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:
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
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
00:00Life is full of ups.
00:13And downs.
00:19I told you so.
00:25And stage 8 had some very big ups.
00:32And some pretty big back down agains.
00:35This was just one of Guillaume de Mevious' problems.
00:38Winner two days previously, the Belgian finished dead last in the answer book class, three
00:42and a half hours down yesterday with an hour and a quarter of penalties.
00:52The slope was no sweat for Martin Matic in his nine-ton garbage truck, but for the cars
00:57it was a bit trickier.
00:59And one man who was completely battered by this hill was William, I kid you not, Batters
01:05Hill.
01:11Today we just have to focus on the job we have.
01:14The gaps are not really big.
01:16It's still anybody's game.
01:18Now we are really in the short moment because we have 700 kilometres and it's nothing.
01:24And today I think we can do it, a good step, and tomorrow to see what's going on.
01:29Toyota's domination of this Dakar has been almost total.
01:32Would it continue today?
01:34Henk Latogne's overall lead was slender.
01:37Could he hold on?
01:38These were just some of the unanswered questions this morning, as Guy Bottrill, second yesterday,
01:43went out with the express purpose of supporting his compatriot.
01:46Pretty soon, the two were together, with Yazeed Al-Raji second overall by five minutes
01:5341, not far behind.
01:58Three quarters of the way through, the Toyota game plan fell apart, just like Bottrill's
02:02car.
02:03It was a seriously big accident, the biggest of my life.
02:06Very disappointed.
02:07We were going really well, but unfortunately there's motor racing and when you're pushing
02:10hard sometimes things go wrong.
02:13That incident meant Latogne's assistance was no longer available for the final 85k.
02:18Messy, messy, messy day for us.
02:22We got lost, we got one puncture and then towards the end we got another puncture, the
02:26wheel is actually flat.
02:28Mattias Ekström has been on the virtual podium since stage three, consolidating his position
02:33today, the Swedish pair coming in fourth.
02:35It was very fast stage, we struggled a bit in the middle with the navigation, but that
02:41wasn't so enjoyable, but we are here, we keep fighting.
02:46We start behind, so we knew we can push to try to do a good time, so we did it.
02:50A good stage overall, compared to yesterday, it's good to have a good day.
02:55Yazeed Al-Raji took advantage of Latogne's difficulties to go top of the Dakar standings.
03:01Did you know that Latogne missed a waypoint, so now you are the first in the overall ranking?
03:06No, I don't know, he lost?
03:10But it was a Dacia day, as Nasa the Sandrider brought the Romanian outfit a first triumph.
03:17The Qatari attacked from the start, is he back in it?
03:20Today we win the stage, it's really nice for the team and now we come back again very strong
03:26and yeah, we are quite happy.
03:29Nasa is prowling, Ekström's going well but needs to up the pace if he wants to be in
03:34contention.
03:35Latogne of course isn't giving up, but what a Saudi story this would be.
03:39Yazeed Al-Raji is in pole position with three specials left.
03:48After 10 race days, there were 96 bikes left in the rally from a start list of 136.
03:5440 abandons, that's 30% of the entries this year.
03:57Tosha Sharena was trying to keep his focus ahead of 357 high-speed, high-risk kilometers
04:03from Riyadh to Harad.
04:04His Spaniard went out third this morning, he was going well, until this.
04:34For sure after one crash like that, your body is in pain, but if you are all OK and
04:55continue riding, it's super good, so happy for that.
04:59Tosha did continue riding and rode with teammate Ricky Brabeck for a while, the defending champion
05:04finished fourth, Sharena seventh.
05:05I caught my teammate Tosha early, around kilometer 20, he had a crash, so then I just kind of
05:12rode with him and he tagged along behind me all day.
05:15As for the result, I mean not really a day for anything, but just a transfer day.
05:20Just a transfer day, said the defending champ.
05:22The other Honda riders do not agree.
05:30I mean it's funny for them to call it a transition stage, because it's still just as physically
05:34demanding and nothing really like crazy big, but just enough to lose some time.
05:40So yeah, I mean the stage was fun and I was doing good until I wasn't.
05:45Skyler posted fifth fastest for a second day in a row, and Adrien Bambeveren also repeated
05:49yesterday's position, second for the Frenchman.
05:54We had a lot of turns, difficult, tricky navigation, broken terrain, it was really not an easy
06:00day.
06:01I think we put big rhythm with Luciano and we joined just by the end.
06:08Leading at the start and leading at the end, a third rider who doubled up today, Luciano
06:12Benavides, consecutive wins for the Argentinian.
06:15As I was opening the piece today, I had to take extra attention on the notes and really
06:23keep my focus during the stage, so it was quite a mental stage for me, but really happy
06:29because I did a good job opening and yeah, I think I did a good job.
06:34The runaway leader doesn't have much further to ride, three specials remain for Chucky
06:38to hold on.
06:39Luciano just told me that in his opinion you won the Dakar on the first day at the Prologue.
06:43Do you agree with that?
06:45Nah.
06:46Haha, Daniel.
06:47His lead is still significant, but there is a battle for the podium.
06:50KTM have won seven out of ten and there's something about this new bike, but the Austrian
06:54manufacturer isn't giving anything away.
06:56In Rallye 2, Mathieu Dauvez took the day, but Canett is on another planet, Ebster the
07:00speedster lost more time and Ed's ahead by nearly an hour.
07:04In Original by Motul, Emmanuel Genes still leads, but there's only 15 minutes between
07:08the top three.
07:10The Romanian is wheelie, wheelie good, but this is a good, good wheelie from second-in-class
07:15Benji Millau.
07:26Every stage, anything can happen, so we need to have the lead, maybe actually prolong the
07:42lead or maybe we'll lose some time, but still be in touch with the top guys, so we need
07:47to keep, you know, the position on top.
07:51I'm pretty convinced and the track is pretty fast.
07:55Now I know how to, how to handle it and I'm looking forward for the next stages.
08:07Another good showing from Weidotta Sala today.
08:09He came third in the trucks, but there was to be no birthday celebration for Mitchell
08:13van den Brink on the day he turned 23.
08:15The young Dutchman led practically all day, but lost time finding a late waypoint and
08:20was pipped by Aleš Lopraž.
08:22The Czech driver is piling the pressure on MVDB in the battle for the runner's up spot.
08:26They're now separated by just five minutes.
08:30But Martin Macik is romping to victory with a lead of two hours, 23.
08:41What a second week for Chaleco Lopez in the SSV class.
08:44The Chilean won 10 stages on a bike, including five in 2013.
08:48Today he made it 18 in the side-by-sides, four at Dakar 25.
08:53Legendary status.
08:54He's also now 18 minutes off second place overall, while Hegger remains in control.
09:03David Szilé just missed out on the win yesterday in the T3s, but made amends today.
09:08The Argentine driver full of praise for co-driver and navigator Sebastian Cesena, as they shared
09:13the joy of a first win at this edition of the rally.
09:16A fourth for steady Eddie Cavigliasso kept the chasing pack at bay.
09:20Tomorrow will be decisive.
09:23It's bumpy, it's rocky, and it's tight.
09:27It's dusty, it's risky, and it's bright.
09:33It's scary, it's hairy, and it's certainly a fight.
09:38Can anyone catch Yazeed and Sanders?
09:41They might, and I'll be back tomorrow night.
09:44Catch you then, rally fans.