It’s stage 2 of the 2025 Dakar Rally and also the first part of the 48-hour Chrono challenge. Australian KTM rider Daniel Sanders maintains his lead in the motorcycle class while Yazeed Al-Rajhi takes the lead on the stage in the cars category. Unlike last year’s race in the empty quarter, this year’s two-day challenge is tackling dirt, sand, and big dunes. Here are all the highlights.
2025 Dakar Rally Stage 2 (Part 1): Motorcycle category
KTM is strong so far, three days, and three stage wins by Sanders. Honda is also keeping the competition at the highest, with defending Ricky Brabec hot on KTM’s heels, followed by last year’s runner-up, Hero’s Ross Branch. The overall standings of this stage will be confirmed only after the competitors finish the second half of the 1000km route.
The 48-hour Chrono stage is a long stage split into two halves. Competitors must reach the furthest camp in the allotted time and camp for the night – in tents – and continue the next day to finish the stage. After two days of riding, the stage ranking will be calculated.
2025 Dakar Rally Stage 2 (Part 1): Cars
In the cars category, it was a battle between Al-Rajhi, Al-Attiyah, and Ekstrom, who finished the day in the same order. The Qatari took the lead for a brief period but had to settle for second. While the trio charged into the campsite for the day, defending champion Sainz and Loeb had trouble. Sainz ended up rolling the Ford over a dune, while Loeb was plagued with electrical trouble, however, the Spaniard managed to finish eighth.
