The 47th edition of the Dakar has set a date for the world's rally-raiders in Saudi Arabia from 3 to 17 January.
More information:
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#Dakar2025
© Amaury Sport Organisation - https://www.aso.fr
More information:
https://www.dakar.com
https://www.facebook.com/Dakar
https://www.twitter.com/Dakar
https://www.instagram.com/DakarRally
#Dakar2025
© Amaury Sport Organisation - https://www.aso.fr
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SportTranscription
00:00Hello rally fans and welcome to the Dakar Summer Party.
00:28After the rain, wind and cold, we've got sun, sand and well actually none of the other one
00:32but the boys are in the mood for dancing.
00:36Finally warmer weather, it's nice, almost holidays.
00:41All smiles in the empty quarter, even the prospect of a 519k liaison couldn't dampen
00:46spirits.
00:48Hot temperature, we were missing it.
00:54Daniel Sanders was bullish ahead of stage 10 thanks to a 14.45 buffer at the head of
00:58the rally.
01:01The guys have the pressure to push up, to try and make those big commitments and risks
01:07to try and get that gap closed but now coming in the last couple of days it's hard to close
01:12that especially in the dunes and now I've got control of where I want to start and finish
01:16and those guys are fighting for 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th at the moment so it's a good place
01:20to be.
01:22Luciano Benavida is opening for the 2nd day running but wasn't feeling well at the start.
01:32It was a hard day in the dunes, I was opening, I couldn't do much because the guys behind
01:37me were braking and stopping like you can see back there behind me.
01:42American Idol Ricky Brabeck hasn't had all yeses this year but he's 5th overall with
01:46a good starting position tomorrow.
01:51It's been difficult Dakar, there's been a lot of games going on so I feel like it's
01:56our time to play a little bit of games and today was the day for it.
02:00Games to play you say Ricky?
02:01Was Nacho Cornejo playing?
02:03After dropping 11.5 minutes on the winner he'll set off way back in 23rd.
02:07It could get a bit easier to find a good starting position for tomorrow.
02:14Ok so Nacho was involved but what about you Skyler?
02:17Hows came in 6th and will be a bit nearer the front when the dunes rise up again in
02:21the morning?
02:23Tomorrow's a long stage, over 300km of dunes and so that means if you open the stage you're
02:29pretty much guaranteed to lose a bit of time so on a short stage like this guys are going
02:35to be playing games which means that they're going to go slow on purpose so they don't
02:38have to open the stage tomorrow.
02:40Oh that's the game, got it, thanks Skyler.
02:43But wait, who won?
02:44Well the real winner today from Rally 2, Michael Doherty, he has the number 22 and it's 22
02:49years since our last winner from South Africa.
02:54Yeah I enjoyed it, enjoyed being back in the dunes, that's kind of what I've been waiting
02:58for all Dakar, I was just trying to make my best time today and at least try and get something
03:06good out of this Dakar, you know, like a stage win.
03:09Original Baimotul is still led by Emmanuel Jeannes but Benji Melot took the day and is
03:13now just 5.43 down, watch this space.
03:18I could stay with Stefan Zvitko and Michael Doherty for quite a few kilometres and luckily
03:24I got some time back on Emmanuel Jeannes so I'm quite happy.
03:29Spare a thought for Sherco's Lorenzo Santolino, the finish was especially tough for him, pushing
03:34his bike to the line in all his gear and believe me, it is hot in the desert today.
03:41No changes in the general standings and guys have said they don't think anything can change
03:45over the final three specials, but we both know it can.
03:48Sanders in control, two Hondas and two KTMs in the top four and two rally, two riders,
03:53Canet and Ebster in the top ten.
03:56There's still a couple of stages to go.
04:03We still have a big job to do and we still have a lot of kilometres to go.
04:08We have three days left and yeah, we'll see how we can make the strategy.
04:14Our strategy has worked well and that's the plan from the start.
04:20It's nice to be in the battle, in the top three.
04:23We come back again very strong, to third place, only 40 seconds.
04:28I think we have an idea of what the pace is like.
04:33As long as we are in it, we will give it our very best to fight for it.
04:39We're not way off, there's maybe a chance.
04:42I hope everything's going well and to win Dakar.
04:45Never will give up, I will do my best, you know.
04:48I won't be rude either, but they will have to fight for it.
04:52An absolutely huge distance to cover today, 640km into the empty quarter, of which 120 was timed.
04:58Opening the road after winning yesterday, Nasser Al-Attiyah.
05:01He had 25 minutes to make up on Yazeed Al-Rajhi.
05:05He flew past Guillaume de Méviès, who was stuck on the crest of a dune,
05:08and ended second to last.
05:12I like the sand.
05:13I think I'll learn a bit more, but I'm starting to feel comfortable.
05:18Mathieu Serradori's best Dakar result is seventh, three years ago,
05:22but he and Loic Minaudier are sixth overall and were sixth today too.
05:26Mitch Guthrie's Ford Raptor took their sponsors' advertising a little bit too literally.
05:32Red Bull did give them wings, but not in a good way.
05:35Sixteenth today, they held on to fifth overall.
05:44POV, Seth Quintero.
05:49Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Edouard Boulanger had big, big problems today,
05:54in navigation and, I suspect, tension in the car.
05:58It seems that you lost a bit of time.
06:00I don't know. I asked Edouard.
06:03Really disappointed, you know, but what we can do.
06:07Is it the most disappointing day of the rally?
06:10Yes, all my life.
06:12And it's all changed at the top again.
06:14Henk Lattegen dethroned yesterday, but retook the rally lead this afternoon.
06:17He found the pace difficult, but eleventh was good enough for the San-African.
06:22Not too bad. I hope we didn't go too fast,
06:25because we don't want to be close to the front tomorrow.
06:28Don't worry, Henk, you judged it just right.
06:30There'll be plenty in front of you in the morning,
06:32but Yazeed Al-Raji will be behind.
06:35For me, not easy to open the road.
06:37Sure, the guys behind can go faster,
06:39but I think we do a great job, me and Timo, that's most important.
06:42After Dacia yesterday, more Dakar history today.
06:45Ford M-Sport with a first win.
06:472014 champ Nani Roma brought it,
06:49and with Ekstrom in contention overall,
06:51this could be a very good year.
06:53I really enjoyed today.
06:55Even if there is some stress,
06:57with the dunes cutting in the sand when it's at the top.
07:00We don't see much, but hey, thank you.
07:03Congratulations.
07:04You're OK?
07:05Yeah, yeah, we're OK.
07:06We're kidding.
07:08Great.
07:09Yeah, and that's it.
07:10Vamos!
07:12Right, let's assess what all that means then.
07:14Yazeed took the lead yesterday,
07:15surrendered it today.
07:16Henk switched with him both days.
07:18Ekstrom and Aletea could win,
07:20but who will win is anyone's guess.
07:31The trial.
07:37Oh, shit.
07:41The wheel is broken, isn't it?
07:42Do you see the wheel on the right?
07:46Yeah, it looks good.
07:49It looks good, doesn't it, when you're driving?
07:51No, no, there's a problem.
07:54We have to stop and see.
07:56It looks right, doesn't it?
07:58It looks right, yeah.
08:01It looks right.
08:02In the corner, I'll see if it's right.
08:05It looks right, yeah.
08:06I don't see anything.
08:07It does that, but yeah.
08:09There's a problem.
08:10I think I twisted the steering wheel.
08:12Can you drive?
08:13Yeah, I can drive,
08:14but it's pulling to the right.
08:15Do you think we should stop and look?
08:17I'm not going through.
08:19It's too hard.
08:20There's no more steering assist.
08:27Big dunes often mean big problems,
08:29and these rescue operations aren't an exact science.
08:32Whoopsie!
08:34Mitchell van den Brink is clinging on to second place overall
08:37with everything he's got.
08:38He was happy to finish behind Alishlop Price today.
08:42We're following Le Bret all the time
08:44because we want not to open tomorrow,
08:47so we leave a gap between and we finish second.
08:50So, yeah, it was our plan, so we're happy.
08:54They're separated by just four minutes,
08:56miles behind Martin Matic.
09:00And if you want to be a record breaker,
09:02if you want to be the best,
09:03if you want to beat the rest,
09:04dedication's what you need,
09:05and Francisco Chaleco Lopez has been competing in the Dakar
09:08since 2007.
09:09How's that?
09:10Hegger is untouchable.
09:13And if we haven't already had enough breakthroughs today,
09:16a monumental leap in the challenges.
09:18Dania Aqeel, the first Saudi woman to win a Dakar stage,
09:21glass ceiling smashed.
09:22Ra-e-a, Dania.
09:24Brilliant. Bravo.
09:31Winston Churchill said when he became Prime Minister of the UK
09:34that all he had to offer was blood, sweat and tears.
09:38And these guys and girls are offering all that and more.
09:43He also said this is not the end,
09:45it's not even the beginning of the end,
09:47but it might be the end of the beginning.
09:50The empty quarter signifies that.
09:52See you tomorrow, rally fans.
10:08Thank you, Audrey.