minus 00:02:38)
4th – Skyler Howes (Monster Energy/Honda)
5:03:17 (- minus 00:04:59)
5th – Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy/Honda)
5:03:25 (- minus 00:05:07)
Monster Energy Dakar SSV Class
Stage 1 SSV Results
15th – Sara Price (Can-Am Factory Team)
6:10:14 (- minus 1:17:31)
Overall
15th – Sara Price (Can-Am Factory Team)
6:10:14 (- minus 1:17:31)
Up next…
The 2025 Dakar Rally’s Stage 2 from Bisha to Bisha again features what’s known as a “48 Hour Chrono.” Introduced in 2024, the ‘Chrono’ combines the challenges of endurance and performance – some 1,000 km through the desert in 48 hours. So after Sunday’s start, racers will try and chew up all the distance they can, then make a required (overnight) stop at one of six rest areas. Monster Energy’s racers will “Enjoy the experience of camping under the starry skies and share a spartan dinner with direct rivals,” according to Dakar officials. Racers are up at dawn the next morning and battle to the finish (in Bisha) on Monday. For more information, including “Live” timing and scoring, visit www.dakar.com
