Daniel Sanders claimed victory in the fourth stage of the 2025 Dakar Rally this Wednesday – the first part of the marathon stage. In what was the closest day of competition so far apart from the prologue, the Australian finished just 15 seconds ahead of Tosha Schareina.
The stage was lively, with constant battles for victory. In the first half of the 415km timed route, Mason Klein (Kove) took the lead and seemed poised for a top result. However, the American began to lose ground after PK192, especially after the refueling point.
On the other hand, Schareina (Monster Energy Honda) became the fastest rider and reached the final waypoint with intermediate timing data showing a 2m33s lead over Sanders. However, the Red Bull KTM rider was stronger in the last kilometers, overtaking Schareina by 15 seconds.
José Ignacio Cornejo (Hero) achieved his best result of the year so far, finishing third, 7m49s behind Sanders, followed by Adrien van Beveren (Monster Energy Honda). Sherco’s strong form continues. After Lorenzo Santolino’s victory yesterday, it was Rui Gonçalves’ turn to fight for the top positions, finishing fifth ahead of Tobias Ebster (BAS World KTM).
Skyler Howes (Monster Energy Honda) started the day in second place overall, very close to Sanders. However, navigating as one of the first riders on the road proved a tough task for the American, who finished 16th, losing 20m10s to the overall leader.
Currently, Sanders leads the Dakar with a 13m26s advantage over Schareina, with Ross Branch (Hero) in third at 26m10s behind. Howes dropped to fourth, and Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) rounds out the top five.