Competitors face major challenges at 2025 Dakar rally

There’s no easing into the 2025 Dakar Rally for this year’s competitors, as organisers have thrown some of the biggest challenges at them immediately. 

Stage 2 is the notorious 48-hour Chrono and tonight the convoy sleep out in the desert, with a massive 1,000km to cover in two days.

In the Ultimate class, five-time Dakar champion Nasser Al-Attiyah made his move for the front in the new Dacia Sandrider and spent the day fighting for the lead. The Qatari and his Saudi Arabian rival Yazeed Al Rajhi pushed each other for over 600km before the 5pm racing cut-off. At sunset, it was Al Rajhi who held a lead of just over a minute on Al-Attiyah's Dacia.

While one champion is in contention for the win, the news wasn’t good for defending Dakar winner Carlos Sainz, who flipped his Ford Raptor T1+. Team-mate Mitch Guthrie Jr. was soon on the scene to help Sainz get going, but the damage sustained prevented the Spaniard from clawing back lost time and he ended the day 55m adrift of the leaders.

Sébastien Loeb also suffered bad luck, as the nine-time WRC winner came to a halt 409km into the stage and lost precious time. He was assisted by the third Dacia Sandrider of Cristina Gutiérrez and finished the day 32m 42s down in 17th place.

Among the surprises on the first half of the 48-hour Chrono was the performance of Ultimate class rookie Toby Price The two-time Bike champ got his teeth into the task with fellow Bike winning co-driver Sam Sunderland and the duo setup camp just 16m 20s off the stage.

There was no 48-hour Chrono for Laia Sanz, following her Stage 1 crash. Although she brought her car back to the bivouac, it was too badly damaged to continue in her quest to finish a 15th consecutive Dakar.

The Bike class has seen a dream start for Australian Daniel Sanders. After wins on the Prologue and Stage 1, Sanders was fastest again on the first part of the 48-hour Chrono. After close to eight hours in the saddle, Sanders put down the fastest time to maintain the overall lead of the bike race. Sanders is joined in the provisional top 10 by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team-mate Luciano Benavides and 19-year-old rookie Edgar Canet, who has massively impressed so far.

In the Challenger class it was a decisive day for a pair of Taurus T3 Max drivers, as both Pau Navarro and Dania Akeel launched attacks. Navarro rose to fifth on his Challenger class debut while Akeel provisionally took sixth. Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team rookies Gonçalo Guerreiro and Corbin Leaverton stood up to everything in their first 48-hour Chrono experiences and came out in second and fourth respectively in the overall Challenger contest.

Tomorrow sees the conclusion of the 48-hour Chrono, following a night for competitors sleeping out in tents. Separated from their mechanics, they must also perform all repairs themselves.

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Day 3: Stage 2 (48-hour Chrono) – January 5, 2025

Route: Bisha > Bisha – Liaison 45km | Special 947km

1. Yazeed Al Rajhi (SAU) 6h 52m 31s

2. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) +1m 8s

3. Mattias Ekström (SWE) +9m 4s

5. Rokas Baciuška (LTU) +10m 23s

7. Nani Roma (ESP) +13m 52s

9. Toby Price (AUS) +16m 15s

10. Giniel de Villiers (ZAF) +18m 33s

13. Guillaume De Mévius (BEL) +25m 18s

15. Mitch Guthrie Jr. +30m 15s

16. Lucas Moraes (BRA) +31m 53s

17. Sébastien Loeb (FRA) +32m 42s

24. Seth Quintero (USA) +47m 23s

25. Carlos Sainz (ESP) +55m 38s

27. Cristina Gutiérrez (ESP) +1h 20m 19s

Bike through 609km of 958km

1. Daniel Sander (AUS) 7h 41m 56s

7. Edgar Canet (ESP) +11m 25s

9. Luciano Benavides (ARG) +12m 46s

CHALLENGER through 580km of 971km

1: Nicolas Cavigliasso (ARG) 7h 10m 14s

3. Pau Navarro (ESP) +6m 27s

4. Dania Akeel (SAU) +9m 3s

5. Gonçalo Guerreiro (POR) +12m 24s

6. Corbin Leaverton (USA) +12m 45s

SSV through 414km of 971km

1. Xavier De Soultrait (FRA) 5h 30m 40s

2. Francisco López (CHL) +1h 43m 48s

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