2025 Dakar Rally stage six results where Monster Energy Honda riders, led by Ricky Brabec taking his 11th win staged a comeback on KTM’s Daniel Sanders’ lead – Ross branch and Bradley Cox crash out.

2024 Dakar Rally Stage 6 in a nutshell – Hail > Duwadimi Special: 605km Liaison: 224km

• The rest day seemed a long way away by the end of 830 kilometres – on a rally bike that is some distance. 605km was timed special, although a 171km transfer in the middle of the was unusual (neutralised zone so has restricted speed and set time).
• It was a-typical Dakar in terms of physical and mental endurance and a hard start to the second week with a change in terrain, more time spent in top gear and in landescape looking more like Mars than Earth.
• 114 riders start week two and it wasn’t long before two of the GP class exited the rally. Bradley Cox crashed heavily just metres off the start line, was checked by the medics but continued for aorund 40km before retiring injured. 
• It was a tricky opening to the day which also caught Rally 2 class leader, Edgar Canet out although the youngster was unhurt.
• Not so for the popular and likeable Botswanan, W2RC champ Ross Branch, who had a big one at kilometre 48. Branch walked to the helicopter but exits from fourth place in the race.

• Privateer Anton Mare was fastest out the blocks but the marauding Honda boys took over with Skyler Howes and Tosha Schareina clocking waypoints fastest with HRC teammate and first rider on the stage Adrien Van Beveren close behind on corrected time.
• After second refuelling at 233km and deeper into the long afternoon, Honda’s Ricky Brabec, Hero’s Jose Cornejo, KTM’s Luciano Benavides and stage three winner Lorenzo Santolino on the Sherco were also in the fight.
• Making it six manufacturers in the top six and clocking in fastest of all across the middle section of the stage, Mason Klein was again trying to show his true pace on the Kove. As earlier in the first week, Mason wasn’t able to keep the pace all day and while the Honda gang out front pushed for a strong finish, Klein faded to finish over four minutes behind.  
• A last burst from Brabec in the dunes pushed him just 23 seconds ahead of AVB as they riders clocked out of the stage with Cornejo within the same minute. On a long stage that was pretty remarkable but worth pointing out the Hero rider has now clocked three P3s in a row. Not bad sir.
• “The first day on the second week is a long day.” Says the ‘24 Dakar winner who was first rider on the scene of Branch’s crash. “They like to make you get a little bit of rest and then put you right back into it. I saw Ross on the ground, pushed the rescue button, saw the helicopter just up ahead…he was conscious.
• “The stage was pretty varied, with multiple conditions. The last little bit in the dunes was tricky because all the local traffic to watch the race, it was crazy. There were people everywhere. But yeah, it’s all good. Six more days, so we’ll keep fighting.”
• While Brabec took the win, Van Beveren deserves praise for his mission leading all day more or less. The Frenchman is placed third overall and needed to push on these next days to make inroads on teh leader. AVB did that rare thing of leading and not getting caught by riders behind until very near the end to claim over six minutes bonus time all to himself. It was an impressive day from the Frenchman in his favoured sand dunes.

• In 2022 Daniel Sanders was also leading the rally after the rest day, as he was this year, but crashed out before the stage start by hitting a huge curb on the street in the dark. KTMs lead rider has every right to be cautious today but can you be too cautious? 15 minutes became 11 minutes as the Aussie played the game of trying to matching but not beat his rivals: “I got a little bit lost at the beginning to get back in the rhythm but it was important to not go too good today because I think tomorrow is a difficult stage so I didn’t want to push and get up the front.”
• Sanders lead has dropped from 15’02” to 11’46” over Tosha Schareina while Adrien Van Beveren closes to 19’11” in third. Today’s stage winner, Brabec, is fourth and 23’18” behind.
• Czech rider Dusan Drdaj made a name for himself today by leading the Rally 2 category through sections and running for the overall win. Tobias Ebster had other ideas and eventually the Austrian took the win and P12 overall with Drdaj second and ~toni Mulec third with all three withing 30 seconds of each other.
• Rally 2 leader Edgar Canet lost ground to nearest rivals today, crashing in that danger zone just kilometres off the start. He regrouped, tagging in behind Santolino and Pablo Quintanilla to the finish.
• Stage seven is a loop to and back to the same bivouac in Duwadimi. A lot of helicopter action today means a delayed start tomorrow with riders soaking up 188km on the road to a new starting location (CP2 of the previous course) for 8am followed by a 411km special.

2025 Dakar Rally stage 6 results:

2025 Dakar Rally provisional classification after stage 6:

*Results will update in full once official

Photo Credit: A.S.O. | DPPI |F. Gooden + Honda + Edo Bauer