BRABEC BRACING HIMSELF FOR ANOTHER DAKAR

One of Toby Price’s biggest rivals at the upcoming Dakar Rally will be the only American to taste victory on two wheels in the Saudi Arabian dunes, Ricky Brabec.

Brabec claimed victory in the bikes class in the 2020 edition of the famous World Rally-Raid Championship event.

However, he is searching for redemption after heavily crashing out of last year’s Dakar Rally as early as Stage 3.

Brabec told SportsBoom.com he is preparing for a comeback and is bracing himself for a tough opening week on the factory Monster Energy Honda Team bike.

“I know the first week is going to be pretty rocky,” he admitted.

Ricky Brabec has eight Dakar Rally stage wins. Image: Monster Energy Honda Team

“The second week will be easier than the first. The first week is going to be the tough navigation week for sure.”

In addition to his breakthrough victory in 2020, Brabec also came very close to winning the previous year only to see a nine-minute lead go begging on the penultimate day.

He also finished second to Kevin Benavides by just 4s in 2021, while he also collected stage wins in 2017 and 2023.

These episodes showed the Californian how tough it is to win at Dakar.

“We were winning the race with a nine-minute lead… and the second to last day, the bike kind of stopped running for me,” he recalled of 2019.

“We’ve been fairly close two times and we won it one time. So [I’m] definitely looking forward to going back and conquering this goal once again.”

Brabec then opened up on the immense challenges both rider and mechanics encounter across the gruelling fortnight in the desert.

“It’s physically demanding. You’re not a hundred percent for all the days racing because each day it takes a little bit of percentage out of you,” he said.

“You’re sleep-deprived for two weeks. You’re not eating as much as you should. “You’re burning so many calories and so much energy every day that to keep up is really tough.

“Every time we stop or when we’re done with the day, we eat as much as we can.

“But after 14 days of racing, you’re burning three times the amount of calories that you can even eat just because it’s so physically demanding. 

“You’re burning calories even though you’re not even trying to bring calories.”

Brabec also turned the spotlight to the mechanics who burn the midnight oil.

Ricky Brabec will take on the Dakar dunes for a ninth time in 2024. Image: Monster Energy Honda Team

“They’re stressed on making a good bike (and) if their bike is going to make it,” he said.

“They’re busy until midnight and then they’re awake 45 minutes before we’re awake [which] could be at 2:30 in the morning.

“So the mechanics have the toughest job. They’re hardly even sleeping.”

With 12 stages and 7,703km ahead, Brabec knows the challenges and perils coming his way either in the rolling dunes or rocky terrain and is excited to see what 2024 has in store.

“Each Dakar gives you a different experience and a different look on racing and life. It’s so gnarly and you always want to do better every year,” he said.

“You learn a lot every time you go. What to do, what not to do, what to bring, what not to bring, what you can work on, what you shouldn’t be working on – things like that.”

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 On the latest podcast, Bruce, PG and Andrew talk about their three motor racing highlights of 2023, and to balance it out… The three lowlights as well, not lowlifes Bruce!