2025 Dakar Rally Stage 6 — Hero’s top man crashes out!

The second part of the 2025 Dakar Rally is underway after a much-needed rest day for the competitors after the 48-hour Chrono stage had the two-day Marathon stage. Stage six brings some bad news — Hero’s top contender and last year’s runner-up, Ross Branch has crashed, ending his rally this year. Bummer. The stage win was taken by Honda in the motorcycle category, while Mevius takes the stage win the cars category, ending Toyota’s dominance.

2025 Dakar Rally Stage 6 results — Motorcycles

Honda’s five-man team has proven to be invisible and last year’s winner and defending champion, Ricky Brabec, takes the stage win, followed by teammate Adrien Van Beveren and Hero’s Nacho Cornejo in third. The current overall leader, KTM’s Sanders, finished the stage in ninth place, but holds on to the overall lead.

Ross Branch, Hero’s top contender for this year’s title had a crash and had to retire from the race. He is doing alright. Stage winner Brabec spotted the Botswanian rider down and alerted the organisers, who got to Branch on time to airlift him to the hospital. Bradley Cox also had to withdraw after a crash on Stage 6 of the 2025 Dakar Rally. KTM factory rider Kevin Benevides has also withdrawn from the rally this year.

2025 Dakar Rally Stage 6 results — Cars

In the cars category, Toyota’s winning spree has finally been broken by Guillaume De Mevius in his X-Raid Mini, followed by teammate Joao Ferreira in second and Nasser Al-Attiyah in third. Toyota still holds the overall lead with Henk Lategan leading the race, followed by Yazeed Al Rajhi and Ford’s Ekstrom in third.

As the rally enters the empty quarter, the dunes will be more challenging and the fight will come down to two Dakar veterans who know the dunes better than anyone else — Al Rajhi and Al-Attiyah. Dacia is keen on winning and Al-Attiyah is set to put the hammer down with Christina Gutierrez backing up the ex-Dakar winner.

2025 Dakar Rally Stage 6 results