2021 Dakar Rally | Stage Eleven Report & Highlights

January 14, 2021

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2021 DAKAR RALLY | COMPLETE COVERAGE

PHOTOS | HONDA-KTM-HUSQVARNA-YAMAHA-RALLY ZONE

Nearly two weeks of racing at the 2021 Dakar Rally has taken a toll on the field, as the list of potential winners has dwindled to just three. The endurance test continued with the penultimate Stage Eleven, a long route from AlUla to Yanbu that was a mix of mountains-canyons-dunes.

STAGE ELEVEN

With Kevin Benavides in the top spot and Ricky Brabec ranked third in General Timing, the Monster Energy Honda Team is in line to take back-to-back wins in Dakar. The duo stayed near the front in Stage Eleven, Benavides being the third-fastest rider on the day and Brabec the sixth-fastest, but it wasn’t a perfect day in the desert for the red riders. Benavides and Brabec were both challenged by the difficult route, and the issues gave others in the field a much-needed opportunity to cut into their overall lead. While those two Honda riders raced for the win, teammate Joan Barreda was forced to drop out due to ongoing physical-mental effects caused by a crash that happened a few days prior.

Sam Sunderland and Pablo Quintanilla took full advantage of Honda’s misfortune. Red Bull KTM Rally’s Sunderland put in a blistering performance over the rocky flats and dunes, which earned Sunderland the Stage win, chopped five-minutes off of Benavides’ overall lead, and moved into second place in General Timing. Quintanilla finally got comfortable on his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing bike and was the second-fastest rider on the Stage, a personal high point for him in this year’s race.

Three racers have a realistic chance at the overall win as they make the final run to Jeddah.