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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1514840
625-kilometer stage route over two days. "After the last years and the difficulties I had—the crashes, all of that—overall, to be on the podium, finally on the podium of the Dakar, it tastes really good," Van Beveren said. "I've been fighting until the end. We've finished third, but we were in the fight for victory. We are closer than ever to the dream. To step onto the podium is a step to - wards my dream of victory." and I'm so thrilled to be here. Finishing on the podium was always the goal, and today it's a dream come true. I'm really over the moon to achieve this goal for Hero. And a big thank you to the team for developing a highly competitive machine, for the sleepless three weeks here, and for everything they've sacrificed to reach this point. We've got some more work to do to be on the next step, so we'll look for- ward to that in the next year." Third in the 2024 Dakar incredibly marked the first time in nine attempts that Monster Energy Yamaha's Adrien Van Beveren stood on the podium. The French sand ace had an excellent rally, taking two stage wins including the grueling 48 Hour Chrono event in which rid- ers had to stop at one of seven basic bivouacs along a massive he becomes the first African man to stand on the podium since Alfie Cox in 2005. Branch was a revelation in 2024, the former factory Ya- maha pilot leading the rally for the first week and finishing with two stage wins, although navi- gational issues cost Branch in the later stages of the event as Brabec gradually forged ahead. Regardless, Branch—the only Hero rider left in the race after teammates Joan Barreda retired with a mechanical failure and Sebastian Buhler and Joaquim Rodrigues both crashed out early in the rally—would finish just 10 minutes and 53 seconds behind Brabec after a tortur- ous 51 hours, 30 minutes and 8 seconds of timed racing. "I finally finished the Dakar!" Branch said on the podium. "It was a really tough Dakar 2024, ROUND 1 / JANUARY 5-19, 2024 DAKAR RALLY / YANBU, SAUDI ARABIA OFF-ROAD I FIM WORLD RALLY-RAID CHAMPIONSHIP P76 (Top left) Mason Klein's Kove move was surprising but didn't yield the fairytale ending he hoped for. (Above) Ross Branch and the Hero were heroic in Dakar 2024, sealing a first podium for both team and rider in second. (Top right) Nacho Cornejo tied as the rider with the most stage wins with Kevin Benavides, but couldn't stop the rampaging Brabec. (Right) Adrien Van Beveren rides through the dust of Stage 8.