Daniel Sanders was the strongest in the fourth and penultimate stage of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. He is, thus, very close to the final victory, which would be his second in the season of the Rally-Raid World Championship (W2RC) after Dakar.

This Wednesday, the Red Bull KTM rider needed 2h51m14s to complete 300km timed in the fourth stage. He beat Adrien van Beveren (Monster Energy Honda) by 3m23s, followed by José Ignacio Cornejo (Hero) by 4m52s.

Michael Docherty (SRG Motorsports/Husqvarna) surprised with the fourth time, being the best in Rally2, with Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) finishing fifth.

With one stage remaining, Sanders leads with a 7m23s advantage over Brabec, while Luciano Benavides (Red Bull KTM) is third at 8m46s. Van Beveren and Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy Honda) complete the top five. Docherty leads in Rally2 in eighth place.

O conteúdo Daniel Sanders ahead of stage 4 and is close to winning Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge aparece primeiro em M Sports.

Daniel Sanders is the new leader of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the second round of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). To achieve this, he won the first stage.

After Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy Honda) was the fastest on the first two days, the Dakar winner showed no mercy in the second stage. The Red Bull KTM rider completed the 228km timed section, starting and finishing in Mezzer’ah, in 3h01m35s.

José Ignacio Cornejo (Hero) finished second, 3m59s behind, followed by Adrien van Beveren (Monster Energy Honda). Luciano Benavides (Red Bull KTM) and Skyler Howes (Monster Energy Honda) rounded out the top five, while Schareina was only seventh, over nine minutes behind the winner.

With three stages remaining, Sanders is the new leader of the overall standings, with a 2m25s lead over Benavides. Schareina dropped to third, 2m43s off the top. Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) and Cornejo complete the top five.

O conteúdo Daniel Sanders takes victory in stage 2 of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and is the new leader aparece primeiro em M Sports.

Spanish rider Tosha Schareina is standing out in his debut at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, securing his second consecutive stage victory and consolidating his position at the top of the general classification.

In this first stage, competitors faced the vast Arabian dunes for the first time, in a challenging 243-kilometer test of navigation and endurance. From the Al Ain camp, riders followed a demanding route to the stunning Liwa region, finishing in Mezaira’a.

Prologue winner Schareina took advantage of his privileged starting position, setting off in tenth place. With temperatures rising throughout the day, the Spaniard masterfully dominated the sandy terrain and dunes, crossing the finish line with an advantage of nearly two minutes over Ricky Brabec, his teammate at Monster Energy Honda HRC. This result allowed him to consolidate his lead in the general classification, where he now holds a 2-minute and 7-second advantage over Brabec.

Schareina’s performance at the start of this competition leaves no doubt about his potential. The Spaniard shows growing confidence and a high technical level in navigating the demanding desert landscapes, establishing himself as a strong contender for the final victory.

With more stages ahead, the competition promises to remain tight, but for now, Schareina has already made his mark in this edition of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

Top five of the first stage:

Top five of the first stage:

Top five overall:

O conteúdo Tosha Schareina shines at Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge with second consecutive victory aparece primeiro em M Sports.

The Dakar Rally is more than just a competition. It’s an epic battle against nature, human limits, and despair itself. When Monster Energy Honda HRC decided to reveal the backstage of this brutal challenge, few could imagine the work and intensity required to ensure riders have all the conditions to perform at their best.

Imagine a challenge where each kilometer is a fight against the improbable. Where riders like Ricky Brabec and Skyler Howes transform the desert into a personal battlefield. Motorcycles cut through unforgiving landscapes, facing suffocating sandstorms and terrains that challenge mechanical engineering itself.

The team dismantles the romantic myth of the solitary hero. Behind the scenes, Dakar is a complex dance of strategy, resilience, and solidarity. Mechanics work tirelessly, riders share moments of vulnerability, and every second counts in a journey where success depends on millimeters and hundredths of a second.

This new perspective promises to unveil the DNA of one of the world’s most demanding competitions, which is not about arriving first, but simply about arriving. Surviving. Overcoming.

O conteúdo Video: Behind the scenes of Honda at the Dakar Rally aparece primeiro em M Sports.

Just over a week ago, KTM celebrated its 2025 Dakar Rally victory with Daniel Sanders, as well as a Rally2 win with Edgar Canet.

At present, the future remains uncertain, depending on the approval of the restructuring plan at a creditors’ meeting scheduled for February 25. However, the manufacturer’s intentions are clear: to remain in motorsports.

Gottfried Neumeister, the new CEO of the Mattighofen-based manufacturer, emphasized quoted on GPOne.com that this is an essential part of KTM’s identity, showcasing its capabilities:

– Winning the most important motorcycle categories in the Dakar is not just a sign of life but also clear proof that KTM is capable of building the best bikes in the world. And if the banks allow us to move into the third phase, we can continue to do so in the future.

In addition to the Dakar and the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), KTM is actively involved in other motorcycle racing disciplines, with a natural focus on MotoGP and its feeder categories (Moto2, Moto3, and the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup).

O conteúdo Crisis doesn’t keep KTM away from racing: ‘It’s a proff that KTM can build the best bikes in the world’ aparece primeiro em M Sports.

This year, Daniel Sanders secured his first victory in the Dakar Rally. It was his fifth participation, and until now, he had never even reached the podium.

An entire season lies ahead in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). However, when asked about his next steps, the Australian gave only one guarantee – he wants to defend his Dakar title:

– I don’t know yet. We’ll see what happens, but we’ll be back here trying to defend it. And we still got the world championship to continue. So, we don’t stop here. We keep going and set the next goal and go for that.

Sanders’ performance was dominant: he achieved five stage victories and led from start to finish. He concluded the rally with an 8m50s advantage over Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy Honda).

O conteúdo Daniel Sanders on his future: ‘We’ll be back here trying to defend it’ aparece primeiro em M Sports.

Adrien van Beveren’s long-awaited Dakar victory didn’t come this year, but he still secured another podium finish, equaling his best-ever result.

The Frenchman from Monster Energy Honda finished the race in third place, less than 15 minutes behind the winner, Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM), who led the rally from start to finish.

After securing the final result with the fastest time in the last stage, van Beveren expressed regret over not clinching the title but made a promise:

– We have to risk so much to be up front. I really tried to be on the top of the podium and we couldn’t do it this time but I like to ride motorcycles in the desert so I will come back.

O conteúdo Adrien van Beveren holds his head high after missing victory: ‘I will come back’ aparece primeiro em M Sports.

With each passing day, it became increasingly likely, and Daniel Sanders secured victory in the 2025 Dakar. The rider led from the very first day, a feat achieved by only a few in history.

This Friday, in the 12th and final stage, the Australian from Red Bull KTM finished sixth but still claimed the overall win with an 8m50s lead over Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy Honda).

In a press release, Sanders emphasized the magnitude of the accomplishment, making sure to thank those who supported him while also recalling a challenging past year:

– 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.

O conteúdo Daniel Sanders rejoices in Dakar victory: ‘It’s a massive accomplishment’ aparece primeiro em M Sports.

Tosha Schareina secured second place in the 2025 Dakar – his best result yet in his relatively short career in the event.

The Monster Energy Honda rider made an effort in the final stage to push further but finished 8m50s behind winner Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM). Nonetheless, Schareina expressed satisfaction:

– I’m so happy to finally be here at the finish line. This year was really really hard for everybody, but I’m super happy with this second place because we had quite a lot of problems. 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.

The Spaniard also said: ‘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’.

O conteúdo Tosha Schareina celebrates second place at Dakar and underlines: ‘I’m hungry for more’ aparece primeiro em M Sports.

This Friday, Daniel Sanders was crowned champion of the 2025 Dakar, finishing sixth in the final stage. In the overall standings, the Red Bull KTM rider beat Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy Honda) by 8m50s.

Speaking to the championship’s official website, the Australian emphasized that every day was important and there was never a truly easy day:

– I just knew I had to start off during the week. The first week was important, and every day is important. So, you couldn’t have an easy day; it was always attack, attack, attack when you could. So, I just made sure I didn’t make any big mistakes. And since Morocco, I felt really good with the bike, and navigation, and everything. I’ve done all the years of navigation. So, now it’s just working together with that and making sure I tick it all off.

Yesterday, the penultimate stage was made challenging by fog that delayed the start. Sanders recalled: ‘It was a little tricky, but it was a really soft sand dunes, we didn’t think they were going to be this soft. We come a long way, 500km, and then a new terrain, so we didn’t know what the weather was doing. It was super soft, but we had a big gap in the lead, and we just managed that. And we knew we were pretty safe, and then we just had to get through the next two days. So, work hard early on in the race and then you could have a couple little easier days and no pressure’.

O conteúdo ‘You couldn’t have an easy day; it was always attack, attack, attack’ – Daniel Sanders aparece primeiro em M Sports.