Monster Energy Honda HRC rider Tosha Schareina gave a masterclass in the dunes to take the stage eleven victory on the Dakar Rally today and strike a massive dent into the overall standings as the penultimate stage threw up an unexpected curveball before it had even started.
The weather played an important part on the second to last day of this year’s Dakar Rally with dense fog delaying the start of the special stage at Shubaytah for three and a half hours. Due to the late start of the stage and the impact it would have upon the latter riders having to complete the end of the stage in amongst the huge dunes in the dark, the decision was made to reduce the original 308kms distance to 152kms.
Yesterday’s short special stage had played an important role in today’s strategy with many riders slowing in the final phase so as not to have to open the way today; a calculated move that could pay off today. All eyes were on Monster Energy Honda HRC’s Tosha Schareina starting in 17th, who realistically was the only rider that could reel in overall leader Daniel Sanders. Soaring across the first part of the dunes, by the 81km mark he was just two seconds shy of the provisional stage leader Luciano Benavides as he mounted his challenge to claw back as much time as he could. The Spaniard excelled in the Empty Quarter dunes and by 112km had taken over the top spot with nearly a minute in hand and more importantly six minutes up on Sanders. It was a phenomenal fightback as his strategy paid off resulting in him winning the stage and gaining a massive 7’31” on Sanders to now leave the gap between them at just nine minutes after 52 hours of racing.
Super sand surfer Adrien Van Beveren also took time out of the top two overall despite crashing a third of the way in today after a big dune jump. Luckily unhurt and with no damage to his Honda CRF450 RALLY, he has solidified his third place on the overall podium sitting just 15’15” back. This final week has seen the Frenchman shine as he fought back from a rollercoaster of a first week to podium contention on his tenth Dakar Rally.
Ricky Brabec’s plan to really grab some time back was scuppered by the shortened distance but nonetheless he brought his Honda CRF450 RALLY to the finish line in fourth, just 3’48” back from Schareina. He still occupies fifth overall with a margin of six minutes now to Luciano Benavides just ahead of him, however as a two-time Dakar champion he’ll keep fighting to the final finish line.
Also slightly disappointed to not be able to make up some overall time was Skyler Howes, who was the third Rally GP rider off the line today. After what has been a gruelling rally for the moustached American, he made sure to enjoy himself in the limitless dunes of the Empty Quarter as he strengthened his sixth place overall.
With the riders back at the Shubaytah bivouac they’ll rest up before tomorrow’s final day of racing where stage 12 will offer up a spectacular feast for the eyes with a mass start. The bikers will set off in waves of 15 in the reverse order of the general standings, so all of Monster Energy Honda HRC will ride out together with just 61km of special stage across the desert lying between them and the finish line at the bivouac as the curtain falls on this formidable edition of the Dakar Rally.
Ruben Faria
General Manager
It was again an intense stage although it was not the one we expected. We had planned a strategy for the start of today based on the stage being more than 300km, but due to the fog and the delayed start, it was too long a distance based on the time the riders eventually set off. It was supposed to be at 7.00 but they didn’t get going until 10.30. It was a long stage, around six hours for the riders, with no water either at the start line. The stage was reduced to 152km with the finish at the refuelling zone.
Tosha started twelve minutes behind Daniel Sanders and he reduced quite a bit of the time deficit overall, almost seven minutes. He did a good job and won the stage but it was not enough to recover more time. In the overall nothing has changed, Tosha is second, much closer to Daniel but it will be difficult tomorrow to gain back even more time on the mass start, when all our riders will start together in the last wave.
Adrien is in a good position with his third place and will plan on keeping Luciano Benavides behind him so he can finish on the podium. Ricky is fifth and Skyler sixth, so it’s really good that we have four riders in the top six of this year’s Dakar Rally.
The race is not finished just yet, tomorrow we have more action to come on the last stage. If everything runs as normal it will be really difficult to change the result, but we will try, we’re here to win.
Ricky Brabec 9
Stage: 4th Overall: 5th
Day 11, one more day to go. I’m happy to be here, it’s been an eventful Dakar, a lot of ups and a lot of downs, but overall I’m happy with the team and my riding. Today was all sand dunes so we did what we could and looking at the results now I probably shouldn’t have stopped yesterday, but it’s the Dakar and I was trying everything I could to make a final push today. It’s not over yet as we have a special tomorrow, so we’ll see what happens. Overall though I’m happy to get a finish at another Dakar, this is my tenth one so we’ll keep fighting.
Skyler Howes 10
Stage: 8th Overall: 6th
Today was a shortened day but we still had a long day out there. We woke up at 4 o’clock in the morning to go and sit out at the start of the special and due to the fog we had a really long delay. I couldn’t see anything on the liaison this morning, it was crazy. We had dunes in what we call chotts which is kind of like a lake bed, but it was only 150km that we had to ride today, so more or less there was nothing that I could do to gain any time. I rode normal, took it nice and slow, had some fun, threw some no-footers for the helicopter and just had a good time. I got into the refuelling zone which was the finish and that was it, end of the day. Now all we have to do is 61km in a mass start tomorrow, so we’re all going to ride around in a big group and that’ll be the end of it.
Adrien Van Beveren 42
Stage: 3rd Overall: 3rd
The stage was cut in half, I was a bit frustrated for that as I wanted to go for the whole stage. I was pushing a lot, I think at 50km into the stage I jumped a really big dune. I played one joker as we say and I had a big crash but luckily the airbag went off, I was completely OK. I’m really happy to arrive here, now the mechanics are checking the bike and I’m ready to finish the best way tomorrow.
Tosha Schareina 68
Stage: 1st Overall: 2nd
It was not easy the 150km of dunes as it was really really soft in some parts and so tricky. It was really hard for me, I was so exhausted just 20km into the special, then I realised that we had 130km more to race. I’m happy for the win today and to get to the finish line.
Rally GP Result – Stage 11
Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Time/Gap
1 Schareina Tosha 68 SPA Monster Energy Honda HRC 02:12:04
2 Benavides Luciano 1 ARG KTM Factory Racing Team + 00:33
3 Van Beveren Adrien 42 FRA Monster Energy Honda HRC + 00:57
4 Brabec Ricky 9 USA Monster Energy Honda HRC + 03:48
5 Cornejo Florimo José Ignacio 11 CHI Hero Motorsports Team Rally + 06:02
6 Sanders Daniel AUS KTM Factory Racing Team + 07:31
7 Svitko Stefan 142 SLO Slovnaft Rally Team + 12:10
8 Howes Skyler 10 USA Monster Energy Honda HRC + 12:44
9 Gonçalves Rui 19 POR Sherco TVS Rally Factory + 13:32
10 Santolino Lorenzo 15 SPA Sherco TVS Rally Factory + 20:00
Rally GP Provisional Standings After Stage 11
Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Time/Gap
1 Sanders Daniel AUS KTM Factory Racing Team 52:13:34
2 Schareina Tosha 68 SPA Monster Energy Honda HRC + 09:00
3 Van Beveren Adrien 42 FRA Monster Energy Honda HRC + 15:50
4 Benavides Luciano 1 ARG KTM Factory Racing Team + 22:16
5 Brabec Ricky 9 USA Monster Energy Honda HRC + 28:35
6 Howes Skyler 10 USA Monster Energy Honda HRC + 41:29
7 Cornejo Florimo José Ignacio 11 CHI Hero Motorsports Team Rally + 56:59
8 Svitko Stefan 142 SLO Slovnaft Rally Team + 02:14:46
9 Gonçalves Rui 19 POR Sherco TVS Rally Factory + 02:49:49
10 Santolino Lorenzo 15 SPA Sherco TVS Rally Factory + 04:04:51
