Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides delivered a strong performance on stage six of the 2025 Dakar Rally, finishing fifth on the 605-kilometer timed special and moving up to sixth overall in the standings. Teammate Daniel Sanders overcame early navigation challenges to finish ninth, maintaining his overall rally lead with an advantage of just under 12 minutes. In the Rally2 category, Edgar Canet showed impressive resilience after a small crash, securing fourth in Rally2 and extending his class lead to 17 minutes, while holding his position in the top 10 overall.
Kicking off the second week of the Dakar Rally after the much-needed rest day, stage six presented competitors with a demanding 829-kilometer route from the bivouac in Ha’il to Al Duwadimi. The first leg of the 605-kilometer special featured a challenging mix of stones and rocks, while the second half transitioned to sandy tracks and rolling dunes.
With 829 kilometers ahead of him, Luciano Benavides set off into the stage well-rested after his day off. Second into the special, Luciano got his head down and pushed hard right from the start, maintaining a consistent pace over the challenging and varied terrain to post the fifth-fastest time at the finish in Al Duwadimi. The excellent result moved the KTM 450 RALLY rider up one place in the overall standings to sixth, just over 30 minutes down on teammate and rally leader Daniel Sanders.
Luciano Benavides: “That was pretty good, I made a small mistake this morning and Nacho [Jose Ignacio Cornejo] passed me, so we then rode together for most of the special. I pushed hard and managed to catch the leader by the end. The first part was tricky, and I had to be super careful to stay on the bike. After the rest day, it’s great to get back into it, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the week.”
Also delivering a strong ride on today’s demanding stage, Daniel Sanders initially fell victim to some tricky roadbook notes, straying from the route which cost him some time. However, quickly getting back up to speed, the Australian posted the second-fastest time at the 96-kilometer mark. Losing a little time in the second half of the special, Sanders dropped to ninth place as he crossed the line. At the close of stage six, Daniel retains his lead in the overall standings with an advantage of nearly 12 minutes.
Daniel Sanders: “I got off to a bit of a rough start this morning as I got lost near the beginning of the special. It’s always tough to try and get back into a rhythm after the rest day, but I’m happy with my result today. It gives me a great starting position for tomorrow, so I’ll definitely make the most of that. It was cool having such variety in the stage from the really rocky first part to the dunes. I’m feeling great and excited for tomorrow.”
Pushing hard over the rocky terrain of the first half of today’s special, Rally2 challenger Edgar Canet had a small crash which forced him to take a few minutes to recover. Undeterred, the young Spaniard regrouped and delivered an impressive performance over the remainder of the stage, ultimately securing fourth place in the Rally2 category and 17th overall. This strong result allows Canet to maintain his class lead with a 17-minute margin and retain his position within the top 10 overall standings.
Edgar Canet: “Today was a long day on the bike, and it was tough! I had a small crash 45 kilometers into the special, so I had to stop for a few minutes. I managed to get back into a good rhythm though and I’m happy with my performance. We have six stages ahead of us still so let’s see how they go!”
Provisional Results – 2025 Dakar Rally, Stage 6
1. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 5:00:51
2. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 5:01:14 +0:23
3. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (CHL), Hero, 5:01:42 +0:51
4. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 5:03:18 +2:27
5. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 5:04:27 +3:36
Other KTM
9. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 5:06:34 +5:43
17. Edgar Canet (ESP), KTM, 5:13:49 +12:58
Provisional Standings – 2025 Dakar Rally (after 6 of 12 stages)
1. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 35:18:49
2. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 35:30:35 +11:46
3. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 35:38:00 +19:11
4. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 35:42:07 +23:18
5. Skyler Howes (USA), Honda, 35:46:14 +27:25
Other KTM
6. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 35:48:57 +30:08
10. Edgar Canet (ESP), KTM, 36:35:48 +1:16:59