EDGAR CANET FIFTH-FASTEST ON STAGE 10 AT DAKAR 2025

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Edgar Canet showcased his skill and consistency on stage 10 of the 2025 Dakar Rally, navigating the demanding dunes of the Empty Quarter to secure a fifth-place finish. The Spaniard's strong result keeps him firmly in the lead of the Rally2 category and in eighth overall. Daniel Sanders adopted a strategic approach to the short special, finishing 11th to maintain his commanding overall rally lead while setting himself up for an advantageous start position for Thursday's penultimate stage. Luciano Benavides, tasked with opening the stage after his victory on stage nine, powered through the deep sand to finish 16th, cementing his strong fourth place in the overall standings.

Riders departed the bivouac at 4:15am this morning to tackle a grueling 520-kilometer liaison on route to the start of stage 10's special, which led them to Shubaytah, the final bivouac location of the 2025 Dakar. Though the timed section was relatively short at 115 kilometers, it consisted largely of rolling dunes, posing challenging navigation and testing the endurance of all competitors.

Edgar Canet leveraged his mid-pack start position to deliver a composed and strategic ride on his KTM 450 RALLY through the towering dunes of the Empty Quarter. Quickly establishing a competitive pace, he recorded a top-10 time at the first checkpoint and went on to finish the demanding stage in an impressive fifth place. The young Spaniard continues to lead the Rally2 category and lies eighth overall, with just two stages left to race.

Edgar Canet: "Stage 10 done and we only have two left now. It was a tough stage today – after riding for hours on the road, the 115 kilometers raced against the clock were made up almost entirely of dunes. I'm really pleased with how I rode and have a good feeling for tomorrow, so I'm happy."

Daniel Sanders adopted a calculated approach to today's special, focusing on minimizing navigation errors and securing a favorable start position for Thursday's penultimate stage. Setting competitive times at both checkpoints of the short special, he strategically eased off in the final section to avoid opening the longer 308-kilometer stage 11. Despite finishing 11th on the stage, Sanders was only eight minutes behind the leader in the tightly contested special. Strengthening his overall rally lead, the Australian now holds a commanding 16-minute advantage with just two stages remaining.

Daniel Sanders: "That's stage 10 done here in the Empty Quarter! It was a shorter stage but full of sand dunes. We had a massive 500-kilometer liaison this morning which meant a super early start. I'm happy with my result, it's where we wanted to be ahead of tomorrow's longer stage. I also extended my lead today so I'm pretty happy with that too."

Fresh off his stage nine victory, Luciano Benavides faced the unenviable task of leading out on stage 10. Despite the difficult terrain and navigation, the Argentinian delivered an impressive performance, opening the stage from start to finish and securing the 16th-fastest time. Luciano's effort solidifies his fourth-place position in the overall standings, perfectly setting him up to attack tomorrow's penultimate stage as he aims to close the gap to a podium finish.

Luciano Benavides: "Today was stage 10 in the dunes of the Empty Quarter where I opened the whole way. I think I did a good job, it was really difficult to see the dunes with the sun right overhead and I felt a bit nauseous too. I did my best and we've finished in a good position to attack tomorrow as it the last day I will have to make up a large chunk of time and go for a podium finish."

Provisional Results – 2025 Dakar Rally, Stage 10

1. Michael Docherty (ZAF), KTM, 2:00:03
2. Rui Goncalves (PRT), Sherco, 2:01:23 +1:20
3. Tobias Ebster (AUT), KTM, 2:02:24 +2:21
4. Stefan Svitko (SVK), KTM, 2:05:13 +5:10
5. Edgar Canet (ESP), KTM, 2:05:37 +5:34

Other KTM

11. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 2:08:25 +8:22
12. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 2:09:55 +9:52

Provisional Standings – 2025 Dakar Rally (after 10 of 12 stages)

1. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 49:53:59
2. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 50:10:30 +16:31
3. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 50:16:23 +22:24
4. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 50:23:13 +29:14
5. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 50:26:17 +32:18

Other KTM

8. Edgar Canet (ESP), KTM, 51:24:47 +1:30:48

Photographer – EDO BAUER