Daniel Sanders wins Dakar! Recapping the final sta...

2025 Dakar Rally

Stage 12 – SHUBAYTAH > SHUBAYTAH

Daniel Sanders has gained KTM their twentieth Dakar Rally victory. The Australian took 5 stage wins on his strategy to his first ever victory, crossing the road with a nine-minute lead.

Becoming a member of Sanders on the Dakar podium had been Honda’s Tosha Schareina (8m50s) and Adrien Van Beveren (14m46s).

Michael Docherty of the BAS World KTM Racing Workforce took the ultimate stage win, forward of Van Beveren and team-mate Tobias Ebster.

Daniel Sanders dominated the 2025 Dakar Rally, culminating with the 61-kilometre, mass-start particular that topped him the general champion. From the outset, Daniel showcased his velocity and ability, profitable the prologue, the opening stage and hard two-day 48-hour Chrono stage to take an early lead. Claiming two additional stage wins on his Crimson Bull Manufacturing unit Racing 450 RALLY and by no means giving up his general benefit, Sanders is barely the second rider in historical past to guide the Dakar Rally from begin to end.

Daniel Sanders – 2025 Dakar Rally Champion

“So now we have simply gained the Dakar Rally! It’s a large accomplishment from myself and the crew after a tricky yr, and I can’t thank everybody sufficient for the help. It’s been a protracted journey, and I can’t wait to have fun with everybody! Now it’s time to relax and calm down after a protracted two weeks.”

On solely his fourth Dakar and having by no means completed within the prime ten earlier than, Tosha Schareina put in an excellent efficiency all through the 13 days of racing to take a incredible second place end as he pushed this yr’s winner, Daniel Sanders, proper to the very finish after 53 hours of competitors.

Tosha Schareina – P2

“I’m tremendous completely satisfied to be right here on the ending line. Three years in the past I used to be combating simply to race right here on the Dakar Rally and now I’m combating for the win. I’m tremendous completely satisfied and hungry for extra. I’ve been dreaming about this all my life. Once I was a toddler I might be sat on the couch seeing my idols and now I’m right here battling with them so I’m tremendous completely satisfied. It was a very laborious race and lots of the veterans have instructed me that. It was the hardest ever version, so I’m tremendous completely satisfied to be right here on the ending line, so completely satisfied for the crew and for everyone taking this second place now we have earned. For positive, we had lots of issues within the bike race and I feel everyone seems to be completely satisfied to complete. I’m tremendous completely satisfied for Daniel, he has accomplished an important job and had an important two weeks. I feel the ten minutes kind of he took on the primary day allowed him to manage the race from then, however I’m tremendous completely satisfied for them.”

Adrien Van Beveren took back-to-back third place podium finishes because the skilled Frenchman additionally notched up his sixth Dakar Rally profession stage victory. Moving into his rhythm within the second week, the 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship runner-up managed to maintain Luciano Benavides behind him in order that he might have fun with teammate Tosha Schareina on the rostrum.

Adrien van Beveren – P3

“It was an incredible Dakar, essentially the most tough I’ve raced. I believed final yr was essentially the most tough however this time was much more tough. We did job. I pushed all the way in which. I’ve no regrets in any respect. I rode an incredible race and I’m actually completely satisfied. To complete the Dakar is a victory and to be on the rostrum is much more so. For positive, I need to attain the highest step however I’m happy with my race.”

Luciano Benavides delivered a powerful efficiency on the world’s hardest rally, rounding out the two-week race with a seventh-place end result on stage 12 to safe fourth general – his highest ever Dakar end. Persistently among the many frontrunners, and with two consecutive stage wins, a number of podium finishes, and a career-best general end result, Luciano’s 2025 Dakar marketing campaign was testomony to his sheer velocity and dedication.

Luciano Benavides – P4

“We’ve completed the Dakar and I’m actually completely satisfied! It’s been a tricky two weeks, however I’m happy with my efficiency. After all, I would like extra however to get two consecutive stage wins means loads to me. That is additionally my finest Dakar end result ever so it’s undoubtedly particular. I can’t thank the crew sufficient for all their laborious work, and an enormous congrats to Daniel on his victory. No one anticipated us to be this sturdy, however now we have proved that we’re right here to remain.”

After getting back from a tibia plateau fracture after a crash on the 2024 season ending Rallye Du Maroc, the 2020 and 2024 Dakar champion Ricky Brabec was completely satisfied along with his efficiency in the course of the Rally throughout which he added one other stage win to the ten he has already achieved to this point. His fifth place end and stage six win was a sensational efficiency contemplating he’d not bought again behind the bars of his Honda CRF450 RALLY till November.

Brabec crossed the end line in unison with one other rider getting back from damage, fellow American Skyler Howes, who final competed in a World Rally-Raid Championship spherical again in June on the Desafío Ruta 40. Driving in his seventh Dakar Rally, his sixth place place general didn’t mirror on how he’d stored the tempo recurrently with the entrance runners and though barely pissed off along with his efficiency, he’s already wanting ahead to getting himself again stronger for the upcoming rounds this season.

Ricky Brabec – P5

“I’m completely satisfied to be on the end line, that is my tenth Dakar and it means loads to me. Once I began this profession I didn’t know I might have accomplished what I’ve achieved so it’s cool. I’ve gained twice, bought on the rostrum in second place place and I hoped to get again on it sooner or later however I wasn’t in a position to make a breakthrough and the opposite guys had been using very well so hats off to them. Now we bought beat, we bought our ass kicked so now we’re going to be hungrier for the following yr after we’ll be able to combat, so we’ll see what occurs subsequent time.  It’s actually laborious profitable again to again which has been unattainable for the final ten years. I actually needed to do it, you realize sinking is just not an possibility and I by no means surrender. So I feel we’re going to maintain going till we are able to win once more.”

Skyler Howes – P6

“So there’s clearly work to be accomplished, I needed to complete on the highest step of the rostrum so sixth place simply implies that I must beat 5 different folks. We’ve bought work to do that yr so we’re going to get straight again to it, there’s no relaxation days and we’ll come again swinging once more subsequent yr.”

Hero’s Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo took out seventh just below an hour off the profitable tempo and the one non-Honda and non KTM within the top-10.

Edgar Canet made a sensational debut because the youngest ever Dakar competitor at simply 19 years outdated, dominating the Rally2 class with 4 stage wins and defending his lead from the second day to the tip of the race. Edgar’s efficiency additionally earned him an eighth-place end general, a unprecedented feat on his debut Dakar Rally marketing campaign. Concluding the 2025 version by putting thirteenth on stage 12, Canet’s standout general outcomes embrace his runner-up end on stage seven, and third place rating on the prologue.

Edgar Canet – P8/Rally2 Champion

“We completed the Dakar Rally, we made it! I’m tremendous completely satisfied to have gotten P1 in Rally2, it’s a dream come true, and I’m actually happy for the crew, too. Now, it’s time to get together and have fun!”

Andreas Hölzl – KTM Rally Workforce Supervisor

“That’s the 2025 Dakar accomplished! I’m tremendous completely satisfied for Chucky and the remainder of the blokes, the win is so nicely deserved. To be the second individual ever to guide from the primary day to the tip is one thing actually particular. What now we have achieved in a yr is exclusive and we’re very proud. I’m completely satisfied for the crew, for KTM, and we’re going to have fun for positive!”

Pit Beirer – KTM Motorsports Director

“What an unimaginable victory! Congratulations, Daniel, and thanks to the entire crew. From the house base in Mattighofen, who constructed an unimaginable motorbike, to the crew on the observe, and eventually Daniel, who gained this Dakar in essentially the most dominant fashion I’ve ever seen. Main from the primary day till the final is such a particular assertion and is so essential for KTM because it reveals precisely what we stand for – we’re again on observe and READY TO RACE. This victory is not only for the crew and the race division, it’s for the entire firm. It reveals if we stick collectively and combat laborious with our unimaginable riders, we are able to obtain unimaginable outcomes. Congratulations additionally to Edgar, the most effective rookies now we have seen for a very long time, Luciano for being such a steady power, and Kevin, who made a powerful comeback however simply wants that little bit extra time to relaxation and heal. It is a tremendous essential victory, and we couldn’t have requested for a greater begin to the season for racing and for everybody at KTM.”

Ruben Faria – Honda HRC Common Supervisor

“The crew did a very good job with all people placing within the most effort to realize end result for Monster Power Honda HRC with 4 of our riders attending to the end line of this yr’s Dakar Rally. With 4 bikes within the prime six we had arrange for this yr, the riders are OK though Tosha did have a little bit of shoulder subject after stage 5, nevertheless he managed to get via it and obtain his good runner-up place. Adrien did job too to affix Tosha on the rostrum. Ricky and Skyler who got here fifth and sixth additionally did very well, it was a disgrace on the 48 Hour Chrono that Ricky had some issues as that misplaced him time. Like Skyler, he’s additionally come from an damage so it was end result for him too. Total the 2025 Dakar Rally went nicely, the principle goal was to win and though we didn’t obtain that in the long run we are able to be taught from this and attempt to analyse what we are able to do to carry out higher in all areas. We’ll return for the 2026 Dakar a lot stronger so we might be primary once more, that is our focus to any extent further. I need to say an enormous thank to all of the crew members and all of the folks concerned on this challenge in Japan. We’ll come again stronger subsequent yr.”

Rounding out the highest 10 general for the 2025 Dakar Rally had been Tobias Ebster and Stefan Svitko, with eleventh positioned Rui Goncalves the highest Sherco Rally Manufacturing unit rider.

In fifteenth we additionally noticed Neels Theric bringing the Kove Manufacturing unit Racing machine dwelling as their prime performer, marking one of the best lead to its historical past for a Chinese language bike.

The duel between Emanuel Gyenes and Benjamin Melot for victory within the Authentic by Motul class stored the bivouac guessing till the ultimate kilometre. The Romanian gained by a whisker (3’05″) in entrance of the Frenchman, repeating the highest two from the 2020 version.

Australia’s Toby Hederics completed the 2025 Dakar Rally in nineteenth general, and twenty ninth for the ultimate stage.

The 2025 occasion was solely accomplished by 77 bikes, or which 67 had been Rally2 rivals, and 175 autos in complete, Sanders changing into solely the second Australian winner ever.

With its twentieth triumph, KTM strengthened its place of main constructor by way of general victories on the Dakar. Along with profitable all of the bike lessons, the Austrian agency picked up 8 out of the 13 specials (5 for Sanders, two for Benavides and two for Michael Docherty). Honda completed with three stage successes (Van Beveren, Brabec and Schareina), whereas Sherco reacquainted itself with victory as soon as because of Lorenzo Santolino.

Last Dakar Rally 2025 Rankings

2025 Dakar Rally Stage 12 Outcomes

Monster Power Honda HRC’s Stage 12 Wrap Video

2025 Dakar Rally Route