How would we describe the 2025 Dakar Rally so far? Well, probably the best description for it in a few words would be ‘an intense adventure!’. With every kilometer counting from the first twist of the throttle, a 48-hour Chrono Stage was directly followed by a marathon stage for the second, third and fourth ‘day’ results, with stage one and five book-ending the longer stints in the wondrous wilds of the Saudi Arabian desert. There’s been little time for the riders to catch a breath amongst all of the intensity of rally-bike action-to-overnight tents under the stars of the Middle East, and we’ve loved following every minute of it!
By FullGas Creative
Once again, the Dakar storybook turns another few pages and is being scribed with new legendary tales of this extraordinary race; stories of lone warriors and their rally bikes battling a wilderness that stretches far and wide across a variety of terrains with variable conditions in pursuit of the ultimate off-road accolade.
This year’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing line-up of Daniel Sanders, Luciano Benavides, Kevin Benavides (RallyGP) and Edgar Canet (Rally2) have enjoyed a strong start to the near 8000km, 12 stage event. The opening stage from Bisha, following the Prologue, offered no warm-up to what is often referred to as one of the most notoriously difficult races on the planet. It was Sanders that dropped the first hammer-blow by taking the initial stage victory aboard his KTM 450 RALLY machine: “That was pretty tough! There was a lot of dust, so maybe my decision to start further back wasn’t the best, but we all caught each other up after a while and everyone was fighting to get ahead,” said the Australian.
The opener was followed by the much-anticipated overnight Chrono Stage. Think of a sleep stop mid-desert with very little luxury other than a tent, military style supplies, and probably a whole lot of sand in your toes after one of the most gruelling rides on a motorcycle you’ve ever had! Introduced for the first time in 2024, the ’48-hr Chrono’ is one stage held over two days where riders have to stop at makeshift bivouacs or ‘break point’ zones overnight.
There were six possible rest points, all with very basic food supplies for the riders, who had a campfire and slept in a tent under the Saudi Arabian stars with a little rider camaraderie that’s always been so special in rally, while receiving zero assistance from the team. Call it a taste of Dakar past, it’s a test of physical and mechanical endurance, and adds an additional sense of adventure to the competition, which has become so professional over the years by comparison to the early races.
The riders covered a whopping 947km over two days of racing, and at 5.00pm local time on day one of the Chrono, all competitors had to stop at the next bivouac they reached, which would dictate the length of the racing they’d have to do the following day. In some cases it was quite strategic on how far they wanted to get. Sanders once again came out on top; the 30-year-old battled the dunes and difficult navigation to bring his KTM 450 RALLY back to the more civilized bivouac, with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team awaiting his arrival. Sanders continued to lead the standings as the Aussie concluded the second part of the two-dayer.
Stages three and four were a marathon stage, again with no assistance overnight and another sleep in a tent in the desert. Riders had to be mindful of conserving their bikes, and tire wear was certain to play a part if they weren’t careful. To add a bit more intensity, the competitors also only had 30 minutes to work on their machines upon arriving to the bivouac. Riders have a general good knowledge of bike maintenance that they can utilize in these parts of the race. Sanders won the second part of the marathon stage having had trouble with his navigational equipment on stage three. It’s worth noting that this year it’s mandatory to use a digital roadbook, which is essentially what riders use to navigate in rally with a series of symbols and information, which was formerly and historically a very long paper scroll.
Concluding stage four, Sanders said: “That was a pretty cool stage! I did get lost a bit but nothing that cost me too much time. This area can be really tricky, so you have to focus completely, and it will be the same tomorrow. I’ve extended my lead even more, so I’m really pleased with that. I’m definitely looking forward to the rest day!”
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Luciano celebrated victory on the fifth and final stage of the first week, having battled through the volcanic landscapes and canyons of Alula. The Argentinian racer dedicated the win to his former Dakar-winning brother and teammate Kevin, who celebrated his birthday in the desert and is getting back up-to-competition-speed after injury.
“That was a really good day for me, starting from 14th helped as I was able to catch a lot of the riders in front of me, but I could still see some tracks. I feel good on the bike and I’m happy with my riding, so we are at a good place before the rest day,” said Luciano. Strategy will play a big part next week as you have to judge which stages will be the best to try and make up time on, and which ones to take it steady on. I feel like I am still in the fight, there’s a long way to go to the finish and I’m in a really good rhythm now so I can wait to see what the next week will bring,” concluded the KTM racer.
Heading into today’s rest day, where competitors can regroup and re-charge, get through all of their media obligations and prepare for the next seven stages, Sanders leads the overall standings by seven minutes, while Luciano is seventh, and Kevin is currently 26th.
A big mention has to be made about new Red Bull KTM Factory Racing signing Edgar Canet, who has emerged as a new talent and bright star so far in this year’s Dakar. The 19-year-old youngster took part in a handful of rallies last year to qualify for the Dakar, notably with a seventh-place finish at the Rallye du Maroc, and the young-gun has already demonstrated his Dakar potential in Saudi Arabia this week.
Runner-up in the Rally2 category on stage one, the Spanish-ace battled for the class lead in stages two and four, with his first Rally2 stage victory coming on stage three. Canet has also clinched some very credible top 10 finishes in the overall rankings, and the KTM-racer is currently leading the Rally2 category while sitting in 10th overall in the general standings heading into the rest day. Canet is certainly quite a revelation, as even making the end of the first week is an incredible achievement for a Dakar rookie.
“It feels amazing to be leading Rally2 after this first week, and I’m excited for the rest day to recover! This week has been super long with a lot of hours on the bike, but I have a good feeling for the rest of the race.” said Canet.
“Of course the aim is to win Rally2, especially after my performance this week, so I’ll keep pushing hard!” concluded the Dakar debutant.
With some stunning sunsets, stony ground, huge dunes, we’ve enjoyed looking through some of the images so far from Dakar 2025. Action resumes tomorrow, January 11th with some long stages ahead, including a mass start and the venture into the notoriously tough Empty Quarter, with the race concluding in Shubaytah on January 17th. We’d like to wish the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team all the best for week two!