Dakar 2025: Rui Gonçalves Shines with 2nd Place in Stage 10
Stage 10 of the Dakar 2025 brought the riders back to the legendary dunes of the Empty Quarter. It was a day to remember for Rui Gonçalves, who delivered a stellar performance, finishing 2nd in the stage, just 1 minute and 20 seconds behind the day’s winner.
Despite the relatively short special stage of 115 km following a grueling 520 km liaison, the day proved challenging. For Lorenzo Santolino, it was a dramatic turn of events—he ran out of fuel just 1.3 km from the finish line. Determined not to give up, Lorenzo pushed his bike through the deep sand to cross the finish line, earning the admiration of his peers. Unfortunately, he lost over an hour to his main competitors.
In the provisional overall standings, Rui Gonçalves moves up to 11th, while Lorenzo Santolino now holds 18th position.
💬 Rui Gonçalves :
« Yes, we are here after stage 10. It was a 100% sand and dune stage, so we started quite far in the back.
I felt good from tle begining so i pushed hard till the finish line. So yeah, was a good stage physically I felt good with the bike as well. So I finished P2 today, I am happy with that and we will be focused already on tomorrow to recover and have another long stage tomorrow. I am reall quite happy for me for the team and for everyone »
💬 Lorenzo Santolino :
“Today, we faced a 125-kilometer stage full of dunes where I felt great at the start. Navigation was on point, and I was riding comfortably, enjoying the challenge. Everything was going perfectly until, just 300 meters from the finish line and only two minutes from crossing it.
I had to push the bike for 50 minutes through the sand to make it to the end. I arrived utterly exhausted, on the brink of dehydration, but I made it.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone for your encouragement and the messages you’ve been sending. Now I’m at the bivouac, recovering my strength to tackle tomorrow’s stage. This is Dakar, and I’m not giving up! ”
💬 Jordan Curvalle (Team Manager):
“We’ve arrived at Shubaytah in the Empty Quarter. It was an early start this morning, with the first bike leaving at 4:15 AM. After a 520 km liaison, the riders tackled the first 100% dune special.
Rui had an excellent special stage, taking advantage of the tracks ahead of him to push hard and secure a fantastic 2nd place!
Unfortunately, Lorenzo ran out of fuel just 1.3 km from the finish. We calculated fuel consumption for both riders—Rui had nearly 2 liters left at the finish, so Lorenzo must have been short by about 0.5 liters. Lorenzo gave it everything, pushing his bike through the sand to finish the stage. He lost an hour but made it back to the bivouac with us tonight and is still in the race!”
The countdown is on as the Dakar 2025 enters its final stages. With just two days remaining, the tension and excitement are palpable. The riders are pushing themselves to the limit, navigating the relentless dunes and demanding terrain of the Empty Quarter.
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