Ross Branch ended his participation in the 2025 Dakar Rally during stage 6, which took place yesterday. The reigning Rally-Raid World Champion (W2RC) was forced to withdraw following a crash.
The incident occurred at the 48km mark of the stage. Branch received immediate medical attention and was transported to a hospital, where a CT scan confirmed he had not sustained significant injuries.
Despite being discharged and rejoining the Hero MotoSports team later that evening, Branch was unable to continue in the rally as he did not complete the stage. At the time of his withdrawal, he was in contention for the podium, having started the stage in fourth place overall.
The team is now left with only José Ignacio Cornejo in the competition. The Chilean rider finished sixth in Sunday’s Stage 7 and currently holds eighth place in the overall standings.
