The Dakar Rally holds the round of the 2026 W2RC season, and it is to be held in Saudi Arabia from January 3 to 17. The local biker had a 2025 season to forget after losing the world title he won in 2024. The only Motswana biker consistently battling with the global elite on rally terrain will return under bike number 46, a visible mark of transition after relinquishing the number one plate he carried as the 2024 world champion. Branch’s 2025 campaign in the FIM World Rally‑Raid Championship was a mix of flashes of speed and brutal moments of adversity.
In round one, the 2024 Dakar Rally, he was a podium threat early on before a crash forced him out of the event he once nearly won.
