Rennie Scaysbrook | January 16, 2025
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 12
Daniel Sanders (KTM) has taken his first win in the Dakar Rally. The Australian dominated the race in 2025, becoming the first rider since Spain’s Marc Coma to lead the race from the opening Prologue stage until the closing Stage 12.
Sanders’ win is also the 20th in the race for KTM, which had its most dominant event in years by sweeping every class thanks to Sanders in Rally GP, the spectacular 19-year-old rookie Edgar Canet in Rally 2, and Emanuel Gyenes in Original By Motul (formerly Malle Moto).
Sanders (center) becomes the second Australian to take the win in the Dakar Rally after Toby Price triumphed in 2016 and 2018. He is flanked by second placed Tosha Schareina (left) and Adrien Van Beveren (right).
“So, we have just won the Dakar Rally!”, Sanders enthused. “It’s a massive accomplishment from myself and the team after a tough year, and I can’t thank everyone enough for the support. It’s been a long journey, and I can’t wait to celebrate with everyone! Now it’s time to kick back and relax after a long two weeks.”
Honda’s Tosha Schareina made it a career-first podium in second after pushing Sanders all the way, coming up 08m50s short in his second Dakar attempt.
Schareina headed teammate Adrien Van Beveren, who took third on the overall podium for the second year in a row. Sanders’ teammate Luciano Benavides (KTM) took a career-best fourth place finish on the Dakar, with 2024 Dakar Champion Ricky Brabec in fifth ahead of American compatriot Skyler Howes.
Hero’s Nacho Cornejo came home seventh ahead of the incredibly impressive Canet, who decimated the Rally 2 class at his first attempt. Canet headed Tobias Ebster, who claimed ninth overall and second in the Rally 2 class, with Stefan Svitko (KTM) rounding out the top 10.
Jacob Argubright finished 22nd overall on his privateer Honda.
The final stage of the rally, a short 62 kilometer loop to and from Shubaytah with a mass start, belonged to South Africa’s Michael Docherty (KTM), who took a second stage win in 2024 and second of his career.
Docherty bested Van Beveren and Ebster, with Schareina fourth, Svitko fifth, Sanders, Benavides, Romain Dumontier (Honda), Rui Goncalves (Sherco) and Brabec rounding out the Stage 12 top 10. Howes came home 11th while Argubright took an impressive 15th on the stage.
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 12
| 1 |
Michael Docherty |
KTM |
54m11s |
| 2 |
Adrien Van Beveren |
Honda |
+03s |
| 3 |
Tobias Ebster |
KTM |
+44s |
| 4 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+57s |
| 5 |
Stefan Svitko |
KTM |
+59s |
| 9 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+02m22s |
| 10 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+02m22s |
| 15 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+02m29s |
2025 Dakar Rally Overall Results
| 1 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
53h08m52s |
| 2 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+08m50s |
| 3 |
Adrien Van Beveren |
Honda |
+14m46s |
| 4 |
Luciano Benavides |
KTM |
+22mm16s |
| 5 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+29m50s |
| 6 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+42mm44s |
| 22 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+05h42m56s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 11
Tosha Schareina (Honda) wound the noise tube on his factory Honda right to the stop on the penultimate stage of the 2025 Dakar Rally as the Spaniard took his first win since Stage One in 2024 and sliced the gap to KTM’s Daniel Sanders almost in half in the overall standings.
The Empty Quarter stage was originally scheduled for 308 kilometers of timed special, but weather conditions in the dunes that were unsafe for the race’s chase helicopter to take off meant organizers shortened the racing to 152 kilometers.
Schareina sent it as hard as possible in Stage 11 to try and catch Sanders. He made up nearly eight minutes on the Aussie heading into the final day.
Schareina’s barnstorming ride gave him 07m31s back in the overall, Sanders playing it somewhat safe to register sixth on the day, meaning there are exactly nine minutes between the pair leading into the final stage tomorrow. However, with that day’s racing measured over only 61 kilometers, and with the novelty of a mass start, Schareina needs luck to go his way if he’s to snatch the win from Sanders at the final hurdle.
KTM’s Luciano Benavides once again banked a stage podium as the man of the second week of Dakar 2025 bested his main boxing partner, Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) by 24 seconds. Van Beveren, due to his first week consistency, maintains third in the overall heading into the final day, a touch under seven minutes clear of Benavides in fourth.
Ricky Brabec (Honda) banked fourth place, Nacho Cornejo (Hero) was fifth on Stage 11 from Sanders and Mathieu Doveze (KTM). His teammate Toni Mulec was next in eighth, with Stefan Svitko (KTM) and Skyler Howes (Honda) rounding out the top 10.
Jacob Argubright finished 38th on Stage 11 and remains in 22nd overall leading into the final day.
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 11
| 1 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
02h12m04s |
| 2 |
Luciano Benavides |
KTM |
+33s |
| 3 |
Adrien Van Beveren |
Honda |
+57s |
| 4 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+03m48s |
| 5 |
Nacho Cornejo |
Hero |
+06m02s |
| 10 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+12m44s |
| 38 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+35m25s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results After Stage 11
| 1 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
52h13m34s |
| 2 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+09m00s |
| 3 |
Adrien Van Beveren |
Honda |
+15m50s |
| 4 |
Luciano Benavides |
KTM |
+22m16s |
| 5 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+28m35s |
| 6 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
41m29s |
| 22 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
05h41m34s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 10
The notorious Empty Quarter sand dunes welcomed riders for the 10th stage of the 2025 Dakar Rally, and it was a career-first win for South African Michael Docherty (KTM) as the Rally 2 division rider pulled a perfect ride ahead of Sherco’s Rui Gonçalves and KTM’s Tobias Ebster.
Riders departed the bivouac at 4:15am this morning to tackle a grueling 520-kilometer liaison on route to the start of stage 10’s special, which led them to Shubaytah, the final bivouac location of the 2025 Dakar. Though the timed section was relatively short at 115 kilometers, it consisted largely of rolling dunes, posing challenging navigation and testing the endurance of all competitors.
Docherty took a first stage win for South Africa since Alfie Cox in 2003.
“I’m happy to be back in the dunes, it’s what I’ve been waiting for since the beginning of the Dakar,” Docherty said. “Even though it was short, it was good to be back in it. I crashed once, I hurt my shoulder a bit more, but I tried to do something good on this Dakar, not like in stage one. I have nothing to lose, I’m happy to open tomorrow, I like doing it in the dunes.” It was the first win for South Africa on the Dakar Rally since the legendary Alfie Cox way back in 2003.
Stefan Svitko (KTM) had his best ride of the rally so far in fourth with Edgar Canet (KTM) taking another top five in fifth to keep his Rally 2 lead well over half an hour from Ebster.
As for the main players in the Rally GP category, Skyler Howes led the way in sixth on the factory Honda. He led four Rally 2 entries of Lithuania’s Arunas Gelazninkas (Hoto), Benjamin Melot (KTM), Mathieu Doveze (KTM) and Toni Mulec (KTM).
Daniel Sanders (KTM) came home 11th on stage to keep his lead to over 16 minutes after Honda’s Tosha Schareina could only manage 17th on Stage 10.
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 10
| 1 |
Michael Docherty |
KTM |
02h00m03s |
| 2 |
Rui Goncalves |
Sherco |
+01m20s |
| 3 |
Tobias Ebster |
KTM |
+02m21s |
| 4 |
Stefan Svitko |
KTM |
+05m10s |
| 5 |
Edgar Canet |
KTM |
+05m34s |
| 6 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+05m59s |
| 13 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+09m09s |
| 22 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+11m20s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results After Stage 10
| 1 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
49h53m59s |
| 2 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+16m31s |
| 3 |
Adrien Van Beveren |
Honda |
+22m24s |
| 4 |
Luciano Benavides |
KTM |
+29m14s |
| 5 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+32m18s |
| 6 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+36m16s |
| 22 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+05h13m30s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 9
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides secured his second straight stage victory in the 2025 Dakar Rally, completing Stage Nine with a lead of nearly two minutes. The Argentinian now sits fourth in the provisional standings. Meanwhile, Daniel Sanders led the majority of the stage but dropped to third after a navigation error in the final kilometers, though he retains an overall rally lead of nearly 15 minutes.
“Today was really good!” Benavides enthused. “I opened the stage all day, and although I did make some small navigation mistakes, I think most people did today. I had to pay close attention to the roadbook notes and really keep my focus during the stage, but I’m really happy because I did a good job opening. I’m looking forward to the dunes tomorrow as they’re my favorite terrain to race on.”
Benavides bagged his second straight win on Stage Nine.
Stage Nine of the 47th Dakar Rally presented another grueling challenge for the riders. The route spanned from Riyadh to Haradh, including a 357-kilometer timed special and 232 kilometers of liaison.
Benavides claimed the stage win ahead of Honda’s Adrien Van Beveren, the Frenchman bagging yet another stage podium but in all likelihood it’s going to be too little, too late for his chance of a first overall Dakar win.
Sanders’ third place on the stage means he is now 14m45s clear of Honda’s Tosha Schareina, who could only manage seventh after a massive crash he was ultra-lucky to ride away from. But what he really needed was a win and the Spaniard dropped 06m46s behind Benavides and nearly three and a half minutes to Sanders.
Ricky Brabec continued to fight the good fight for the USA in fourth on the stage from his perennial shadow, teammate and compatriot Skyler Howes. Next was Nacho Cornejo (Hero) Schareina, a first top 10 in this year’s Dakar for Britain’s Rally 2 class stage winner, Mathieu Doveze (KTM), Lorenzo Santonilo (Sherco) and Dakar rookie Edgar Canet taking yet another top 10 in the Rally 2 class that he now leads by a massive 38 minutes.
Jacob Argubright (Honda) had another fine ride on his privateer machine to 16th on Stage Nine.
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 9
| 1 |
Luciano Benavides |
KTM |
03h15m38s |
| 2 |
Adrien Van Beveren |
Honda |
+01m54s |
| 3 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
+03m04s |
| 4 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+03m39s |
| 5 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+04m40s |
| 16 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+18m43s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results After Stage 9
| 1 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
47h45m34s |
| 2 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+14m45s |
| 3 |
Adrien Van Beveren |
Honda |
+20m21s |
| 4 |
Luciano Benavides |
KTM |
+27m44s |
| 5 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+31m31s |
| 6 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+38m39s |
| 22 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+05h10m32s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 8
Luciano Benavides (KTM) took the Stage 8 win, his first triumph of the Dakar this year after his Stage 5 win was awarded to Van Beveren when time was awarded back. The Argentinian took P1 after being awarded back time after he helped Chelan Pablo Quintanilla (Honda), who crashed out of the race at kilometer 133 and damaged his shoulder.
Benavides headed home Quintanilla’s teammate Adrien Van Beveren, who also came to Quintanilla’s aid, the Frenchman banking another stage podium as the race heads into the final three days of racing this week.
Benavides finally got his stage win at the eighth time of asking.
“It’s never easy to see a fellow rider crash, so Adrien [Van Beveren] and I stopped to help Pablo [Quintanilla] and we stayed with him for about 30 minutes,” said Benavides. “After we restarted, it was difficult because the crash is always playing on your mind, but you have to just keep going. Despite having to ride in the dust from many riders and make several overtakes, I pushed really hard, and it paid off with my first stage win of the race, which is amazing!”
Tosha Schareina (Honda) produced another podium in third, the young Spaniard proving to be the most consistent podium finisher in the 2025 Dakar Rally as he consolidates second overall.
For Daniel Sanders (KTM), it was a damage limitation day as the Australian led out after winning Stage 7, dropping a little over four minutes to Schareina in the overall standings with his ride to seventh on the day.
“That might have been the toughest stage yet, especially the first 100 kilometers, which were really technical and hard to navigate, so I lost a fair bit of time there,” Sanders said. “After the refuel it was really fast and I was opening with Edgar [Canet], which was cool. I made a few little mistakes here and there, but I have a decent starting position for tomorrow so I’m happy.”
Fourth on Stage 8 was Ricky Brabec (Honda) from his teammate, compatriot Skyler Howes, with South Africa’s Michael Docherty (KTM) in sixth. Rounding out the stage’s top 10 was Sanders, Rally 2 winner and class leader Edgar Canet (KTM), Nacho Cornejo (Hero) and Rui Goncalves (Sherco).
Jacob Argubright (Honda) had a better ride today, no mechanical issues meaning the American took 20th on the stage to move up to 23rd overall.
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 8
| 1 |
Luciano Benavides |
KTM |
04h50m46s |
| 2 |
Adrien Van Beveren |
Honda |
+02h08s |
| 3 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+02m14s |
| 4 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+04m21s |
| 5 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+04m59s |
| 20 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+23m33s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results After Stage 8
| 1 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
44h26m52s |
| 2 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+11m03s |
| 3 |
Adrien Van Beveren |
Honda |
+21m31s |
| 4 |
Luciano Benavides |
KTM |
+30m48s |
| 5 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+30m56s |
| 6 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+37m03s |
| 23 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+04h54m53s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 7
Daniel Sanders has taken Stage 7 of the 2025 Dakar Rally to boost his lead in the overall standings to just over 15-and-a-half minutes. It is the first time a rider has won five stages in a Dakar since Sanders’ compatriot Toby Price did so on his way to the 2016 Dakar win.
Australian Sanders started ninth and carved a perfect line through the recently drenched sand, coming home 3m36s ahead of his ultra-impressive young teammate in the Red Bull Factory KTM team, Edgar Canet, who easily topped the Rally 2 class.
Third on the day went to another Tosha Schareina. The Spaniard led a factory Honda 3-4-5 finish from teammates Pablo Quintanilla and Adrien Van Beveren, with Luciano Benavides on the third factory KTM taking sixth. The top 10 was rounded out by Nacho Cornejo (Hero), Rui Gonçalves (Sherco), his teammate Lorenzo Santolino, and American Ricky Brabec (Honda) with Skyler Howes (Honda) in 11th.
Stage 7 marked the end of the rally for the second year in a row for Mason Klein (Kove). The American had put in a dazzling performance on Stage 6 to take seventh, but Stage 7 saw his Kove Rally EX machine expire at the 319-kilometer mark.
The only other American in the event, Jacob Argubright (Honda) had a torrid run on Stage 8 with mechanical issues on the bike to finish 81st, 02h21m57s off the winning time and drops from 15th to 26th in the overall standings.
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 7
| 1 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
04h10m33s |
| 2 |
Edgar Canet |
KTM |
+03m36s |
| 3 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+03m47s |
| 4 |
Pablo Quintanilla |
Honda |
+05m27s |
| 5 |
Adrien Van Beveren |
Honda |
+06m56s |
| 10 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+10m01s |
| 11 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+11m23s |
| 81 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
02h21m57s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results After Stage 7
| 1 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
39h29m22s |
| 2 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+15m33s |
| 3 |
Adrien Van Beveren |
Honda |
+26m07s |
| 4 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+33m19s |
| 5 |
Luciano Benavides |
KTM |
+37m32s |
| 6 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+38m48s |
| 25 |
Jacob Argubright (USA |
Honda |
+04h38m04s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 6
Racing has resumed on the 2025 Dakar Rally after the mid-race rest day, and it was defending champion Ricky Brabec (Honda) who took his first win of this year’s campaign. The Californian triumphed by 23s from teammate and Stage 5 winner Adrien Van Beveren, with Hero’s Nacho Cornejo (Hero) taking another podium in third.
Ricky Brabec casts a perfect figure in the morning sun as he wins Stage 6.
“Big day today, with a stretch of 850km total in the saddle. It was a full 12 hours,” Brabec said. “I’m really happy with the day as we started in the fast tracks full of rocks and ended up in the dunes and valleys of Al Duwadimi. It was an awesome job today. The boys up front were ripping, making it difficult to see even a hint of dust. I hop Ross Branch is doing OK as well after he took a nasty hit.”
Stage 6 signaled the end for one of the race’s favorites as Ross Branch (Hero) crashed out of contention at the 48-kilometer mark. The current World W2RC Champion was up on his feet but was airlifted to receive medical checks as a precaution, his Dakar over for 2025.
Honda’s Tosha Schareina continued his run of top fives with fourth on Stage 6 from the only remaining Benavides brother, Luciano, after former two-time winner Kevin Benavides withdrew from the rally citing ongoing physical issues after his massive crash in 2024 that left him in an extended induced coma.
Stage 6 saw Lorenzo Santonlino (Sherco) bag his best result since winning Stage 3 in sixth. American Mason Klein on the factory Kove had a brilliant ride to come home seventh, his best result by a long way on the 2025 Dakar Rally so far. Klein headed Honda’s Skyler Howes, while rally leader Daniel Sanders (KTM) had a conservative ride on Stage 6 to finish ninth, his lead in the overall cut from 15 minutes down to 11m46s from Schareina.
Rounding out the top 10 for Stage 6 was the fourth factory Honda of Pablo Quintanilla.
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 6
| 1 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
05h00m51s |
| 2 |
Adrien Van Beveren |
Honda |
+23s |
| 3 |
Nacho Cornejo |
Hero |
+51s |
| 4 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+02m27s |
| 5 |
Luciano Benavides |
KTM |
+03m36s |
| 7 |
Mason Klein (USA) |
Kove |
+05m09s |
| 8 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+05m09s |
| 23 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+20m32s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results (After Stage 6)
| 1 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
+35h18m49s |
| 2 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+11m46s |
| 3 |
Adrien Van Beveren |
Honda |
+19m11s |
| 4 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+23m18s |
| 5 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+27m25s |
| 15 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+02h16m07s |
| 44 |
Mason Klein (USA) |
Kove |
+09h12m08s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 5 (Revised)
The Dakar organizers have decided to give back the time penalties awarded to Daniel Sanders and Adrien Van Beveren as the rally concludes its first week.
Unfortunately, the rally organizers have given zero communication to the media regarding the new standings, so we have been forced to figure it out for ourselves.
Van Beveren has thus taken out Stage 5 (regardless of what you read below) from Luciano Benavides and Nacho Cornejo, and Sanders now holds the rally lead by over 15 minutes from Schareina and Van Beveren.
The Dakar is on a rest day today and will resume action tomorrow (January 11).
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 5
For the first time in 2025, Luciano Benavides (KTM) has taken a stage win on the Dakar Rally. Starting as the 12th rider from the marathon bivouac in AlUla, Benavides quickly laid down the marker, clocking the fastest time by the 87 kilometer mark. Engaged in a fierce battle for the lead with Honda’s Adrien Van Beveren, Benavides initially finished second in Ha’il, however, a two-minute penalty imposed on Beveren elevated Benavides to first place.
“That was a really good day for me, starting from 14th helped as I was able to catch a lot of the riders in front of me but I could still see some tracks,” Benavides said. “I feel good on the bike and I’m happy with my riding, so we are at a good place before the rest day. Strategy will play a big part next week as you have to judge which stages will be the best to try and make up time on, and which ones to take it steady on. I feel like I am still in the fight, there’s a long way to go to the finish and I’m in a really good rhythm now so I can wait to see what the next week will bring.” Benavides now sits seventh in the standings.
Benavides came through for the Stage 5 win after a penalty was handed to Van Beveren.
Van Beveren nonetheless scored his first podium of the 2025 Dakar and moves to within sniffing distance of the overall podium in fourth, although the Frenchman is still nearly 19 minutes off the rally lead held by KTM’s Daniel Sanders.
Third on Stage 5 went to the ever-improving Nacho Cornejo. The Chilean finished just over a minute and a half from Benavides and moves up to ninth in the overall as a result.
Australian Sanders had another malfunction with his equipment when his GPS shut off and meant he got an eight-minute penalty for speeding in a controlled zone, dropping him down to 12th place on the stage.
Despite the penalty, Sanders retains 07m02s lead over Honda’s Tosha Schareina with Hero’s Ross Branch once again banking a top four placing on stage to lie third in the overall.
America’s Ricky Brabec and Skyler Howes (Honda) took fifth and sixth places, respectively, on the stage, with compatriot Jacob Argubright putting in another solid performance on his Honda to take 14th on the stage. Mason Klein (Kove) came home 42nd on the stage.
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 5
| 1 |
Luciano Benavides |
KTM |
04h53m00s |
| 2 |
Adrien Van Beveren |
Honda |
+47s |
| 3 |
Nacho Cornejo |
Hero |
+01m31s |
| 4 |
Ross Branch |
Hero |
+03m20s |
| 5 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+03m30s |
| 6 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+04m40s |
| 14 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+16m39s |
| 42 |
Mason Klein (USA) |
Kove |
+56m55s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results (After Stage 5)
| 1 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
30h20m15s |
| 2 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+07m02s |
| 3 |
Ross Branch |
Hero |
+17m48s |
| 4 |
Adrien Van Beveren |
Honda |
+18m31s |
| 5 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+19m59s |
| 6 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+21m01s |
| 17 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+01h53m18s |
| 54 |
Mason Klein (USA) |
Kove |
+09h05m29s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 4
Stage four continues to throw us curveballs. Following the conclusion of yesterday’s stage three, Daniel Sanders received nearly five minutes of time credits after getting lost. He claimed the digital GPS roadbook malfunctioned and therefore forced him to follow Honda’s Tosha Schareina who also got lost. The time credit keeps Sanders in the overall lead.
“Unfortunately, I had an issue with my roadbook tablet after the refueling stop so I really struggled to navigate,” Sanders said after stage three. “I was lost for a while as I had no way of knowing the route, and I decided to follow a rider who then also got lost which cost me even more time.”
Daniel Sanders won stage four and continues to lead the general classification. Photo: KTM
Sanders responded by winning today’s stage four, the first half of the marathon stage. After 588 total kilometers, the KTM rider finished just 15 seconds clear of Schareina. Honda HRC’s Schareina led early on but let up late in the special and gave Sanders the stage win. Strategy is certainly playing a factor as Schareina opts not to lead out tomorrow.
Once arriving at the marathon bivouac riders had just 30 minutes to work on their bikes, with no outside assistance allowed from their teams.
Riders have just 30 minutes to work on their bikes after arriving at the marathon bivouac.
“That was a pretty cool stage,” Sanders said. “I did get lost a bit but nothing that cost me too much time. This area can be really tricky so you have to focus completely, and it will be the same tomorrow. There was a little bit of cat and mouse at the end to decide who would end up opening tomorrow which we haven’t really had yet, so that was quite fun and I’m looking forward to setting off first for the last stage of week one. I’ve extended my lead even more, so I’m really pleased with that. I’m definitely looking forward to the rest day!”
Ricky Brabec was the highest-finishing American back in 17th, leading the USA trio of Howes and Argubright. Brabec crossed nearly 20 minutes off the leaders with teammate Skyler Howes one spot back in 18th, 20:10 from Sanders. Argubright took 19th, 21:29 behind the lead.
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage Four
| 1 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
05h10mo33s |
| 2 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+15s |
| 3 |
Nacho Cornejo |
Hero |
+07m49s |
| 4 |
Adrien Van Beveren |
Honda |
+08m08s |
| 5 |
Rui Goncalves |
Sherco |
+08m55s |
| 17 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+19m58s |
| 18 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+20m10s |
| 19 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+21m29s |
| 36 |
Mason Klein (USA) |
Kove |
+55m09s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results (After Stage Four)
| 1 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
25h15h33s |
| 2 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+13m26s |
| 3 |
Ross Branch |
Hero |
+26m10s |
| 4 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+27m01s |
| 5 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+29m13s |
| 19 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+01h48m21s |
| 57 |
Mason Klein (USA) |
Kove |
+08h20m16s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage 3
You can never count on the form guide in the Dakar Rally to be a clear indication of what’s to come as Lorenzo Santolino pulled the surprise of the rally thus far with the Stage 3 win, the first of his career and the first for Sherco since 2019.
The Spaniard on the factory Sherco entry made the best of the stage from Bisha to Al Henakiyah, one in which navigation proved extremely difficult, coming home 04m01s clear of Ricky Brabec (Honda) for his best finish of the rally thus far. Skyler Howes made it an American 2-3 in third in the second factory Honda. Santolino’s win moves him up to 10th in the overall standings, but he’s still 47 m12s off the lead.
Santolino sprung a surprise by taking the win on Stage 3 to launch himself into the rally’s top 10 overall.
It was a tough day to say the least for erstwhile rally leader, Daniel Sanders (KTM). The Australian had won every stage so far in 2025 to build a lead of over 12 minutes heading into Stage 3, but the rain and a malfunctioning roadbook saw Sanders drop nearly all of his hard-earned lead into the Saudi sand, ending the stage way down in 22nd and seeing his overall lead drop to just under two minutes.
However, at the finish, Sanders was awarded back five minutes for the roadbook issue, which meant he climbed to 17th on stage and his lead in the overall now stands at 06m51s.
The awarding of time was controversial to say the least, with a huge number of riders all suffering roadbook malfunctions and none of those being awarded time back. Hero Motorsports’ Nacho Cornejo took to Instagram to vent his frustrations, saying, “What is happening @dakarally? Lots of riders had problems with the electronic roadbook on these days and to nobody you have give time back until today.” He finished with a jab, saying, “(Do) We need to come from a first world country to be heard?”
No doubt, this controversy is far from over.
Ross Branch (Hero) continues to place himself well heading towards the second week of competition by taking fourth on the stage to cement fourth in the overall standings with Luciano Benavides (KTM) continuing his slow climb up the leaderboard with fifth on Stage 3.
The top 10 for the stage was rounded out by Stefan Svitko (KTM), Pablo Quintanilla (Honda), Edgar Canet (KTM), Martin Michek (KTM) and Tobias Ebster (KTM).
Jacob Argubright had another impressive performance in 18th on his privateer Honda and Mason Kelin had a better stage today after an engine swap last night on the factory Kove entry to take 45th.
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage Three
| 1 |
Lorenzo Santolino |
Sherco |
03h44m34s |
| 2 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+04m01s |
| 3 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+04m10s |
| 4 |
Ross Branch |
Hero |
+04m14s |
| 5 |
Luciano Benavides |
KTM |
+04m55s |
| 18 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+11m19s |
| 45 |
Mason Klein (USA) |
Kove |
+37m35s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results (After Stage Three)
| 1 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
08h05m |
| 2 |
Skyler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+06m51s |
| 3 |
Ross Branch |
Hero |
+06m59s |
| 4 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+09m15s |
| 5 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+13m11s |
| 18 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+01h26m52s |
| 61 |
Mason Klein (USA) |
Kove |
+07h10m07s |
2025 Dakar Rally 48-Hour Chrono Stage Part 2b
The man of the first week of Dakar, Daniel Sanders (KTM) continued his scintillating form by taking the grueling, two-part 48 Hour Chrono stage to extend his lead in the overall classification to a significant 12m36s after Stage 2.
Holding a 40-second advantage over Ricky Brabec after Sunday’s first part of the Chrono, Sanders knew he would have to attack the remainder of the timed special today in order to extend his overall lead.
Sanders plows through the sand on his way to his third win of the 2025 Dakar.
As the seventh rider to set off, Daniel soon caught up with the riders ahead of him and assisted in opening the route, gaining time bonuses for nearly 150 kilometers. Sanders was flying, navigating the special to complete the two-day stage over seven minutes faster than Honda’s Skyler Howes. The Australian’s stage two victory marks his third consecutive stage win, something not seen on the Dakar in the bike category since 2017.
“It got pretty tough in the soft dunes, especially when I was up front opening the way and putting the first line in,” Sanders said. “Managing the dust was also a huge part of it, so we were all fighting up front for the opening bonuses, but it’s cool to be riding alongside the others. My body feels great, though, and it’s nice to have a bit of a shorter day today to recover. I’m really happy with my performance so far and we’ll see what happens tomorrow when I have to open the stage!”
Howes moves up to second overall on the factory Honda after Stage 2.
Howes had his best performance of the 2025 Dakar rally so far with second on stage to move into second overall, with teammate Tosha Schareina likewise having his best result of the rally to date in third.
Adrien Van Beveren had a solid ride on the Honda to take fourth from Ross Branch (Hero) and Luciano Benavides (KTM) came home sixth, one place up on the impressive South African Michael Docherty (KTM).
Honda’s Ricky Brabec had a troubled stage, finishing eighth after crushing his exhaust flat at the 50 kilometer mark and losing vital horsepower, and 12m47s off Sanders. The result drops him to fifth overall, 15m09s off the lead. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) and Edgar Canet (KTM) completed the top 10.
Jacob Argubright (Honda) had an excellent stage to take 14th overall on his privateer Honda, but it was disaster for Mason Klein (Kove) who dropped six hours with machinery trouble to finish 98th on stage, any hopes he has of a good overall finish gone for the second year in a row.
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage Two
| 1 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
11h19m13s |
| 2 |
Styler Howes (USA) |
Honda |
+07m37s |
| 3 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+07m41s |
| 4 |
Adrien Van Beveren |
Honda |
+08m45s |
| 5 |
Ross Branch |
Hero |
+10m02s |
| 8 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+12m47s |
| 14 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+28m46s |
| 89 |
Mason Klein (USA) |
Kove |
+05h59m42s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results Overall (After Stage Two)
| 1 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
4h10m31s |
| 2 |
Skyler Howes(USA) |
Honda |
+12m36s |
| 3 |
Ross Branch |
Hero |
+12m40s |
| 4 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+12m48s |
| 5 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+15m09s |
| 19 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+01h25m28s |
| 65 |
Mason Klein (USA) |
Kove |
+06h35m57s |
2025 Dakar Rally 48-Hour Chrono Stage 2A
The first day of the massive 48 Hour Chrono stage for the 2025 Dakar Rally saw Daniel Sanders continue to set the pace on the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing entry.
Sanders holds sway after the first half of the 48 Hour Chrono.
After nearly 1000km of riding, the Australian holds a 02m57s stage lead over defending Dakar champion Ricky Brabec (Honda) with current W2RC World Champion Ross Branch (Hero) holding down third, 01m57s behind Brabec. Tosha Schareina (Honda) and Skyler Howes (Honda) rounded out the top five with one day left of the 48 Hour Chrono.
The stage is ongoing, and we will update this post as results become available.
2025 Dakar Rally Stage One
The 2025 Dakar Rally is now officially underway with the conclusion of stage one. Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM) built on his prologue win and topped the field again today after more than four hours of racing.
Sanders starts the rally with a win on stage one. Photo: KTM
“That was pretty tough!” Sanders said. “There was a lot of dust, so maybe my decision to start further back wasn’t the best, but we all caught each other up after a while and everyone was fighting to get ahead. I had to ignore the roadbook for a while and just focus on my speed and standing my ground. It was a fun start though and I’m interested to see how the 48-hour stage will go – I’m feeling great!”
The 310 mile stage saw Sanders with a time of 04:41:27, 2:04 better than defending Dakar champion, Ricky Brabec (Honda HRC). Brabec held off Ross Branch’s (Hero Motorsports) time by just over 20 seconds and the top three are already establishing themselves as the ones to beat before tomorrow’s Chrono stage.
Ricky Brabec held on for second, 2:04 back from Sanders. Photos: ASO
Two more Honda’s of Skyler Howes and Tosha Schareina rounded out the top five, 4:07 and 4:42 back from Sanders. Howes waited with a downed rider (Sebastian Buhler) for nearly 10 minutes before re-entering the race.
Ross Branch was just over 20 seconds back from Brabec.
The third factory Honda of Tosha Schareina took fifth on Stage One ahead of former W2RC Champion Luciano Benavides (KTM) ahead of Honda’s Pablo Quintanilla and Adrien Van Beveren, with Nacho Cornejo (Hero) taking ninth ahead of South Africa’s Bradley Cox (KTM).
The remaining Americans in Mason Klein (Kove) and Jacob Argubright (Honda) both had shockers on Stage One, Klein suffering a small crash and finishing 36m15s behind Sanders and Argubright 56m04s adrift.
2025 Dakar Rally Results Stage One
| 1 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
04h41m27s |
| 2 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+02m04s |
| 3 |
Ross Branch |
Hero |
+02m26s |
| 4 |
Skyler Howes |
Honda |
+04m07s |
| 5 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+04m42s |
| 20 |
Mason Klein (USA) |
Kove |
+35m11s |
| 37 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+55m12s |
2025 Dakar Rally Results Overall (After Stage One)
| 1 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
04h58m18s |
| 2 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+02m22s |
| 3 |
Ross Branch |
Hero |
+02m38s |
| 4 |
Skyler Howes |
Honda |
+04m59s |
| 5 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+05m07s |
| 18 |
Mason Klein (USA) |
Kove |
+36m15s |
| 37 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+56m42s |
2025 Dakar Rally Prologue Stage
Australian Daniel Sanders kicked off his first Dakar Rally as an official Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider by topping the opening Prologue Stage of the 2025 event.
Sanders ended the first day of riding 12 seconds up on current W2RC World Champion Ross Branch (Hero Motorsports), while Sanders’ rookie teammate and Rally 2 class competitor, Spaniard Edgar Canet, sensationally took third on the stage with exactly the same time as Branch.
Daniel “Chucky” Sanders topped the first day of the 2025 Dakar.
“I did a pretty clean prologue with a few mistakes though,” Sanders said. “That’s what happens when you attack and miss a few corners, the dangers jump out at you because the pace is too high. I hope it will be enough to be part of the leading group in Rally GP, which will give me a chance to choose a good starting position for tomorrow.”
Reigning W2RC champ, Ross Branch, clocked second.
Current Dakar Champion Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) led a trio of factory Hondas in fourth, the American heading teammates Tosha Schareina and Pablo Quintanilla, those two both looking for a first Dakar Rally win in 2025.
Former W2RC World Champion Luciano Benavides was seventh on the third factory KTM ahead of Adrien Van Beveren on the fourth factory Honda, with South Africa’s Michael Docherty (BAS World KTM) and Skyler Howes on the fifth (yes, there are five factory Hondas!) rounding out the top 10.
Mason Klein returns for his second Dakar on the factory Kove team. He took 14th on the Prologue, 01m04s off Sanders, while Jacob Argubright (RSMoto Honda) took 19th, 01m30s behind Sanders.
2025 Dakar Rally Results Prologue Stage
| 1 |
Daniel Sanders |
KTM |
16m51s |
| 2 |
Ross Branch |
Hero |
+12s |
| 3 |
Edgar Canet |
KTM |
+12s |
| 4 |
Ricky Brabec (USA) |
Honda |
+18s |
| 5 |
Tosha Schareina |
Honda |
+25s |
| 10 |
Skyler Howes |
Honda |
+52s |
| 14 |
Mason Klein (USA) |
Kove |
+01m04s |
| 19 |
Jacob Argubright (USA) |
Honda |
+01m30s |
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