Sanders fastest on opening day of Dakar 48 Hour Ch...

2025 Dakar Rally

Stage 2 Chrono Half 2a – BISHA > BISHA

The colossal problem of Dakar’s 48-Hour Chrono stage kicked off on Sunday with practically 1000km of driving going through rivals over two days. On Sunday riders pushed onerous to cowl as a lot of the massive distance as they might earlier than the clock struck 1700 to sign the tip of the day.

Final 12 months’s model of the robust endurance stage took half within the spectacular dunes of Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter, however for 2025, riders made their means north out of Bisha to face a mixture of grime tracks, sand and a primary style of the large dunes on this 12 months’s Dakar.  Riders full the 48-Hour Chrono with none assist and the standings solely to be formally confirmed on completion of the second half of the stage on Monday. Thus what we current as the present state of play additional beneath needs to be seen as strictly provisional.

The three strongest riders continued to show their mettle, Daniel Sanders winner of the prologue and stage one, completed comfortably forward of Ricky Brabec and Ross Department. The Australian spending the evening in camp E together with the remainder of the highest 5, the place he holds a provisional digital total lead of 4′02″ over the American and 5′59″ over the Botswanan. Tosha Schareina, 8′17″ again, is the fourth man to look at, adopted by Skyler Howes.

Due to his stage one victory, Sanders was awarded a useful begin place because the final RallyGP rider to set off from Bisha. Venturing into Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter, Sanders instantly set about chasing down his rivals and took the lead by the second checkpoint.

After 320 kilometres and practically 4 hours of racing, ‘Chucky’ caught as much as the group opening the stage and commenced to rack up valuable time bonuses. Reaching the penultimate relaxation cease at 5:00 pm, 617 kilometres into the demanding particular, the Australian holds each the provisional stage and total rally leads.

Ricky Brabec saved his cool to maintain inside touching distance of the digital chief Sanders all through the day as he diminished a two minute deficit down to only 40-seconds on the 617 km break zone. Brabec additionally acquired time bonuses driving out on the entrance so it was a great aggressive day for the reigning Dakar champion as these might be factored into the ultimate stage occasions tomorrow on the conclusion of the massive check.

Heros’s Ross Department completed third for the day, nearly four-minutes off the lead, constructing on his third-place end in stage one and ensuing third place total.

Regardless of a quick second getting caught within the dramatic dunes, Tosha Schareina saved himself within the combine in fourth with practically five-minutes in bonuses in his pocket. As the primary rider to get to the bivouac he can have the tough activity of opening the way in which when the motion resumes. Sitting in fifth, Skyler Howes has additionally obtained a while bonuses on this leg and continues his constant begin to this 12 months’s Dakar Rally because the bikes stopped for the evening.

Pablo Quintanilla was trying to bounce again with a unique arrange on his Honda CRF450 RALLY and that he did as by the point he reached the small bivouac he’d had a way more optimistic day within the saddle together with his sixth place exhibiting he’d nicely and really acquired to grips with the terrain.

Rally2 challenger Edgar Canet continued his sturdy run of kind, combating for the category lead for practically eight hours. Canet pushed onerous from the beginning whereas making certain he didn’t make any navigational errors on the demanding terrain and joined team-mates Daniel and Luciano at Break Level E at 5pm. The younger Spaniard lies second in Rally2 and seventh total on the midway level of the stage.

After his heroic effort to get to the tip of the stage after a crash early on stage one, after which points with the street ebook push button, Adrien Van Beveren was again in his stride with navigation and pace over the sand, taking practically seven minutes of valuable time bonuses as he sits in eighth.

Luciano Benavides made a robust begin to the two-day stage, registering the fifth-fastest time on the first checkpoint. Dealing with the primary dunes of this 12 months’s occasion, Luciano rose to the problem and remained centered on his roadbook whereas sustaining a robust tempo to finish the day in ninth place.

Proving his consistency and expertise, Kevin Benavides ended the day at Break Level D, only one cease behind his team-mates, the Argentinian in twenty sixth on the halfway level of the stage.

Andreas Hölzl – Crimson Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing Rally Workforce Supervisor

“It was a extremely lengthy stage immediately, and it was robust with loads of dunes however lastly the blokes made it to the remainder stops. Sanders is doing very well and Edgar has achieved an awesome job too with none errors immediately. Luciano is on monitor for an awesome end result and Kevin remains to be within the recreation. We’re wanting ahead to ending the stage tomorrow!”

Ruben Faria – Monster Vitality Honda HRC Basic Supervisor

“The primary day of the 48 Hour Chrono is now over, but it surely was a extremely robust first day with greater than 600 km to trip however I believe the Monster Vitality Honda HRC riders are in a extremely good place. Now we have two riders that can begin within the first two positions tomorrow with three riders additional again so meaning we are able to do two totally different methods. At this second I don’t know what’s the finest one however I imagine that with Tosha and Ricky beginning first and second, so long as they don’t make any errors, with the time bonuses they’ll do a great stage. We should wait till tomorrow afternoon to seek out out the place all of them end.”

2025 Dakar Rally, Stage 2a Provisional Prime 5

1. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, Break Level E, 7:41:56
2. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, Break Level E, 7:42:36 +0:40
3. Ross Department (BWA), Hero, Break Level E, 7:45:47 +3:51
4. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, Break Level E, 7:47:05 +5:09
5. Skyler Howes (USA), Honda, Break Level E, 7:50:34 +8:38

Toby Value and Sam Sunderland matched the front-runners of their Hilux, the 2 former bike Dakar champs eyeing a spot within the prime 5 total in Bisha tomorrow.

Tomorrow – Stage Two B

With the clock stopped, even riders who made it to bivouac E on the 617km break zone, won’t actually know the place they stand relative to one another within the classification, and now open their meals rations and spend an evening sleeping beneath the celebrities.

With no service from the primary workforce of mechanics who’re lots of of kilometres away, it’s all the way down to the talent of the riders to take care of their bikes with no matter they’re carrying with them or from fellow rivals.

Everybody will spend the night recovering from an extended day within the saddle, swapping tales with different rivals round camp fires, as the unique spirit of the Dakar in Africa is recreated earlier than they’re again into prime gear on the morning time on Monday to finish the 48 Hour Chrono for 2025.

2025 Dakar Rally Standings
!Provisional!

Official Rankings won’t be calculated till after Monday’s second half of the 48H Chrono stage

2025 Dakar Rally Route/Schedule