ROUND 1 / JANUARY 3-17, 2025
BISHA TO SHUBAYTAH, SAUDI ARABIA
OFF-ROAD I FIM WORLD RALLY-RAID CHAMPIONSHIP / DAKAR RALLY
P70
he dropped 20 minutes in one go
to Sanders and meant he sat 27
minutes off the lead at that point,
effectively ending his hopes of a
third Dakar win.
health concerns following Stage
Six. Kevin was involved in a hor-
rific crash while practicing early
in 2024,
landing in an extended
medically induced coma that
necessitated having to relearn
many of the basic motor skills
required for a normal life, so the
fact he even made the start line
in the first place is testament to
his drive and resolve.
The 2025 Dakar Rally has
proven a tough one for defending
champion Ricky Brabec (Honda).
The Californian has been on the
same pace, but a critical naviga
-
tion error on Stage Four meant
Van
Beveren for a malfunction-
ing GPS unit (a common theme
in this year's
rally). However, the
former W2RC Champion con-
tinued his forward progression
by
taking the Stage Eight win by
a touch over two minutes from
Van Beveren, moving him up
to fourth in the overall stand
-
ings, but a lackluster first week
means
he's a little over a half an
hour behind teammate Sanders
in the overall standings.
Luciano is at least faring bet
-
ter than older brother Kevin, the
two-time Dakar champion
retir-
ing his factory KTM after citing
Ricky Brabec has
had the speed, but a
major navigational
error on Stage Four
dropped him out
of the overall victory
contention.
Lorenzo Santolino
made a bit of history
by taking his first
Dakar win on Stage
Three, Sherco's
first since 2019.
