On a 115-km timed route from Haradh to Shubaytah, made up entirely of sand and dunes, conditions were ripe for surprises on Wednesday's 10th stage of the Dakar Rally. The leading riders had to open the road, leaving room for possible upsets, and it was in this demanding terrain that some outsiders managed to distinguish themselves.
Dakar Motos 2025: Michael Docherty takes South Africa to the top, 22 years on
South Africa's Michael Docherty (KTM), a Rally2 rider, was the surprise winner on the day. 2 hours of racing to beat Portugal's Rui Gonçalves (Sherco TVS) by 1 minute and 20 seconds. His performance was all the more remarkable in that he became only the second South African to win a Dakar motorcycle stage, after Alfie Cox in 2003. With this victory, he signs his entry, by the big door, in the top 10, since seven Rally2 drivers finished in the first ten positions of this special stage.
Results of Stage 10 - Dakar 2025: Haradh - Shubaytah (Bikes)
1. Docherty (AFS) - BAS WORLD KTM RACING TEAM - 2h00'03"
2. Goncalves (POR) - SHERCO TVS RALLY FACTORY - 1'20" behind
3. Ebster (AUT) - BAS WORLD KTM RACING TEAM - 2'21" behind
4. Svitko (SLQ) - SLOVNAFT RALLY TEAM - 5'10" away
5. Canet (ESP) - RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING - 5'34" away
6. Howes (USA) - MONSTER ENERGY HONDA HRC - 5'59" away
7. Gelazninkas (LIT) - HOTO FACTORY RACING TEAM - 6'59" away
8. Melot (FRA) - TEAM ESPRIT KTM - 7'33" off the pace
9. Doveze (FRA) - BAS WORLD KTM RACING TEAM - 7'42" off the pace
10. Mulec (SLN) - BAS WORLD KTM RACING TEAM - 8'13" off the pace
11. Sanders (AUS) - RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING - at 8'22"
12. Dabrowski (POL) - DUUST RALLY TEAM - 8'30" away
13. Brabec (USA) - MONSTER ENERGY HONDA HRC - at 9'09"
14. Dumontier (FRA) - TEAM DUMONTIER RACING - 9'36" away
15. Drdaj (RTC) - CAJDA?ROT - 9'43" away
16. Benavides (ARG) - RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING - at 9'52"
17. Schareina (ESP) - MONSTER ENERGY HONDA HRC - at 10'08"
18. Theric (FRA) - KOVE - 10'13" away
19. Van Beveren (FRA) - MONSTER ENERGY HONDA HRC - at 10'25"
20. Jucius (LIT) - HT RALLY RAID - 10'47" away
A solid trio at the head of the overall standings
Daniel Sanders (KTM), true to form, set the best result of the top 5 by taking eleventh place on the stage, 8'22" behind the day's winner. The South African, leader for several days, now sees his gap to Schareina increase to 16'31''. Schareina, who went down hard the day before, will be gritting his teeth. In pursuit, Van Beveren, who finished the day 2'03'' behind Sanders, was 22'24'' behind in the general standings.
Behind the three leaders, Luciano Benavides (KTM) overtook Ricky Brabec (Honda) yesterday for fourth place overall. With a deficit of 6'50" on Van Beveren, the Argentinian could well be in the fight for the podium by the end of the rally-raid.
Dakar 2025: Bikes overall standings after stage 10ᵉ
1. Sanders (AUS) - RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING - 49h53'59"
2. Schareina (ESP) - MONSTER ENERGY HONDA HRC - at 16'31"
3. Van Beveren (FRA) - MONSTER ENERGY HONDA HRC - 22'24" away
4. Benavides (ARG) - RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING - 29'14" away
5. Brabec (USA) - MONSTER ENERGY HONDA HRC - 32'18" away
...
12. Dumontier (FRA) - TEAM DUMONTIER RACING - in 2h54'20" time
13. Theric (FRA) - KOVE - at 3h18'52"
What's in store for the drivers: one last great battle in the sand
As the end of this edition of the 2025 Dakar looms, Thursday's 11ᵉ stage, with its 308 km of special stages around Shubaytah, promises to be crucial. Sand and dunes will once again be on the agenda, with conditions that could influence the distribution of places at the top of the standings. Drivers will also have to juggle between managing the bonuses linked to the opening of the road and the strategy dictated by the tracks left before them.
Photo credits: A.S.O. Florent Gooden DPPI Images