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Daniel Sanders wins Dakar! Recapping the final stage and reactions

2025 Dakar Rally Stage 12 - SHUBAYTAH > SHUBAYTAH

Motorcycle News by Motorcycle News
January 17, 2025
in Enduro / Rally, KTM News

2025 Dakar Rally

Stage 12 – SHUBAYTAH > SHUBAYTAH


Daniel Sanders has won KTM their 20th Dakar Rally victory. The Australian took five stage wins on his way to his first ever victory, crossing the line with a nine-minute lead.

Joining Sanders on the Dakar podium were Honda’s Tosha Schareina (8m50s) and Adrien Van Beveren (14m46s).

Michael Docherty of the BAS World KTM Racing Team took the final stage win, ahead of Van Beveren and team-mate Tobias Ebster.

Daniel Sanders - 2025 Dakar Rally Champion
Daniel Sanders – 2025 Dakar Rally Champion
Daniel Sanders dominated the 2025 Dakar Rally, culminating with the 61-kilometre, mass-start special that crowned him the overall champion. From the outset, Daniel showcased his speed and skill, winning the prologue, the opening stage and tough two-day 48-hour Chrono stage to take an early lead. Claiming two further stage wins on his Red Bull Factory Racing 450 RALLY and never giving up his overall advantage, Sanders is only the second rider in history to lead the Dakar Rally from start to finish.
Daniel Sanders – 2025 Dakar Rally Champion

“So we have just won the Dakar Rally! It’s a massive accomplishment from myself and the team after a tough year, and I can’t thank everyone enough for the support. It’s been a long journey, and I can’t wait to celebrate with everyone! Now it’s time to kick back and relax after a long two weeks.”

Daniel Sanders - 2025 Dakar Rally Champion
Daniel Sanders – 2025 Dakar Rally Champion

On only his fourth Dakar and having never finished in the top ten before, Tosha Schareina put in a brilliant performance throughout the 13 days of racing to take a fantastic second place finish as he pushed this year’s winner, Daniel Sanders, right to the very end after 53 hours of competition.

Tosha Schareina
Tosha Schareina
Tosha Schareina – P2

“I’m super happy to be here on the finishing line. Three years ago I was fighting just to race here at the Dakar Rally and now I’m fighting for the win. I’m super happy and hungry for more. I’ve been dreaming about this all my life. When I was a child I would be sat on the sofa seeing my idols and now I’m here battling with them so I’m super happy. It was a really hard race and many of the veterans have told me that. It was the toughest ever edition, so I’m super happy to be here on the finishing line, so happy for the team and for everybody taking this second place we have earned. For sure, we had a lot of problems in the bike race and I think everyone is happy to finish. I’m super happy for Daniel, he has done a great job and had a great two weeks. I think the ten minutes more or less he took on the first day allowed him to control the race from then, but I’m super happy for them.”

Dakar 2025
Dakar 2025 – Stage 12

Adrien Van Beveren took back-to-back third place podium finishes as the experienced Frenchman also notched up his sixth Dakar Rally career stage victory. Getting into his rhythm in the second week, the 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship runner-up managed to keep Luciano Benavides behind him so that he could celebrate with teammate Tosha Schareina on the podium.

Adrien van Beveren
Adrien van Beveren – P3

“It was an amazing Dakar, the most difficult I have raced. I thought last year was the most difficult but this time was even more difficult. We did a good job. I pushed all the way. I have no regrets at all. I rode an amazing race and I’m really happy. To finish the Dakar is a victory and to be on the podium is even more so. For sure, I want to reach the top step but I’m proud of my race.”

Joining Daniel Sanders 2025 Dakar Rally Champion on the podium were Tosh Schareina and Adrien Van Beveren
Joining Daniel Sanders 2025 Dakar Rally Champion on the podium were Tosh Schareina and Adrien Van Beveren

Luciano Benavides delivered an impressive performance at the world’s toughest rally, rounding out the two-week race with a seventh-place result on stage 12 to secure fourth overall – his highest ever Dakar finish. Consistently among the frontrunners, and with two consecutive stage wins, multiple podium finishes, and a career-best overall result, Luciano’s 2025 Dakar campaign was testament to his sheer speed and determination.

Luciano Benavides – P4

“We’ve finished the Dakar and I’m really happy! It’s been a tough two weeks, but I’m pleased with my performance. Of course, I want more but to get two consecutive stage wins means a lot to me. This is also my best Dakar result ever so it’s definitely special. I can’t thank the team enough for all their hard work, and a huge congrats to Daniel on his victory. Nobody expected us to be this strong, but we have proved that we are here to stay.”

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Luciano Benavides
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After returning from a tibia plateau fracture after a crash at the 2024 season ending Rallye Du Maroc, the 2020 and 2024 Dakar champion Ricky Brabec was happy with his performance during the Rally during which he added another stage win to the ten he has already achieved so far. His fifth place finish and stage six win was a sensational performance considering he’d not got back behind the bars of his Honda CRF450 RALLY until November.

Brabec crossed the finish line in unison with another rider returning from injury, fellow American Skyler Howes, who last competed in a World Rally-Raid Championship round back in June at the Desafío Ruta 40. Riding in his seventh Dakar Rally, his sixth place position overall didn’t reflect on how he’d kept the pace regularly with the front runners and although slightly frustrated with his performance, he’s already looking forward to getting himself back stronger for the upcoming rounds this season.

Ricky Brabec
Ricky Brabec – P5

“I’m happy to be at the finish line, this is my tenth Dakar and it means a lot to me. When I started this career I didn’t know I would have done what I’ve achieved so it’s cool. I’ve won twice, got on the podium in second place position and I was hoping to get back on it at some point but I wasn’t able to make a breakthrough and the other guys were riding really well so hats off to them. Now we got beat, we got our ass kicked so now we’re going to be hungrier for the next year when we’ll be ready to fight, so we’ll see what happens next time.  It’s really hard winning back to back which has been impossible for the last ten years. I really wanted to do it, you know sinking is not an option and I never give up. So I think we’re going to keep going until we can win again.”

Skyler Howes
Skyler Howes
Skyler Howes – P6

“So there’s obviously work to be done, I wanted to finish on the top step of the podium so sixth place just means that I need to beat five other people. We’ve got work to do this year so we’re going to get straight back to it, there’s no rest days and we’ll come back swinging again next year.”

Hero’s Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo took out seventh just under an hour off the winning pace and the only non-Honda and non KTM in the top-10.

Edgar Canet made a sensational debut as the youngest ever Dakar competitor at just 19 years old, dominating the Rally2 category with four stage wins and defending his lead from the second day to the end of the race. Edgar’s performance also earned him an eighth-place finish overall, an extraordinary feat on his debut Dakar Rally campaign. Concluding the 2025 edition by placing 13th on stage 12, Canet’s standout overall results include his runner-up finish on stage seven, and third place ranking on the prologue.

Edgar Canet – P8/Rally2 Champion

“We finished the Dakar Rally, we made it! I’m super happy to have got P1 in Rally2, it’s a dream come true, and I am really pleased for the team, too. Now, it’s time to party and celebrate!”

Edgar Canet
Edgar Canet
Andreas Hölzl – KTM Rally Team Manager

“That’s the 2025 Dakar done! I’m super happy for Chucky and the rest of the guys, the win is so well deserved. To be the second person ever to lead from the first day to the end is something really special. What we have achieved in a year is unique and we are very proud. I’m happy for the team, for KTM, and we are going to celebrate for sure!”

Red Bull Factory Racing
Red Bull Factory Racing
Pit Beirer – KTM Motorsports Director

“What an incredible victory! Congratulations, Daniel, and thank you to the whole team. From the home base in Mattighofen, who built an incredible motorcycle, to the team at the track, and finally Daniel, who won this Dakar in the most dominant style I have ever seen. Leading from the first day until the last is such a special statement and is so important for KTM as it shows exactly what we stand for – we are back on track and READY TO RACE. This victory is not just for the team and the race department, it’s for the whole company. It shows if we stick together and fight hard with our incredible riders, we can achieve incredible results. Congratulations also to Edgar, one of the best rookies we have seen for a long time, Luciano for being such a stable force, and Kevin, who made an impressive comeback but just needs that little bit more time to rest and heal. This is a super important victory, and we couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season for racing and for everyone at KTM.”

Ruben Faria – Honda HRC General Manager

“The team did a really good job with everybody putting in the maximum effort to achieve a good result for Monster Energy Honda HRC with four of our riders getting to the finish line of this year’s Dakar Rally. With four bikes in the top six we had a good set up for this year, the riders are OK although Tosha did have a bit of shoulder issue after stage 5, however he managed to get through it and achieve his brilliant runner-up position. Adrien did a good job too to join Tosha on the podium. Ricky and Skyler who came fifth and sixth also did really well, it was a shame on the 48 Hour Chrono that Ricky had some problems as that lost him time. Like Skyler, he’s also come from an injury so it was a good result for him too. Overall the 2025 Dakar Rally went well, the main aim was to win and although we didn’t achieve that in the end we can learn from this and try to analyse what we can do to perform better in all areas. We will return for the 2026 Dakar much stronger so we can be number one again, this is our focus from now on. I want to say a big thank to all the team members and all the people involved in this project in Japan. We will come back stronger next year.”

Monster Energy Honda HRC
Monster Energy Honda HRC

Rounding out the top 10 overall for the 2025 Dakar Rally were Tobias Ebster and Stefan Svitko, with 11th placed Rui Goncalves the top Sherco Rally Factory rider.

In 15th we also saw Neels Theric bringing the Kove Factory Racing machine home as their top performer, marking the best result in its history for a Chinese bike.

The duel between Emanuel Gyenes and Benjamin Melot for victory in the Original by Motul class kept the bivouac guessing until the final kilometre. The Romanian won by a whisker (3’05″) in front of the Frenchman, repeating the top two from the 2020 edition.

Australia’s Toby Hederics finished the 2025 Dakar Rally in 19th overall, and 29th for the final stage.

The 2025 event was only completed by 77 bikes, or which 67 were Rally2 competitors, and 175 vehicles in total, Sanders becoming only the second Australian winner ever.

With its 20th triumph, KTM reinforced its position of leading constructor in terms of overall victories on the Dakar. In addition to winning all the bike classes, the Austrian firm picked up 8 out of the 13 specials (five for Sanders, two for Benavides and two for Michael Docherty). Honda finished with three stage successes (Van Beveren, Brabec and Schareina), while Sherco reacquainted itself with victory once thanks to Lorenzo Santolino.

Daniel Sanders - 2025 Dakar Rally Champion
Daniel Sanders – 2025 Dakar Rally Champion

Final Dakar Rally 2025 Rankings

Pos Rider Total Time
1 DANIEL SANDERS 53h 08′ 52″
2 TOSHA SCHAREINA +8′ 50″
3 ADRIEN VAN BEVEREN +14′ 46″
4 LUCIANO BENAVIDES +22′ 16″
5 RICKY BRABEC +29′ 50″
6 SKYLER HOWES +42′ 44″
7 JOSE IGNACIO CORNEJO +58′ 20″
8 EDGAR CANET +1h 40′ 29″
9 TOBIAS EBSTER +2h 13′ 54″
10 STEFAN SVITKO +2h 14′ 38″
11 RUI GONÇALVES +2h 50′ 50″
12 ROMAIN DUMONTIER +3h 03′ 02″
13 TONI MULEC +3h 25′ 37″
14 MICHAEL DOCHERTY +3h 41′ 10″
15 NEELS THERIC 3h +43′ 33″
16 KONRAD DABROWSKI +3h 54′ 02″
17 DUSAN DRDAJ +4h 02′ 23″
18 LORENZO SANTOLINO +4h 16′ 48″
19 TOBY HEDERICS +4h 46′ 58″
20 EMANUEL GYENES +5h 16′ 50″

2025 Dakar Rally Stage 12 Results

Pos Rider Nat Bike Time
1 Michael Docherty ZAF KTM 54′ 11”
2 Adrien Van Beveren FRA HONDA +0′ 03”
3 Tobias Ebster AUT KTM +0′ 44”
4 Tosha Schareina ESP HONDA +0′ 57”
5 Stefan Svitko SVK KTM +0′ 59”
6 Daniel Sanders AUS KTM +1′ 07”
7 Luciano Benavides ARG KTM +1′ 07”
8 Romain Dumontier FRA HONDA +2′ 07”
9 Rui Gonçalves PRT SHERCO +2′ 08”
10 Ricky Brabec USA HONDA +2′ 22”
11 Skyler Howes USA HONDA +2′ 22”
12 Toni Mulec SVN KTM +2′ 23”
13 Edgar Canet ESP KTM +2′ 27”
14 Jose Ignacio Cornejo CHL HERO +2′ 28”
15 Jacob Argubright USA HONDA +2′ 29”
16 Konrad Dabrowski POL KTM +3′ 12”
17 Arunas Gelazninkas LTU HOTO +3′ 17”
18 Neels Theric FRA KOVE +3′ 33”
19 Emanuel Gyenes ROU KTM +6′ 39”
20 Charlie Herbst FRA GASGAS +7′ 43”

Monster Energy Honda HRC’s Stage 12 Wrap Video


2025 Dakar Rally Route

2025 Dakar Rally Route
Tags: 2025 Dakar Rally2025 World Rally Raid ChampionshipDakarDakar 2025Dakar RallyDaniel SandersKTMRallyWorld Rally Raid Championship
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