RALLY DAKAR 2025

Al-Attiyah, with pace; Sainz, with calm

The Dakar prologue for cars is usually prone to surprises, to giving a moment of glory to outsiders... This was also the case in the 47th edition, where the young South African Henk Lategan (Toyota) won, a name that was already talked about three years ago, when he took victory in two stages but was not present in the last edition due to injury.

Only for the starting order... Unlike the motorcycles, the cars did not have to take risks since the time of this stage does not count for the general classification. It is only important - which is no small thing - to configure the starting order of stage 1 and, looking beyond that, to find the correct strategy for the dreaded 48-hour stage, the following two days.

For this reason - and also with an eye on the stage in two days - the favourites did not show up as much as perhaps could have been expected. Mattias Ekström was the best Ford, second, with Nasser Al-Attiyah third and the best among the favourites. Close behind were Loeb (6th), Moraes (7th) and Roma (8th).

To find Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz you have to go down to beyond the first 20, specifically to 25th, despite not having any problems: "It was the expected prologue. It was not easy to see where the road was and we were cautious," explained the current winner of the race, who tomorrow will have a position opposite to the favourites (most likely fifth). More than, for example, Nani Roma, who was eighth.

Cristina Gutiérrez finally completed her first kilometres as a driver for an official team in a Dakar Rally with a creditable 16th place. Although, as expected, the Burgos native took it with caution: "We want to be humble in this race, with a careful start since there are more things to lose than to gain. We have to go little by little, we have to learn many things during the Dakar, and that is what we are going to do in these first days."

It has not been an easy prologue for the cars, with a narrow route, among many trees (Al-Attiyah arrived with the Dacia somewhat damaged and Nani Roma also with some parts missing in his Raptor) and with rocks hidden under the sand that, for example, caused a puncture in the Mini of De Mevius, one of the favorites.

Tomorrow's stage will be the first long day of the Dakar 2025. It will take place, like today, around Bisha, this time with a route of 500 kilometers of which 412 are timed special.

Clasificación de la etapa prólogo en coches

Dakar 2025

Henk Lategan (Toyota)

Mattias Ekstrom (Ford) a 1 s.

Nasser Al-Attiyah (Dacia) a 20 s.

Rokas Baciuska (Toyota) a 21 s.

Bryan Baragwanath (Century) a 30 s

Sebastien Loeb (Dacia) a 33 s.

Lucas Moraes (Toyota) a 35 s.

Nani Roma (Ford) a 35 s.

Saood Variawa (Toyota) a 41 s.

Guerlain Chicherit (Mini) a 42 s.

Canet's first Dakar wonder...Although the victory in the prologue stage of the Dakar Rally has been for one of the 'bogeymen' of the race, the Australian Daniel 'Chucky' Sanders, the protagonist has been a rookie, Spanish and barely 19 years old.

Schareina and Canet, protagonists...The first sensation of the race has been the young Edgar Canet, the 'wonder boy' of KTM -last minute signing of the orange team- who has not had to wait long to show his qualities. He has set the best time among the riders of the Rally 2 category and the third overall (it is true that he was favoured by having found the least broken ground). And he has surpassed several of the favourites of the race...although the times of the prologue must be taken with a pinch of salt since, with all certainty, the strategies have played their part in this first classification of the Dakar.

As confirmed by the words of another of today's favourites, Tosha Schareina (fifth in the stage), who admitted to having taken the stage calmly: "We rode very calmly, we found cars on the track, there were also many trees and I touched some with my hands. I tried to ride calmly, without falls and thinking about tomorrow."

Tomorrow's stage will be the first long day of the 2025 Dakar. Like today's, it will run around Bisha, this time with a 500-kilometre route, of which 412 are timed special stages.

Prologue stage classification for motorbikes

Dakar 2025:

Daniel Sanders (KTM)

Ross Branch (Hero)

Edgar Canet (KTM)

Ricky Brabec (Honda)

Tosha Schareina (Honda)

Pablo Quintanilla (Honda)

Adrien Van Beveren (Honda)

Michael Docherty (Honda)

Skyler Howes (Honda)

Sebastian Bühler (Hero)

Reporter: Enrique Naranjo