It was becoming increasingly clear that Mitch Guthrie’s rise was no accident. The American driver underlined that point in emphatic fashion by claiming his second Ultimate-class stage win at the Dakar Rally—just two days after opening his account. After 371 flat-out kilometres against the clock, Guthrie Jr. crossed the line only four seconds behind Nani Roma on the return leg of the marathon stage. However, a one-minute speeding penalty for the Spaniard flipped the result, handing Guthrie a well-earned victory.
The outcome capped a dominant day for Ford, with Roma and Guthrie locking out the top two spots and Martin Prokop completing an all-Raptor podium. Prokop’s steady improvement since switching machinery this season is becoming impossible to ignore.
Up front, Henk Lategan faced one of the toughest challenges of the rally so far. Tasked with opening the route without bike tracks to guide him, the South African navigated what was arguably the trickiest stage of the week. Though he conceded 12 minutes and 43 seconds to Guthrie on the road to Hail, the isolated Toyota leader did just enough to cling on to the overall lead.
Nasser Al Attiyah found himself in a similar predicament. Chasing Lategan from the outset, the Qatari lost time in his Dacia—but limited the damage to just 3’17’’ behind the stage winner. With a decisive special looming tomorrow, the battle remains wide open.
The overall standings paint a clear picture of Ford’s formidable form: four Raptors sit inside the top six. Mattias Ekström trails the leader by 5’38’’, followed by Nani Roma at 6’59’’, Carlos Sainz at 8’33’’, and Guthrie himself at 16’23’’.
Yet nothing is settled. With a 300-kilometre dune stage to close out the week, the door remains open for a dramatic shake-up. Dacia drivers Lucas Moraes (17’11’’ back) and Sébastien Loeb (17’55’’ behind) lie in 7th and 8th respectively—and both have the pedigree to fight their way back into contention.
Masters of the Unexpected
Some riders have a habit of emerging from the shadows at just the right moment—and Luciano Benavides has made that his trademark. The Argentine, who famously became world champion in 2023 without winning a single event, delivered another perfectly timed strike by setting the fastest pace over the 356-kilometre special. The result lifts him into the overall top three for the first time in his career, now just 5’55’’ off the lead within the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing camp.
Daniel Sanders, meanwhile, played the long game. Finishing fourth on the stage, 5’50’’ behind his teammate, the reigning champion reclaimed the overall lead of the rally. KTM’s internal strategy may yet prove decisive, as Sanders will start the next dune-heavy stage from a favourable position—possibly with a teammate to assist with navigation later in the day.
Behind them, the special delivered breakthrough performances for others as well. Nacho Cornejo impressed with second place for Hero, just 3’51’’ off Benavides, while Bradley Cox claimed fourth, 7’22’’ back, equalling the best Dakar result of his career.
It wasn’t a flawless day for the leading teams, though. For KTM, Edgar Canet’s early brilliance—victories on the prologue and opening stage—now feels distant after a nightmare run plagued by rear-wheel foam issues. His time loss remains unconfirmed, but his hopes of fighting at the sharp end are effectively over.
Monster Energy Honda HRC also endured mixed fortunes. Ricky Brabec once again showcased remarkable consistency, strengthening his case as team leader after a costly mistake from Tosha Schareina. Despite riding strongly, the Spaniard was hit with a 10-minute penalty for a procedural error at the bivouac, dropping him from the provisional podium to fourth. He now faces a deficit of over 12 minutes to Sanders. Adrien Van Beveren’s rally went from bad to worse after losing more than half an hour—partly due to a wire becoming tangled in his wheel. When luck turns, it can turn brutally fast.
Ross Branch also suffered a crushing blow. The reigning world champion from Botswana started the day sixth overall, within striking distance of the lead and dreaming of matching his career-best Dakar result. But damage sustained after striking a rock caused his rear-wheel foam to disintegrate, leaving him more than an hour down on the stage. Now tenth overall and 1:23’53’’ behind Sanders, Branch once again finds himself battling fate—but true to form, he refuses to let misfortune break his spirit.
Theric’s Redemption Arc
At Dakar, survival is often the first victory. After early setbacks on the prologue and stage three, Neels Theric has staged a remarkable comeback. While several Rally 2 rivals—Harith Noah, Mike Docherty and Mathieu Dovèze among them—have exited the rally, Theric has gone from strength to strength.
Competing in his fourth Dakar, the French rider claimed his first-ever Rally 2 stage win—and then doubled down by winning again on the second leg of the marathon-refuge stage. The feat highlights not only his speed but also his exceptional mechanical management. For Chinese manufacturer Kove, Theric’s performance is invaluable: he delivered their maiden Dakar stage win yesterday and continues to justify the trust placed in him to develop and refine the bike.
Now firmly among the Rally 2 frontrunners, Theric will face stiff competition from Preston Campbell, Konrad Dabrowski, Martim Ventura and Rui Barbosa in the days ahead. Yet he has also shown he can mix it with the elite—finishing sixth on today’s stage, just one second behind two-time Dakar winner Ricky Brabec.
At Dakar, momentum is everything—and right now, Theric has plenty of it.
The RacerViews info
By Matt Hancock
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