Dakar rest day halfway recap – Penalty chang...

2025 Dakar Rally

Relaxation Day Recap

After 2,559 kilometres of specials lined by the bikes riders have reached the remaining day in Ha’il within the coronary heart of Saudi Arabia. Rivals will resume racing on Saturday for the seven phases remaining earlier than the ultimate ending line in Shubaytah, within the Empty Quarter.

Daniel Sanders (Purple Bull KTM Manufacturing unit Racing) has gained on 4 events to date and dominates the overall rankings after 5 phases, forward of Monster Vitality Honda HRC riders Tosha Schareina and Adrien Van Beveren.

After topping the opening prologue, the Australian went on win phases one and two, opening up a decent benefit over his rivals. On stage three, whereas opening, Sanders minimised the potential loss by placing in an impressed journey from the entrance. Come Wednesday and stage 4, he was again to his successful methods, growing his total lead earlier than extending that additional on Thursday. With seven phases remaining, Chucky now holds a 15-minute benefit after his dashing penalties in Stage 5 had been rescinded, he might be aiming to increase that lead additional over the remaining seven phases.

Daniel Sanders

“The primary week has been actually robust and constant for me, I’ve felt nice on the bike and I’m pleased with my driving and navigation. It’s undoubtedly been actually optimistic, and I’ve a wholesome lead on the midway level. Apart from a couple of points with my roadbook pill, all the things has gone very well and I’m having loads of enjoyable! I’m having fun with resting and recovering and looking out ahead to the second half of the race!”

Tosha Schareina, who made a untimely exit from the Dakar final yr, is probably the most distinguished of Honda’s representatives, occupying 2nd within the basic rankings.

World Rally Raid Champion Ross Department (Hero MotoSports) has been constant all through and holds down 4th place. The ‘Kalahari Ferrari’ was in third place for a lot of the rally earlier than Adrien Van Beveren pushed him down a spot on the finish of stage 5. Van Beveren was named the winner of the fifth stage in a single day after, like Sanders, he had his dashing penalties revoked, which promoted previous Luciano Benavides, who had beforehand been credited with the stage win.

Whereas Sanders leads the best way for KTM a horde of Honda riders are protecting the stress on. Schareina the closest in second however his Monster Vitality Honda HRC team-mates Adrien Van Beveren is in third, Skyler Howes fith and Ricky Brabec in sixth. The slightest mistake from the Australian will see the Honda riders pounce.

Luciano Benavides has steadily improved his tempo all through the week, overcoming early navigation challenges to safe constant top-10 finishes. His laborious work culminated in an outstanding stage 5 runner-up end result. Luciano is well-placed to proceed difficult for prime stage outcomes and transfer up the leaderboard because the competitors intensifies.

Luciano Benavides

“First week achieved and I’m completely satisfied to be ending in a robust place, particularly after my stage win yesterday. I really feel higher than ever on the bike and with my driving, navigation and expertise. I feel I might have used a greater technique this week as my hole to Daniel is greater than I’d like, nevertheless it’s one thing I can be taught from, and I’m tremendous completely satisfied for Daniel and the group. Subsequent week might be robust, however I’m excited to get on the market on Saturday after some relaxation at the moment. In fact, I’m nonetheless within the struggle as I do know I’ve the pace to be there, and so much can change in every week so I’m going to maintain pushing.”

Getting back from harm to race the 2025 Dakar Rally, Kevin Benavides demonstrated resilience and expertise all through the opening week of the occasion. Regardless of racing at effectively beneath 100 per cent health, Kevin steadily improved, securing his finest stage end result with a sixteenth place end on stage 4. Sadly, with the bodily pressure proving an excessive amount of for the two-time Dakar Champion, Kevin has made the tough however courageous resolution to withdraw from this yr’s occasion.

Kevin Benavides

“The primary week was undoubtedly robust with over 30 hours of racing. I’m not in my finest bodily situation so it has been a struggle day-after-day, however I’m actually proud to have completed the primary week of the hardest rally on the earth. That alone is a good achievement! It’s been irritating as my thoughts is aware of how one can race quick and stick with the highest guys – I’ve proved that in earlier years – my physique simply isn’t able to sustaining that type of tempo for the time being. It’s due to this sense that I’ve made the choice to withdraw for the rally – the danger of additional harm is simply too nice. I wish to thank the group and the followers for all of the help they’ve given, and I hope to be again racing once more quickly.”

Andreas Hölzl – KTM Rally Group Supervisor

“We’re super-happy in regards to the state of affairs for the time being with Chucky within the lead and doing a tremendous job. He’s match, assured, and the bike is working very well, so all the things has come collectively completely, together with the group behind him, who’re working actually laborious, too. Luciano is in a very good place going into the second week. He’s feeling comfy on the bike and we’ll actually do our very best as a group to get him up into the rostrum positions. Edgar has been actually spectacular to date. In solely his first Dakar he has proven he has what it takes to be aggressive with the highest guys. He’s clearly main the Rally2 class but additionally simply contained in the top-10 total. We’ll proceed to work with him over the approaching week to make sure a robust end to the occasion. Sadly, after all, we now have to say that Kevin will cease now after the primary week. As we all know, he had a tricky yr with harm however has achieved an ideal job over the primary week right here, and it’s a testomony to his power and expertise that he made it to the remaining day. Kevin will keep in Saudi and might be readily available to help his brother and the entire group, which can be an enormous assist. The second week right here at Dakar is trying robust, however we’re effectively ready and motivated to hold this momentum to the end.”

Rally 2

All of the Rally 2 riders registered for a leg are mechanically enrolled within the championship this yr and with present title holder Bradley Cox having switched to the Rally GP class, new names are already beginning to break up the hierarchy established in 2024. That of teenage Spaniard Edgar Canet has appeared probably the most typically, as was anticipated. He was enrolled on the final minute by the KTM manufacturing unit group and the youngest official rider within the model’s historical past is emulating Sanders on the tender age of 19 years: he leads the Rally 2 rankings and has earned three stage wins on the best way to Ha’il.

Edgar Canet

“That’s the primary week completed! It has been actually optimistic for me and I’m tremendous completely satisfied to be main Rally2 at this level. I’ve an ideal feeling with the group and the bike which has proven in my outcomes. It has been harder than I used to be anticipating, particularly the chrono and marathon phases the place we spent over 5 hours on the bike. I’m actually excited to see how the second week will go, and I’ll attempt to make it pretty much as good as this primary one has been.”

Tobias Ebster, who has gained two phases, is the one rider to have contested first place with the Spaniard within the basic rankings. Michael Docherty has additionally gained a stage, however the state of affairs on the race’s halfway level is obvious: Canet leads Ebster by 16’39’’ and Docherty by 31’07’’. There are three KTM machines on the forefront, whereas the riders on Honda business fashions Romain Dumontier and Jacob Argubright, each tackling their first Dakar, are grouped in 4th place (49’47’’ behind) and fifth place (51’34’’).

Neels Theric on his Kove has made a noteworthy entrance to the championship behind the reds. Within the new Group rankings set as much as reward the Rally 2 buildings, BAS World KTM Racing are already favourites because of Ebster and Docherty. Canet, the one Rally 2 rider within the official KTM group, isn’t backed up by a second team-mate and subsequently can not rating factors within the rankings.

2025 Dakar Rally Standings after Stage 5 (Amended)

2025 Dakar Rally Route/Schedule