Sanders Holds Firm as Docherty Stuns with Historic Stage Win on Stage 10

Chucky extends overall lead as title contenders engage in a game of cat and mouse ahead of the decisive Empty Quarter showdown tomorrow

Stage 10 of the 2025 Dakar Rally may have featured a modest 116-kilometre timed special, but the day’s challenges were anything but easy. Riders began with an exhausting 520-kilometre road liaison, departing the Haradh bivouac at 4am. Navigating through freezing temperatures and pre-dawn darkness, competitors journeyed deep into the imposing Empty Quarter, the world’s largest continuous sand desert. The stage introduced them to its colossal dunes, some towering over 200 metres, setting the stage for a final push as tomorrow’s monumental stage looms.

Title contenders opted for a tactical approach, preserving energy for the second, more demanding stage in the Empty Quarter tomorrow. However, the day still delivered plenty of drama, including a historic stage win and noteworthy performances from riders who balanced calculated risk with outright speed.

Sanders approached stage 10 with a careful mindset, prioritising precision over outright speed. The Australian delivered competitive times at both key checkpoints but strategically eased off towards the stage’s end to avoid opening tomorrow’s critical stage 11. Despite finishing 11th, Sanders ceded just eight minutes to the stage winner, maintaining his commanding overall lead of 16 minutes and 31 seconds over Tosha Schareina and 22 minutes and 24 seconds over Adrien Van Beveren. Sanders remains perfectly positioned to fend off challenges in the penultimate stage and stay in control.

In a rare feat for the Dakar, Rally2 rider Michael Docherty upstaged the Rally GP field to claim an extraordinary victory on stage 10. The South African, riding for BAS World KTM Racing, used his intimate knowledge of the Empty Quarter terrain—gleaned from years of living in the neighbouring UAE and winning the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge—to full advantage. Docherty tackled the dunes with remarkable pace and flawless navigation, crossing the line to secure South Africa’s first Dakar motorbike stage win in 22 years. Sporting race number 22, Docherty’s victory has etched his name in Dakar history as only the second Rally2 rider to claim victory over the Rally GP elite.

Monster Energy Honda HRC’s Skyler Howes delivered a stellar, risk-free ride through the monstrous dunes, navigating with precision while maintaining consistent speed. His approach paid off, as the American crossed the line as the third-fastest Rally GP rider, cementing his reputation as one of Dakar’s most reliable performers.

Ricky Brabec, a two-time Dakar champion, finished fifth on stage 10 after staying within sight of the leaders. While conceding 7’49” to Docherty, Brabec is now ten minutes off the final podium position. Despite the time gap, the experienced American is eager to showcase his sand-riding expertise in tomorrow’s longer and more demanding stage through the Empty Quarter.

Tosha Schareina, keen to rebound from his stage nine tumble, delivered a focused ride through the dunes despite experiencing arm pump issues. Finishing seventh, the Spaniard lost only 1’46” to Sanders and maintained a manageable overall deficit of 16 minutes and 31 seconds. Starting behind the Australian tomorrow, Schareina is ready for an aggressive push in the dunes to close the gap on the race leader.

Adrien Van Beveren, a proven sand specialist, found today’s position as the second rider on the course challenging. Finishing in eighth, the Frenchman preserved his overall third place, trailing Sanders by 22 minutes and 24 seconds. With a more favourable starting spot for stage 11, Van Beveren intends to take full advantage of the dunes to strengthen his hold on the podium.

After his stunning stage nine win, Luciano Benavides faced the challenging task of opening stage 10. Despite the Empty Quarter’s unforgiving dunes and complex navigation, the Argentinian showcased incredible determination, leading the special from start to finish. While finishing 16th today, Benavides’ effort allowed him to retain his fourth-place position in the standings. With tomorrow’s lower start position offering an advantage, the KTM rider is poised to attack and narrow the gap to a potential podium finish.

Stage 11 promises to be the ultimate test of Dakar 2025, with riders set to tackle a gruelling 308-kilometre timed special entirely in the Empty Quarter. Larger than France, this vast desert crossing Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UAE boasts endless dunes and soft sands that will demand precision navigation and mental resilience. Known for dramatic shake-ups, this stage is expected to redefine strategies and potentially overturn standings.

With Sanders in control, Schareina ready to mount an offensive, and sand specialists like Van Beveren and Brabec aiming to capitalise on their experience, stage 11 could be the pivotal moment of this year’s rally. All eyes now turn to the Empty Quarter, where Dakar glory will come one step closer for the toughest competitors.

Michael Docherty – P1: “I enjoyed being back in the dunes. That’s kind of what I’ve been waiting for all Dakar, is the dunes. Even though it was a short one, it was nice to get back to it. I had one crash, which hurt my shoulder a little bit more, but I just pushed through and was just trying to make my best time today.”

Skyler Howes – P3: “We had like eight hours on the seat today and only one hundred kilometres of racing, so that’s a long day. It’s good to be down here in the Empty Quarter though, the weather is much nicer and the dunes are fun to ride. I didn’t really push today, didn’t take any risks, just rode out there and wanted to make sure I got through the stage. I had a good day with no incidents, I know a lot of the other guys are playing games to have a good starting position for tomorrow, so it is what it is. I’m looking forward to just getting through this race, nice and clean, so we’ll see how we go.”

Ricky Brabec – P5: “It was an early morning, we got up at three o’clock to start the liaison at four. It was a six and a half hour highway ride on a dirt bike so experiencing the vibrations, cold weather and the sunrise, it was cool but it was a long morning. The special was only 100km, 100% of that was dunes, so not much to do today, it was more or less for the gameplay and we participated a bit in that. Tomorrow is the final push and we’ll see what happens, the podium is still kind of within reach but the first week hindered us a little bit. At the end of the rally we’ll just know we did our best.”

Tosha Schareina – P7: “It was pretty good in the beginning, I had a bit of arm pump but we were so cold after 500km of liaison. It was a good warm up in the dunes though. I tried to push a bit but I wanted to be ready for the big adventure tomorrow, over 300km of dunes to come, but we’re going all in and we will fight.”

Adrien Van Beveren – P8: “Today we had again a really long 520km liaison. I woke up at 3am so it’s been a long day, the small stage though was a good warm up for tomorrow.”

Daniel Sanders – P11: “That’s stage 10 done here in the Empty Quarter! It was a shorter stage but full of sand dunes. We had a massive 500-kilometer liaison this morning which meant a super early start. I’m happy with my result, it’s where we wanted to be ahead of tomorrow’s longer stage. I also extended my lead today so I’m pretty happy with that too.”

2025 Dakar Rally Stage 10 Results