Dakar 2025: A Strategic Stage
Stage 9 of the Dakar 2025 stayed true to its rally raid roots, with the riders covering 232 km of liaison and 357 km of special stages from Riyadh to Haradh, located in Saudi Arabia’s expansive Eastern Province.
The Sherco Racing Factory riders, Lorenzo Santolino and Rui Gonçalves, opted for a strategic approach, minimizing risks with just three days left in the rally. They focused on steady riding to handle the rugged tracks winding through canyons and stayed sharp with navigation, which proved essential throughout the day.
Despite minor navigation errors, Lorenzo Santolino finished in 9th place, while Rui Gonçalves ended the day in 22nd position. In the provisional standings, they currently rank 11th and 12th.
Next Up:
Stage 10 features 520 km of liaison and 115 km of special stages, taking the riders further into the rally’s final challenges.
💬 Lorenzo Santolino:
“It was a transition stage that wasn’t as simple as it seemed. An interesting stage that went pretty well overall. Today’s special was supposed to be fairly smooth, but it became really tough toward the end with the tricky navigation.
I started with a good rhythm, but a small mistake cost me some time. I had good sensations on the fast sections. The track was quite damaged from the rain. Toward the end, I made an error: I exited a canyon too early, before the right point. Fortunately, I managed to get back on track, but it cost me three or four minutes.
In the end, it wasn’t so bad. It was a demanding but satisfying day. Now we’re ready for the Empty Quarter!”
💬 Jordan Curvalle (Team Manager):
“Rui had a strong start to the special and was positioned in the top 10.
Midway through, he made a navigation error along with another rider, which cost him about 12 minutes. At that point, Lorenzo caught up with him, and they finished the special together.
Rui finished 22nd in the stage and is currently in 12th place overall.”
