Dakar 2025: Last stage before the Rest Day
Stage 5 marked the end of the marathon stage and concluded the first week of racing before the much-needed rest day. All the riders agreed on one thing: this week was incredibly tough, with challenging navigation and grueling terrain that truly reflected the essence of Rally Raid, rocks, dunes, and unforgiving tracks.
The stage covered a 492 km route from Alula to Hail, including 428 km of special tests. Lorenzo Santolino crossed the finish line in 13th place, while Rui Gonçalves secured 22nd. In the overall standings, Lorenzo holds 11th position, just 17 minutes shy of breaking into the top 10, and Rui is ranked 19th.
This first segment of the race was highlighted by Lorenzo Santolino’s stage victory and Rui Gonçalves’ 5th-place finish, showcasing Sherco’s ability to compete on par with brands investing ten times the budget in the Dakar.
Lorenzo Santolino :
«Today was a tough day, as I spent most of the time navigating on my own. It was really hard to find my rhythm at the beginning, but after the refueling, I felt a bit better. The navigation was tricky and required maximum focus every kilometer 🧭.
I made a mistake overtaking a rider in the middle of the dust, which caused me to exceed the speed limit. As a result, I’ll receive a penalty. These things happen in a race, but our motivation remains strong.
Tomorrow is a rest day, giving us time to recharge and prepare for what’s ahead. Let’s keep pushing forward!»
Rui Gonçalves :
«Yesterday was a very good day; I’m happy with the result, 5th! Today, I started ahead, in 5th position, with the leaders. It was very cold where we slept, and right from the start this morning, I could still feel the effects of the crash I had on the first stage of the 48-hour challenge. I didn’t have much strength in my left hand and arm, and I had a tingling sensation—I wasn’t feeling great. I was cold and couldn’t get warmed up.
As a result, I didn’t have a good feeling to push, and it turned out to be a bit of an off day. Given these conditions, I preferred to play it safe, avoid mistakes, and just make it to the bivouac.
Tomorrow is a rest day, and then I’ll aim to have some good stages again in the second week.
That’s how it is. Today was a bit tough, just an off day. Tonight, I’ll see the physio, have another session tomorrow, and use the whole day to recover well. We’ll do everything possible to be ready for the second week of racing.»
