Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders has come out swinging at the 2025 Dakar Rally to win stage one in Bisha. Also victorious in the prologue, the Australian now leads the provisional overall standings after the first full day of racing. Luciano Benavides made a strong start to his Dakar campaign, finishing sixth on his KTM 450 RALLY. Kevin Benavides, returning to competition from injury, placed 17th. Dakar rookie Edgar Canet impressed in the Rally2 category, finishing as runner-up in class and ranking 15th overall.
Getting the 2025 Dakar Rally underway, Friday’s 29-kilometer prologue in Bisha was short and technical, but set the tone for the rest of the event. Topping the timesheets, Daniel Sanders was awarded first choice of starting position, opting to set off mid-pack in 23rd for Saturday’s stage one. Edgar Canet achieved an impressive third-place finish, with Luciano Benavides in seventh and Kevin Benavides in 24th.
Riders were immediately put to the test with this year’s opening stage, which totaled 499 kilometers in a loop around Bisha. Tackling a mix of sand and dirt tracks with plenty of tricky navigation points, competitors then faced a series of gravel tracks to complete the 413-kilometer timed special.
Making the most of his advantageous start position, earned from his victory on Friday’s prologue, Sanders used his skill and experience to successfully navigate the stage and avoid any costly mistakes. Rising to the challenge, ‘Chucky’ clocked the fastest time after 150 kilometers and maintained that advantage for the remainder of the stage to ultimately finish over two minutes faster than his closest competitor. Daniel now holds the provisional lead overall and will look to defend his position during the upcoming 48-hour chrono stage.
Daniel Sanders: “That was pretty tough! There was a lot of dust, so maybe my decision to start further back wasn’t the best, but we all caught each other up after a while and everyone was fighting to get ahead. I had to ignore the roadbook for a while and just focus on my speed and standing my ground. It was a fun start though and I’m interested to see how the 48-hour stage will go – I’m feeling great!”
Following on from his seventh-place result in the prologue, Luciano Benavides remained unfazed by the demanding opening stage and delivered a cool and collected ride across the varying terrain. Maintaining a solid rhythm from start to finish, Luciano steered his KTM 450 RALLY to a commendable sixth-place result, also securing sixth in the overall standings.
Luciano Benavides: “That was a crazy but cool stage to start with! I struggled with the feeling in my hand for a while, so I had to manage that. The navigation was really tricky at some points, but I just tried to stay calm and focused. It worked well, and I’m happy with how today went. The next few days will be testing, but I can’t wait.”
Setting off fourth into the stage after his 24th place result in the prologue, Kevin Benavides knew that he would have to deliver a mistake-free ride to make up time and move up the rankings. Battling with challenging navigation and intense dust near the front of the pack, Kevin put in a safe but solid performance to finish 17th on the stage and overall standings.
Kevin Benavides: “Today’s 413km special was honestly really tough. The navigation was tricky, which I didn’t expect for the first stage, but I stuck to my plan of starting off steady and really focusing on my roadbook to avoid any mistakes, so I think that paid off. I pushed where I could, and it is great to be back racing so I’m happy with today overall. Today was hard, but I am looking forward to tomorrow’s chrono stage!”
Dakar rookie Edgar Canet certainly made his mark on his Dakar Rally debut. After ranking third overall in Friday’s prologue against experienced rally legends, the 19-year-old carried his momentum into Saturday’s stage one, leading the Rally2 class for most of the day. Despite building up an advantage of nearly 14 minutes over his nearest rival, a navigation error after the refueling stop cost Edgar precious time, which saw him ultimately finish as runner-up in Rally2, and 15th overall.
Edgar Canet: “Today’s stage was good! In the first part of the stage, my speed was good and I didn’t get lost, which was great as the navigation was hard. After the refueling, though, I got lost in the same place for a while, which unfortunately cost me the win in Rally2 today. Overall, I have a great feeling with the bike, I am learning a lot and I’m looking forward to the rest of the race!”
Tomorrow, the team face one of the longest days of the event for the first half of the 48-hour chrono stage. Setting off from Bisha, riders will aim to complete as much of the 947-kilometer timed special stage as possible, before staying in a bivouac away from their teams overnight. All four KTM riders are fired-up and READY TO RACE the grueling stage.
Provisional Results – 2025 Dakar Rally, Stage 1
1. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 4:41:27
2. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 4:43:31 +2:04
3. Ross Branch (BWA), Hero, 4:43:53 +2:26
4. Skyler Howes (USA), Honda, 4:45:34 +4:07
5. Tosha Schareina (USA), Honda, 4:46:09 +4:42
Provisional Standings – 2025 Dakar Rally (after 1 of 12 stages)
1. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 4:58:18
2. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 5:00:40 +2:22
3. Ross Branch (BWA), Hero, 5:00:56 +2:38
4. Skyler Howes (USA), Honda, 5:03:17 +4:59
5. Tosha Schareina (USA), Honda, 5:03:25 +5:07
