Branch lined up at the 2025 Dakar Rally held in January in a bid to score early points to boost his world title defence. However, on stage six of the most gruelling off-road race, he suffered a crash. Branch was just 58km into stage six when he was forced to quit the race due to minor injuries. He was in position four overall after the first five stages and looked set for a comeback to the podium positions. Branch broke his vertebrae on his back and also suffered a fractured bone on his hand.
He has now missed out on the double points on offer for the first round of the W2RC. It is a tough start for the Jwaneng-biker as he had begun the 2024 championship with a second-place finish at the Dakar Rally, which saw him accumulate 25 points for his efforts. Speaking to MmegiSport this week, Branch said he is recovering well as he cited the weather conditions for his Dakar Rally misfortune. "I am feeling ok and ready to get better so we can be ready for round two in Abu Dhabi. We had a great strategy and we felt amazing on the bike and things were working really well. Unfortunately, there was lots of rain in the area during stage six and it left lots of unmarked dangers. Unfortunately, I hit a wash away that we could not see easily and that ended my Dakar shot," said Branch. He is expected to be fit for the saddle when the second round of the W2RC, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge runs from February 21-27.
