Ricky Brabec Wins Second Dakar Title

Harith Noah becomes the first Indian to win a Dakar Rally class. Hero MotoSports Team Rally become the first Indian team to get on the overall podium and Monster Energy Honda Team gets three riders among the top four of the general classification.

- Charan Karthik

THE 2024 DAKAR RALLY saw 142 riders taking the start with most calling it the "toughest edition". The prologue was a 157-kilometer-long stage that saw Tosha Schareina setting the fastest time for Monster Energy Honda Team with previous edition's winner, Kevin Benavides of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, coming in at ninth position.

Next day, Ross Branch of Hero MotoSports set a blazing time on stage one and claimed victory, giving Hero their fourth Dakar stage win and the first at this edition.

Stage two witnessed a battle between the two big teams, Monster Energy Honda Team and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, that lasted until the end. Stages two and four were won by Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo of the Monster Energy Honda Team, his chance at a hat-trick only disturbed by Kevin Benavides, the 2023 winner of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing who took stage three.