EARNING THE EMPTY QUARTER
The Empty Quarter is not given—it’s earned. After nine grueling stages, Dakar competitors finally got their turn to play in its legendary dunes. The day began with an early roll-out from Haradh, long before the sun kissed the horizon, and a punishing 500-kilometre road section that led them to the shores of the Arabian Gulf. But the real test lay ahead: 117 kilometres of pure, unrelenting sand, where only the bravest could ride the waves of the desert’s towering dunes.
Michael Docherty, unburdened by strategic calculations, unleashed his raw speed and deep familiarity with the terrain—after all, the dunes are practically his backyard. His bold approach paid off with a maiden Dakar stage win. Meanwhile, veteran Nani Roma, chasing his 26th career victory across bikes and cars, etched his name into history once more, securing Ford’s first-ever stage win with the Raptor in Shubaytah.
The battle for supremacy is far from over—the Empty Quarter still holds plenty of secrets, and tomorrow, the fight continues.
DARING MOVES & STRATEGIC CALCULATIONS
Predicting that the main contenders would tread carefully, Michael Docherty went all in. The South African Rally 2 biker danced across the dunes with precision, claiming his first Dakar stage win with a 1’20” lead over Rui Gonçalves and 2’21” over Tobias Ebster.
The top title contenders, meanwhile, kept their strategies close to the chest, waiting for the next showdown in the Empty Quarter. Daniel Sanders continues to reign supreme, holding a 16’31” advantage over Tosha Schareina and 22’24” over Adrien Van Beveren. With the starting order set to keep fans and pundits on edge, Sanders’ rivals will be plotting a dramatic comeback.
For those gunning for victory in the car category, a late start was key. Nani Roma, the 27th driver out of the gate, seized the opportunity, breaking a decade-long drought to clinch his latest Dakar triumph. The last time he stood atop a stage podium, he was behind the wheel of a Mini—today, he made history by delivering Ford its first win with the Raptor, edging Lucas Moraes by a mere 18 seconds.
Despite the stage’s brevity, the leaderboard saw a shake-up. Henk Lategan, despite a tough day, clawed his way back to the overall lead. He now holds a 2’27” advantage over Yazeed Al Rajhi, with Mattias Ekström trailing by 26’46”. Al Rajhi’s cautious approach saw him momentarily trapped in a hollow, while Ekström lifted off near the finish for strategic reasons.
Not everyone lost time intentionally. Nasser Al Attiyah’s hopes took a hit when a navigational error at km 9 cost him 20 minutes, pushing him half an hour behind Lategan. While a podium finish is still within reach—Ekström is just four minutes ahead—Al Attiyah faces an uphill battle to salvage his campaign.
In the Challenger category, Dania Akeel made history, becoming only the fourth woman to win a Dakar stage, joining the ranks of Jutta Kleinschmidt, Cristina Gutiérrez, and Sara Price. She didn’t just win—her Taurus stormed to third place overall in the stage, finishing behind only Roma’s Ford and Moraes’ Toyota. Meanwhile, Nicolás Cavigliasso remains firmly in control of the general classification, with a comfortable 26-minute buffer over Gonçalo Guerreiro.
Elsewhere, “Chaleco” López claimed his fifth stage win in SSV, inching within 15 minutes of Xavier de Soultrait, who remains a distant second overall behind his Polaris teammate Brock Heger. Similarly, Aleš Loprais notched his fourth stage victory in the truck race, but Martin Macík’s commanding lead of 2 hours 22 minutes remains untouchable—for now.
A BLOW FOR AL RAJHI
Yazeed Al Rajhi’s dream of a historic Dakar victory is still alive—but today’s setback could cost him dearly. After seizing the overall lead, the Saudi driver had to hand it back to Henk Lategan. The scene felt eerily familiar: last year, Al Rajhi’s aggressive push in the Empty Quarter sent his car airborne, ending his rally in spectacular fashion. This time, he played it too safe, hesitating on the dunes, only to get stuck in a hollow at km 83. The delay cost him precious minutes, and he now trails Lategan by 2’27” in the overall standings.
His late start tomorrow (27th) could work to his advantage, but with Lategan rolling off in 11th, both drivers will avoid the burden of opening the route. In the Empty Quarter, the smallest mistake can be fatal—and Al Rajhi is running out of time.
STAT OF THE DAY: 3,655
That’s the number of days—exactly 10 years and 2 days—between Nani Roma’s last Dakar stage win (Stage 9 of the 2015 rally) and today’s historic victory. Many expected Carlos “El Matador” Sainz to be the one to secure Ford’s first triumph with the Raptor, but Roma, racing in a support role for M-Sport, was the one to make history. This victory brings his tally to 13 wins in the car category and 26 overall, ending a longer drought than Guerlain Chicherit’s decade-long wait between 2013 and 2023.
DOCHERTY BREAKS THE MOLD
A Rally 2 rider stealing a stage win from the Rally GP elite is an anomaly—so rare, in fact, that it has happened only twice since the category’s inception in 2022. Danilo Petrucci set the precedent in Stage 5 that year, and today, Michael Docherty followed suit.
While others played the long game, Docherty twisted the throttle and let instinct take over. Born in Kempton Park, the BAS World KTM Racing rider lives in the United Arab Emirates, right on the doorstep of the Empty Quarter. This isn’t unfamiliar territory—he’s already won in these dunes before, taking victory in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the second round of the World Rally-Raid Championship.
His triumph today also marks South Africa’s first Dakar motorbike stage win since Alfie Cox’s last victory in 2003—22 years ago. Fittingly, Docherty is racing with the number 22. Destiny? Perhaps.
A FORD-MIDABLE PERFORMANCE BY ROMA
Nani Roma’s stage win sent Dakar statisticians scrambling through the archives. The last time the Catalan racer tasted victory in the Dakar? 2015. With today’s result, his career tally now stands at 26—split evenly between two wheels and four. But Roma’s victory wasn’t just personal—it was historic.
By delivering Ford its first-ever stage win with the Raptor, he thrust the American manufacturer into the W2RC title fight against Toyota and Dacia. The last time Roma topped the W2RC classification in a Dakar stage was in 2022 with a BRX Hunter. Now, with teammates like Mattias Ekström, Mitch Guthrie, and Carlos Sainz in the mix, Ford’s push for dominance is just beginning.
THE MAKINGS OF A CLASSIC
Out of 95 vehicles that started in Bisha, 82 lined up for the Dakar Classic today. But there was heartbreak before the flag even dropped—car no. 704, third overall, was forced to retire after a gearbox failure.
With the Land Rover Defender of Maxence Gublin and Anthony Sousa out, and Porsche no. 702 also gone, the title race has been blown wide open. Carlos Santaolalla’s Toyota now holds a 31-point lead over Lorenzo Traglio’s Nissan, setting the stage for a final showdown. Tomorrow’s penultimate stage will be a true test of navigation, with four wayfinding challenges and a short regularity test.
The Dakar Classic will be won or lost in the sand—not by the ticking clock, but by precision and strategy. A single mistake carries a brutal 20-point penalty. Two errors? That could hand the title to Traglio and end Santaolalla’s reign. The final duel is set—now, it’s all about execution.
The RacerViews info
By Matt Hancock
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