ters, citing weather concerns.
However, after nearly 50
motorcycle competitors failed
to make it to remote bivouacs
overnight, this adjustment will
also allow the organization and
riders/teams to catch up on
some logistics before the race
heads into the brutal Marathon
stages of four and five, Wednes
-
day and Thursday. Here, motor-
cycle competitors will not have
outside assistance fr
om teams
and are only allowed an hour
and a half to make repairs when
parked for the night. After all
that, the Dakar will finally head
into a rest day on Friday, January
10, with a lot of racing to go.
A little side note: everyone's
favorite motorsport journeyman,
He finished the Prologue in 14th
and Stage One in 20th for 18th
overall heading into the 48 Hour
Chrono. However, mechanical
gremlins saw the 23-year-old
drop a heartbreaking 5:59:42 off
the Stage's leading time, mean
-
ing he now sits 65th overall in
the standings, 6:35:57
behind
Sanders. Cycle News attempted
to contact Klein for comment
after Stage Two, but he was un-
able to be reached. Reports from
Kove
indicate an engine swap
is happening late into the night
before Stage Three begins.
Stage Three will kick off on
Tuesday, January 7, and organiz
-
ers have shortened the planned
496
kilometers of the timed spe-
cial route down to 327 kilome-
in the top Rally GP category.
There are two more Ameri-
cans competing in the 2025
Dakar,
perennial privateer Jacob
Argubright aboard an RSMoto
Honda CRF450RX Rally con-
sumer bike that you can buy,
and
Mason Klein on the Chinese
factory Kove entry.
Argubright took a sensational
14th on Stage Two to move into
19th overall, saying, "Stage Two
was a much better one for me. It
tested me mentally and physical
-
ly, but it was damn fun. It's one
of
my favorite stages I've ever
done, so bring on Stage Three."
However, for Klein, it looks like
his Kove has given up the ghost
for the second year in a row
during a 48 Hour Chrono stage.
ROUND 1 / JANUARY 3-17, 2025
BISHA TO SHUBAYTAH, SAUDI ARABIA
OFF-ROAD I FIM WORLD RALLY-RAID CHAMPIONSHIP / DAKAR RALLY
P48
W2RC number one
Ross Branch is far
from out of it yet
after Stage Two.
