Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders claimed his fourth stage win on stage seven of the 2025 Dakar Rally, extending his overall lead to over 15 minutes – the largest margin so far. Rally2 standout Edgar Canet overcame an early roadbook issue, bouncing back to secure an impressive second place overall on the stage – the best result for a Rally2 rider this year. Edgar now leads the Rally2 category by 21 minutes. Luciano Benavides delivered another strong ride, finishing sixth on the stage and moving up to fifth in the overall standings.
Riders faced a 708-kilometer loop for stage seven. Starting and finishing at the bivouac at Al Duwadimi, the route traversed numerous rocky expanses and some short dune sections. Navigation proved key to a strong result, with riders forced to take extra care of their roadbook notes.
Daniel Sanders made the most of his ninth-place start position for stage seven’s challenging timed special, skillfully navigating the 411 kilometers raced against the clock without issue. Battling with his closest rival, Tosha Schareina, for the stage lead for most of the route, Daniel ultimately crossed the line in first place with an advantage of nearly four minutes. This victory marks Daniel’s fourth stage win of the 2025 Dakar, and extends his overall lead to well over 15 minutes, the largest the gap has been throughout the rally.
Daniel Sanders: “That was a pretty fast stage, and technical at the start while it was raining. I stayed fully focused all day as the navigation was tricky, so it was a much better day for me. We adjusted the bike to suit the sand more as well, which really helped in the dunes. I’m feeling confident, and as a team we’re doing everything we can to put ourselves in the best position possible to retain the lead for the remaining stages.”
Despite showing blistering pace over stage seven’s timed special, Edgar Canet’s day was far from straightforward. Forced to stop due to an issue with his digital roadbook tablet, Edgar lost nearly an hour and a half waiting for a replacement tablet. However, Canet’s setback only fired him up more as he raced to a sensational second place finish, once the time lost was reallocated to him, marking the best result of a Rally2 rider this year. The young Spaniard extended his overall class lead to a comfortable 21 minutes and solidified his position in 10th overall, gradually closing the gap to the riders ahead.
Edgar Canet: “I had a problem with my roadbook tablet from the start, but I managed to get to the first refueling stop at kilometer 89 by following the lines of the riders ahead. I had to wait for well over an hour for my tablet to be changed, but after that I felt really good on the bike and enjoyed the rest of the special. I’m happy with my riding and loving every part of the Dakar experience!”
Maintaining his impressive form in the second week of racing, Luciano Benavides delivered another strong performance on the demanding 708-kilometer loop around Al Duwadimi. Starting mid-pack, the Argentinian pushed hard and focused on precise navigation throughout the stage. Despite a minor error 70 kilometers into the special, Luciano quickly recovered, consistently posting competitive times at each checkpoint to ultimately finish sixth. Benavides’ solid result moves him up to fifth place in the provisional overall standings, as he continues to close in on the rally leaders, stage by stage.
Luciano Benavides: “Stage seven was really long again, but so far, it’s been one of my favorite stages in terms of the terrain as it had a mix of everything. I’m super happy with the bike and my speed, but I made a navigation mistake near the beginning of the stage and after that I had to push really hard to recover the time I lost. I’m pleased with my result and looking forward to the rest of this week.”
Stage eight of the Dakar will challenge riders with a total distance of 733 kilometers, including 483 kilometers of timed special raced against the clock.
Provisional Results – 2025 Dakar Rally, Stage 7
1. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 4:10:33
2. Edgar Canet (ESP), KTM, 4:14:09 +3:36
3. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 4:14:20 +3:47
4. Pablo Quintanilla (CHL), Honda, 4:16:00 +5:27
5. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 4:17:29 +6:56
Other KTM
6. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 4:17:57 +7:24
Provisional Standings – 2025 Dakar Rally (after 7 of 12 stages)
1. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 39:29:22
2. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 39:44:55 +15:33
3. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 39:55:29 +26:07
4. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 40:02:41 +33:19
5. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 40:06:54 +37:32
Other KTM
10. Edgar Canet (ESP), KTM, 40:49:47 +1:20:35