At the age of sixty-one, veteran Spanish driver Carlos Sainz became the oldest victor of the Dakar Rally after winning the demanding event four times. In Thursday’s penultimate stage, the nearest competitor, Sebastien Loeb, became stuck in the desert for more than an hour, almost guaranteeing the two-time world rally champion victory.
Prior to this, American Ricky Brabec had won thrice in the motorcycling division. The 12th stage ended with the 32-year-old Honda rider leading by 10 minutes, 53 seconds over Ross Branch on a Hero in Botswana. Third place went to Adrien van Beveren, a 33-year-old Frenchman who achieved his first podium result in the rally. Even though Brabec became the first American to win the title in 2020, he was just as thrilled about doubling his total.