Jesse Ziegler | January 14, 2023
The 2023 Dakar Rally is quickly approaching and you know what that means; it’s 2023 KLIM Dakar Rally Daily Podcast time! Hosts Jesse Ziegler and Quinn Cody are already deep into the pre-race interviews and have big plans to up their content game in 2023 with even more direct contact with the world’s top factory rally racers on-the-ground in Saudi Arabia. Here’s a note from the hosts;
The KLIM Dakar Rally Daily podcast is heard all over the world. What started out as a somewhat irresponsible use of our free time between Christmas and the middle of January, has now become a global listening experience and absolute obsession. And we couldn’t be more pumped! We love rally racing and the Dakar Rally Daily podcast lets us share massive amounts of inside information to rally fans everywhere. This year, we’re making it even better by launching an all-new Dakar Fantasy Derby experience that puts you in the race. It’s part fantasy racing, part sports-wagering, and it’s completely free to join. Make sure you subscribe to the Dakar Rally Daily podcast (links below to the most popular networks) and sign up to win awesome prizes by playing Dakar Fantasy Derby today. We have some BIG prizes coming in. Stay tuned to Dakar_Rally_Daily on instagram and here for more info.
Thanks,
Jesse Ziegler and Quinn Cody
Dakar Fantasy Derby
With Dakar Fantasy Derby, you can play along with every stage of the 2023 Dakar Rally by picking finishers and competing against rally fans all over the world for sweet prizes.
All of the 2023 Dakar Rally Daily Podcast episodes will be posted to this story thread. You can listen via the embedded players below or subscribe at any of the popular podcast spots linked below. You can also click here to listen to any episode from previous seasons.
Dakar Rally Daily Apple Podcasts Link
Dakar Rally Daily Google Podcast Link
Dakar Rally Daily Spotify Podcast Link
Dakar Rally Daily Amazon Music Podcast Link
If you don’t see your favorite, let Jesse know and he’ll get you set up (jesse.ziegler@digitalthrottle.com)
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Stage 13 | Episode 62
Stage 13 show is up and ready to rock. Today we cover stage 13 from the 2023 Dakar Rally and, unbelievably, the race is actually closer, again. After a big day in the dunes, the leaders of the overall classification are separated by a mere 12 seconds. Third place is a minute-and-a-half back from the lead. We’ve never seen a Dakar Rally so close. And tomorrow’s final stage will be a ripper with racers starting in reverse order and absolutely sending it for 130km into the final podium. It’s a heated race between KTM teammates Toby Price (leading) and Kevin Benavides. Benavides took the stage win today, his first of the rally, and Toby has been in absolute control the entire two weeks of the race. Third place is American Skyler Howes, who lost a little time today but is still within striking distance.
We also saw a new racer on the stage podium today with Michael Docherty taking second. A great ride!
Today we hear directly from Toby Price, Skyler Howes, Michael Docherty, Adrian VanBeveren, Pablo Quintanilla, Jacob Argubright, and Miriam Pol.
Available time to make up isn’t a lot tomorrow, but anything can happen! It’s going to be intense and, somewhat scary.
Thanks for listening!
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Stage 12 | Episode 61
Today’s KLIM Dakar Rally Daily show from Stage 12 is here and we are blown away by how close the front of the race continues to be.
Amazing rides at the front of the race today shook the results up and turned predictability on its head. But, the front three contenders are still in control and the time gaps are someone staying unbelievably tight. We’re talking less than three minutes separating the top three, 28-second gap between the top two!
That’s right, 28 seconds is the gap at the top of this Dakar Rally.
We hear directly from stage bosses Daniel Sanders and Toby Price as they represent Australia with big pride at the front of the race today, delivering crazy strong performances in the dunes. Skyler Howes steals some internet access and sends us an update from the last few stages, as well. Great to hear from you, Skyler!
Finally, our on-the-ground man with the microphone, Ashley House brings us two quick interviews today. First up is Technical Director at the KTM group for Rally Stefan Huber, who we’ve talked to before, but never during a Dakar quite like this. Then, House takes us to the Original by Motul class and gets the two front runners, who are separated by less than three minutes for the win, in a dual-interview full of drama! Ok, not really, but it is entertaining to hear directly from the gladiators of Dakar.
More fun and great race insight on today’s show. Enjoy
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Stage 11 | Episode 60
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily from Stage 11 of the 2023 Dakar Rally is LIVE.
Boy, we honestly didn’t see this coming. The race at the top of the general classification is off-the-charts close. Less than three minutes separates the top three riders, with first and second place covered by under 30 seconds. That’s insane considering what each of these riders have been through. To keep the contenders for the win that close by stage 11 shows how successful the race organizations planning and points system is this year at keeping this a race to the finish.
In today’s show we hear from race stage winner (his third of the rally) Luciano Benavides, Daniel Sanders, Toby Price, Skyler Howes (who is back in the lead of the race),and Mason Klein (who had a rough day in the race today).
Then, we get a walking tour of the entire Dakar Bivouac from our unofficial on-the-ground correspondent Ashley House!
Also, we check in with Original by Motul competitor Kirsten Landman who keeps impressing everyone with great riding and maximum endurance.
And, last but not least, we get a welcomed update from Paul Neff from the hospital. The world’s favorite race updater is being taken care of after a scary crash. We are so grateful to hear from him.
Enjoy the show!
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Stage 10 | Episode 59
Stage 10 wrapped up today with top contenders using the relatively short distance to strategically place them in ideal starting order for the next stages. Front runners keep a close gap on the overall rankings with the top three seperated by only two minutes!
Hero Motorsports’ Ross Branch took his second stage win of the rally today, with Honda’s Adrien VanBeveren and Rally2 competitor Michael Docherty rounding out the podium. Tomorrow, they’ll be on the defense as they head into the dunes with a lot of time to lose on the table.
Hear from overall leader Kevin Benavides today in the show as well as Skyler Howes, Toby Price, Luciano Benavides, and Romain Dumontier (Rally2 class leader).
Plus, we check in with Original by Motul race leader Charan Moore as he swaps an engine! And, we check in with Kirsten Landman as she gets her bike ready for the days ahead. The true gladiators of the sport here!
Enjoy the show and join the action with Dakar Fantasy Derby! We’re giving away prizes every day! Free to join at: www.chainslayer.com/dakar
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Stage 9 | Episode 58
The Dakar Rally starts after rest day. That’s what they say. And apparently they know what they’re talking about as for the first time this year we are seeing big time losses from those who lead out stages and more and more mistakes are piling up.
Today’s show features insight from stage winner Luciano Benavides, Toby Price, Skyler Howes, Mason Klein and Daniel Sanders and we enjoy a special, in-bivouac, guest correspondent chat with Women’s division legend Miriam Pol.
Big thanks to Ashley House (@ashleypresents on social) for working the pits for this epic clip.
More to talk about in this show and we’re just going to get on with it. Enjoy, and don’t forget to play Dakar Fantasy Derby at https://chainslayer.com/dakar and buy yourself a sweet t-shirt at https://www.bivouacrally.com/shop
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 REST DAY SHOW | Episode 57
We told you we were bringing in a heavy hitter special guest soon and he arrived just in time for our Rest Day Show!
Don’t miss our chat with Dakar Rally Winning Mechanic and eight-time Baja 1000 champion Kendall Norman. Talk about an enthusiast with great view into what’s happening in the race so far, Kendall brings real knowledge to the show today and is an absolute boss on the mic. Plus, he even brought us actual Dakar Rally road books!
We get into each of the stage winners thus far in the race and look ahead at what the race has in store. We get updates from the gamut of Rally heros including; Skyler Howes, Paul Neff, Nacho Cornejo, and Andrew Short! If you haven’t been keeping up, Andrew Short is navigating in a SXS this year. Great to hear from Shorty!
Tune in and enjoy the show!
Play Dakar Fantasy Derby to win cool prizes: https://chainslayer.com/dakar
Buy a Bivouac T-Shirt!: https://www.bivouacrally.com/shop
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Stage 8 | Episode 56
We get into Stage 8 of the 2023 Dakar Rally today with insight from stage winner Ross Branch as he brings Hero Motosports their second Dakar Rally stage win!. We also hear from a resurgent Daniel Sanders, a flying Mason Klein and Honda’s Adrien VanBeveren who is happy with his pace.
Racing is back, right before rest day, and the results are starting to shape up for some BIG days in the Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia in the coming week.
The top five general classification standings are covered by less than three minutes! Top three? Only 13 seconds!
Tune in and enjoy. Don’t forget you can play fantasy dakar racing at Dakar Fantasy Derby for FREE and you can win some great prizes. Start today at: www.chainslayer.com/dakar
And, you can support the show by simply buying a cool t-shirt! hit up www.bivouacrally.com/shop today!
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Stage 7 | Episode 55
Stage Seven from the 2023 Dakar Rally was canceled after Stage six dragged on for most riders into the night. The organizers made the call to make it a commute today, sending the motorcycle riders off on 500km road ride into a marathon bivouac. The weather really threw the last couple days into chaos but after tonights camp-out without their teams, the riders have just one more day of racing before the rest stage.
In today’s show we hear from a resurrected Paul Neff who spent 30+ hours without sleep to get to the pits today after limping is rally bike in at 4am, doing major electronic repairs and hitting the road again.
We also check in with Larry Klein, Mason Klein’s dad, who is running the motorhome duty for Mason.
Finally, we get updates from Mason, Skyler Howes, and Jacob Argubright about the state of the race for each of them and what they expect in the coming days.
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Stage 6 | Episode 54
Well, the chaos continues to reign down on the Dakar racers after a massive, 900-plus-kilometer stage with a grueling 300KM liaison back to the pits. That liaison was almost as long as the entire timed special race portion of the day. And, it was a surprise! Most racers figured the planned day would go as originally planned, but that didn’t happen.
With today’s original bivouac area completely flooded out, it was impossible for the moving city of a race to go there. So, organizers picked up and moved to stage 8’s planned finish and that makes a logistical nightmare for everyone, including the racers who had to sit on the highway for hours to get back to the pits.
Action on the tracks was a little less dramatic, with most racers finishing strong without issue. There are a few exceptions including our own Paul Neff (we’re claiming him) who, as of this writing, is still in the desert diagnosing and working on an electrical issue on his bike – hours from the finish. It’s 8:30 AM here in California. For Paul, that’s 7:30 PM in Saudi, in the dark, in the cold, and it’s probably raining on him. C’mon Paul, you can do it!
Today’s show is a good one, with good insight into the top-five-finish strategy and risk game. How bonus points are affecting the race. What the next days mean for racers and just how gnarly are the marathon stages tomorrow and the next day going to be!
Join the fun and enjoy the show!
Play Dakar Fantasy Derby:https://chainslayer.com/dakar
Buy a T-shirt! : https://www.bivouacrally.com/shop
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Stage 5 | Episode 53
Today’s Stage 5 Show goes deep into the sands of Saudi Arabia for direct reporting from the 2023 Dakar Rally.
For the first time in the rally, big navigation errors and accuracy determined the outcome of the day’s and overall ranking. Also, the time bonus scheme for leading to the stage’s waypoints played into the overall ranking today, actually awarding a stage victory!
Don’t miss this show! We hear from stage winner Adrien VanBeveren, today’s runner-up Nacho Cornejo, first-on-course Joan Barreda, Mason Klein, Toby Price, and American Rally Original ambassador/spokesman Paul Neff!
Tomorrow’s Stage 6 is the longest, and likely fastest, of the rally. How will that play out in the overall? You can play along by picking the finishers in the Dakar Fantasy Derby! It’s free, super fun, and you can win great prizes from our show sponsors KLIM, Rally Navigator, Giant Loop, Fasst Co. Taco Moto, Ruby Moto and more!
Play today! www.chainslayer.com/dakar
Be cool and buy a t-shirt! https://www.bivouacrally.com/shop
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Stage 4 | Episode 52
Dakar Rally Stage 4 didn’t disappoint with the speed and drama we expect from this epic race. After losing Ricky Brabec to a crash (he’s ok!) yesterday, the Honda crew stepped it up big time today with top finishes and a stage win from Joan Barreda (29th stage win) and Pablo Quintanilla in second. Skyler Howes rode incredibly strong, again, to round out the top three – starting in second on the outset.
Toby Price, Adrien VanBeveren, Luciano Benavides, Kevin Benavides, Daniel Sanders (who led out the day), Nacho Cornejo, and Luciano Santolino (Sherco) completed the top-10.
Mason Klein, the Dakar prodigy, had a fantastic day going once again until a fuel issue caused him to park and work on his KTM for a few minutes at the very end of the special, dropping him down to 11th on the day’s standings. He really limited his losses with massive performance early, grabbing early waypoint bonuses for leading the stage and was in contention for the stage win until the last points.
Yesterdays winner, Daniel Sanders, had a bit of a struggle leading the way today, allowing Howes to catch up early and steal some bonus points away. Even so, Sanders still leads the overall rankings by 3:30 with Howes in second and Kevin Benavides in third.
We also get an update from Jacob Argubright after a tough stage three and refreshing stage four finish, and get our American Rally Originals insight from our favorite message sender, Paul Neff. Tune in and enjoy!
Still a LONG way to go at this Dakar. Play along with us at www.chainslayer.com/dakar for free in our Dakar Fantasy Derby!
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Stage 3 | Episode 51
Today was one of those days at Dakar that really shakes things up. For all but 43 motorcycle riders, the race stage was cut short due to a massive rain/hail storm wiping through the Saudi desert. The images are insane and reports are nasty. For most of the moto contenders, the day ahead of that storm was fantastic. Unfortunately, American Ricky Brabec has withdrew from the race after a hard crash during the stage. His injuries aren’t fully known yet but we do know he was stable with mobility en-route to scans at the hospital. Reports are of neck and shoulder pain at this time.
Red Bull GasGas rider Daniel Sanders grabbed a commanding stage win by blitzing through a long, tough, stage after a strategic finishing position yesterday put him in a prime place to win. His speed is what did the deed, though, as he led from every checkpoint all day and managed to put some serious time into his rivals in the top-ten general standing for the race.
American Husqvarna Factory pilot Skyler Howes finished the stage in second today after starting in the usually unfavorable spot of third on the day. Howes was able to carry big speed all day despite being up front and, as you’ll hear in today’s show, he really enjoyed himself.
Fellow American Mason Klein led the entire 400+ KM of timed special stage after his win yesterday to finish an amazing third today and put his stamp of competency and contention on the 2023 Dakar and the Rally GP class. The 21-year-old American lost minimal time to stage winner Sanders and benefitted from the new stage-leading bonus rules from the organization to limit his losses even more. In the end, he only gave up around six minutes the insanely fast Australian. The only way this happens is if Mason Klein rides like an absolute boss leading the world’s best riders. And he did just that.
More insight in this episode from Red Bull KTM’s Australian legend Toby Price and his teammate Kevin Benevides as well as our daily check in with the Ironmen of the sport and our daily Paul Neff quote – one of our favorite parts of the day.
More tomorrow from Stage 4. Don’t forget to get your picks in at www.chainslayer.com/dakar for your chance to win prizes from our show sponsors and do yourself a favor and buy a t-shirt at https://www.bivouacrally.com/shop/p/the-bivouac-tee
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Stage 2 | Episode 50
American RallyGP Rookie Mason Klein raced to his career-first Dakar stage win in today’s long and grueling Stage 2 of the 2023 Dakar Rally.
The privateer racer on the BAS Trucks KTM support team started the day in third place, an unfavorable starting position giving the length of the stage and potential for massive time loss. But, it seemed, the field was more than happy to give him the chance to lead out towards the end of the rally and he did so with a bit of authority, stamping his name in the Dakar stage winner’s book.
We get on the phone with Klein and chat about his day in this episode. Also, we talk with the other American privateer out there, Jacob Argubright. Of course, we check in with the top contenders (as available) and hear from Toby Price, Joan Barreda, Daniel Sanders, and captured the ironman/unsupported insight from Paul Neff in the Original by Motul class.
Another entertaining and fun look into the big day at Dakar in Saudi. More coming tomorrow. Don’t miss it and don’t forget to get your picks in for the Dakar Fantasy Derby at www.chainslayer.com/dakar , and buy a t-shirt from www.bivouacrally.com !
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Stage 1 | Episode 49
It’s already getting crazy out there, people.
Welcome to the KLIM Dakar Rally Daily 2023 Stage 1 show. Today we go over a lot of details about the race that happened, but first, we get some apologies out of the way for our beer-induced Stage Zero show from last night. Turns out we shouldn’t do that because we should just know better. Not because we drank beer and made fools of ourselves, but because we should just know that Dakar is never predictable and that procedures always change!
Big news from the day is the withdrawal of 2022 Dakar Rally Champion Sam Sunderland after a violent crash resulting in a broken shoulder blade and concussion, according to reports. Bummer day for the champ and we’re going to really miss his updates from the race. Get well soon, Sam!
The race had even more drama today with time penalties knocking around the top rankings right up until showtime. In the end, American Ricky Brabec grabbed the stage win after adjustments. going to the source and chatting with stage winner Ricky Brabec as well as Skyler Howes and Original by Motul American racer Paul Neff! As a member of the American Rally Original crew, Paul (and the rest of the maniacs in the unsupported class) are giving us real insight to the traditional Dakar experience.
One of the biggest highlights of the days racing was American Mason Klein holding the front of the race for most of the stage, only being edged out (very early, before penalties) at the end of the special by Daniel Sanders. Klein is continuing to prove his speed out there. An impressive ride by him, for sure.
Don’t forget to log on and play Dakar Fantasy Derby! It’s free and you can win BIG prized from KLIM, MotoMinded/Ruby Moto, Rally Navigator, Fasst Co. and more! https://chainslayer.com/dakar
Buy a T-shirt and support the show! https://www.bivouacrally.com/shop
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Stage 0 | Episode 48
We stayed up late to drink beer and record our Stage Zero show in almost live-like fashion last night. And wow, was that worth it! The experiment paid off with a real-time recap of the racers crossing the line AND some real-time commentary on our Dakar Fantasy Derby results!
It might be midnight, but we are more than happy to give you the latest episode while you sleep so you can wake up ready to consume massive amounts of Dakar Rally goodness. Dig in to this episode to hear our thoughts on start order and how that can affect the big days coming ahead.
If you haven’t started playing Dakar Fantasy Derby yet, you need to and you can right here: https://chainslayer.com/dakar . It’s free and we just proved it is crazy fun. Jesse lost almost all his FAKE money. And Quinn’s wife beat both of our hosts easily. Get in to win prizes now. Big prizes for rest day and final race leaders, but we’re also dropping daily prizes out as we can.
Tomorrow starts the real racing action with over 600 KM of total route distance and over 350 KM of timed race special. That’s a lot of time to lose on the track if any mistakes happen.
In true Dakar fashion, all of our in-show predictions have already changed with the organization throwing in the top riders being able to choose their start position from 1-28th place, instead of the 1-15th we’re used to. More on this tomorrow for Stage 1’s coverage.
Cheers!
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Mason Klein Pre-Race Interview | Episode 47
Mason Klein finished ninth overall as a 20-year old ROOKIE at last year’s Dakar Rally. How do you think he plans on following that up?
Well, we ask him in this pre-race interview from the California desert training grounds.
Don’t miss it as hosts Jesse Ziegler and Quinn Cody get to know the young racer. We’re certainly rooting for him out there and he’s definitly putting in the work!
Enjoy the show!
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Toby Price Pre-Race Interview | Episode 46
Toby Price needs little introduction to die-hard Dakar Rally fans. He’s a two-time winner on the Red Bull Factory KTM Rally Team and is probably the only dude to win a Dakar Rally with a broken wrist. He’s also just generally an absolute beast on a motorcycle with almost ten Dakar Rally events under his belt. He’s had a few injury DNF’s but otherwise he’s only missed the podium one year when getting to the end. That year was 2022, so he’s looking for redemption in 2023.
We infiltrated the Factory KTM California training and testing program and cornered Price in a Barstow, California hotel in-between 200-mile road book training days. We have a great chat with the Australian and cover his rally racing career, upcoming strategy for new Dakar rules, the Kurt Caselli factor in becoming the champion he is, and get down-and-dirty inside the KTM 450 Factory Rally bike development.
Thanks to our official Title sponsor KLIM and to Rally Navigator for their support! More partners to announce soon
More goods you shouldn’t miss:
Dakar Fantasy Derby – you can play along each day of the rally with your picks and wager (fake money) on your accuracy. Sign up today (for free) and make your picks every day! Pay attention for updates on daily and overall prizes announced soon.
The Bivouac – our home to connect podcasts, Dakar Fantasy Derby and more. Heck, go buy a t-shirt!
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Skyler Howes Pre-Race Interview | Episode 45
Skyler Howes is back for another pre-race interview just before Christmas! Find out what’s on the fast Husqvarna racer’s mind about the new rules, travel to Saudi Arabia, contract bonuses and more.
In this 2023 pre-race interview we chat with Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Skyler Howes about what it’s like to jump into his second year as a factory racer, his crash at 2022’s race and his recent surge in performance at the end of the 2022 W2RC Season including his first FIM World Rally win.
Don’t miss Skyler giving us the honest talk we expect from the humble Utah ripper.
Also, don’t miss your chance to pick your own Dakar stage finishing order and wager (fake money) against your picks in our new Dakar Fantasy Derby fantasy experience. Head over to https://www.bivouacrally.com/ and hit the “Fantasy” button to register for the FREE season. You can also go direct to https://chainslayer.com/register to sign up. Do it! We’re giving away some big prizes and announcing more in each episode.
We’re only days away from the start of the 2023 Dakar Rally! Let’s do it!!!
Thanks to https://www.klim.com/ and https://www.rallynavigator.com/ for supporting our show again this year!
KLIM Dakar Rally Daily | 2023 Pre-Race Show | Episode 44
Dakar Rally Daily from The Bivouac is back! This is the 2023 Dakar Rally Pre-Race Show and this year we’re featuring Monster Energy Honda’s Ricky Brabec in-studio. Brabec is bringing the unfiltered insight we LOVE with inside information on the Dakar Rally’s new rules, new race course, new teammates and more. Don’t miss it. And get ready for more coming as we stack interviews and shows before the start of the best race in the world. Let’s GOOOOO!
We brought American Dakar Rally winner Ricky Brabec into our Cycle News studio to get some real racer insight into the new race route, new stages and all that’s new as this year’s rally season kicks off.
Highlights of this show include an unfiltered talk with Brabec about Dakar’s new rules, how younger racers are coming in with massive rally experience, the reality of daily factory rally racer life and getting hit by a car on a road bicycle. Also, we’re launching a new Dakar Fantasy Derby race experience where you can join us and pick daily finishers, place fake money bets, and win real prizes from our sponsors every day of the race.
