The 2025 Dakar Rally’s Stage 9 offered a high-speed challenge, connecting Saudi Arabia’s bustling capital, Riyadh, with the expansive wilderness of the Empty Quarter Desert. The day saw remarkable performances across all categories as competitors tackled a 357km special stage with a 232km liaison.
Ultimate Class Highlights
Five-time Dakar champion Nasser Al-Attiyah clinched his first stage win of 2025 in his Dacia Sandrider, marking the 49th stage victory of his illustrious career. His performance puts him just 31 seconds behind Mattias Ekström (Ford Raptor T1+) in the overall standings. Ekström holds third place behind Yazeed Al Rajhi, the new leader, and Henk Lategan in second.
Al-Attiyah reflected: “We pushed all day on a very fast stage. Now, we need to do our best on every kilometre.”
Belgium’s Guillaume De Mévius excelled in his MINI, securing a second-place finish in the stage to earn crucial World Rally-Raid Championship points despite trailing significantly in the overall standings.
Bike Class Dominance
Argentine rider Luciano Benavides celebrated back-to-back stage wins aboard his Red Bull KTM, edging closer to a podium finish, now just 7m23s away. He expressed excitement for the upcoming dunes: “The dunes are the terrain that I like the most, so I can’t wait to go there tomorrow.”
Daniel Sanders continues to lead the bike category with a commanding 14m45s advantage as he eyes his first Dakar title. The Australian rider commented on the stage: “The dirt was really white, so I couldn’t see the tracks properly. I just focused on hitting the right spots.”
Challenger and SSV Classes
In the Challenger class, Gonçalo Guerreiro of the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team remains in contention, sitting just 27m58s behind leader Nicolas Cavigliasso. Guerreiro stated: “It doesn’t matter how fast you are if you can’t find the right way to go.”
SSV veteran Francisco ‘Chaleco’ López remains poised for a podium finish, trailing leader Brock Heger by 2h07m38s.
Stage 10 Preview
Competitors now face the daunting Empty Quarter Desert, with towering sand dunes reaching up to 250m. The short special stage on Wednesday demands precision and resilience as the rally edges closer to its conclusion.
2025 Dakar Rally Selected Overall Standings After Stage 9
Ultimate
- Yazeed Al Rajhi (SAU) – 45:06:54
- Henk Lategan (ZAF) +7:09
- Mattias Ekström (SWE) +24:50
Challenger
- Nicolas Cavigliasso (ARG) – 49:38:09
- Gonçalo Guerreiro (POR) +27:58
SSV
- Brock Heger (USA) – 51:13:20
Bike
- Daniel Sanders (AUS) – 47:45:34
- Tosha Schareina (ESP) +14:45
With only three days of racing left, the 2025 Dakar Rally promises more drama and excitement as competitors push their limits.
Source: Redbull Content Pool
This article was crafted with assistance from Chatgpt