BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ASO, KTM,
HONDA, HERO
A
fter pushing himself into
a comfortable lead in the
first week of Dakar Rally
2025, Daniel Sanders (KTM) has
so far managed to keep himself
there as the rally enters its
final stages.
The Australian has proven
the dominant force this year in
Saudi Arabia by taking five stage
wins at the time of writing, one
of only five riders in the race's
history to do so. Put simply,
Sanders has won every stage
that he hasn't had to open.
But he hasn't been able to
rest on his laurels. Although he's
won five of the eight stages run
so far at the time of this writing,
Sanders' results have swayed
greatly, with a number of fin
-
ishes in the bottom half of the
top 10, meaning Honda's star
Spaniard Tosha Schareina has
kept him firmly in his sights.
The latest Stage Eight was a
good example of Sanders' form.
Leading out after winning Stage
Seven, the Aussie dropped a
little over three minutes from
Schareina, who has finished
inside the top three on six of
the stages, including one stage
win and only once outside the
top five. Sanders knows the
pressure really is on now if he
wants to become the second
Australian to win the biggest
rally in the world after Toby
Price triumphed twice in 2016
and 2018 when the rally was run
in South America. At the time of
writing, Sanders has a lead of 11
minutes and three seconds in
the overall standings.
ROUND 1 / JANUARY 3-17, 2025
BISHA TO SHUBAYTAH, SAUDI ARABIA
OFF-ROAD I FIM WORLD RALLY-RAID CHAMPIONSHIP / DAKAR RALLY
P68
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