The local rider is amongst more than 100 riders who will cut their festive season short to take to the deserts of Saudi Arabia in January. The world’s gruelling off-race is to start on January 3 until 17 in the Persian Gulf terrains. It is exciting news for local fans as the 2024 World Rally Raid Champion, will be the first off the blocks in this year’s Dakar Rally. After finishing second in the 2024 edition, Branch will begin his world title defence at the 2025 edition of the Dakar. He will carry number one on his Tork Craft-backed Hero MotoSports 450 Rally bike. This year’s Dakar Rally will cover almost 8, 000 kilometres including over 5, 000km of desert racing over two weeks, beginning with the prologue at Bisha in Saudi Arabia on January 3. The hard part of the race begins a day with stage one of 14 days of racing covering 12 stages including a 48-hour 950km ‘chrono’ marathon test. Dakar 2025 novelties include five stages with separate routes for cars and bikes, whilst one stage will feature a mass start. The organisers promise a tougher route with much navigation. It will be a tougher task for the local rider whose greatest asset has been his speed.
However, following several years on the saddle in the Dakar Rally, Branch has seen a massive improvement in his navigation skills. The biker has also shown a bit of maturity in his overall racing as he easily cruised to the 2024 world title in the final round held in Morocco, a race he just needed to complete to claim the season honours. The Kalahari Ferrari’s chances this season have been further boosted by the switch to car racing by his former rivals, Sam Sunderland and Toby Price. The duo has asserted themselves amongst the elites in the motorcycle category. They have racked up an impressive four Dakar Rally wins between them. Australia’s Price took the title in 2016 and 2019, with the UK’s Sunderland standing on top of the podium in 2017 and 2022. Price is also ninth on the all-time list of Dakar stage wins, with 16 to his credit. For 2025, the two Dakar legends are ringing in the change by switching from two wheels to four as they have teamed up to take on the challenging dunes of Saudi Arabia together.
They have entered the Ultimate (or T1) Class and will be driving a Toyota Hilux Overdrive T1+ powered by Motul. Meanwhile, Branch will be Botswana’s sole competitor at the Dakar Rally as the list remains at only four competitors since Vincent Crosbie’s debut in 2016. He is backed by Chilean José Ignacio Cornejo and German rider Sebastian Bühler in the Hero camp, whilst Spain’s Lorenzo Santolino and Portuguese rider Rui Goncalves, as Hero Motorsport, eyes its first Dakar title after coming second in the previous edition.
