Tosha Schareina’s strategy in the Dakar 2025 marathon stage has not paid off, resulting in a significant increase in his distance from the leader, Daniel Sanders (KTM), to 15:02 minutes. However, an 8:10 speeding penalty imposed on Sanders has reduced the gap to 6:52 minutes.
KTM has confirmed a GPS failure on Sanders’ tablet, which may lead to a claim for time and potential changes in the classification.
Two Battles in One Stage
The stage featured two distinct battles: one for stage victory, dominated by favorites like Brabec and Howes, and another between the top two riders, Daniel Sanders and Tosha Schareina.
The battle between Sanders and Schareina was intense, with the Australian initially taking the lead and collecting bonuses. However, Schareina managed to close the gap after Sanders made a mistake around km 250.
Despite the penalty imposed on Sanders, he still took more than five minutes in bonus time, resulting in a final time 1:36 better than Schareina’s.
Luciano Benavides Takes Stage Win
Luciano Benavides (KTM) has taken his first stage win at the Dakar 2025, inheriting the victory from Van Beveren, who was initially declared the winner but received a two-minute penalty.
Edgar Canet (KTM) had a successful day, finishing eighth in the stage and increasing his lead in the Rally 2 classification by 13 minutes over Ebster, despite suffering from a damaged tire and tablet problems.