Sanders, champion of the Dakar 2025 on a motorcycle against the Spanish Tosha, 2nd

Daniel Sanders was declared the champion of Dakar 2025 on a motorcycle after amazingly dominating the race from the start. The Australian has been the leader of the race from day one, by winning the prologue stage and staying at the top throughout the race, something that has not happened since the legendary victory. Marc Coma in 2009.

Sanders closed the almost perfect Dakar in 4th position in the last stage taken Adrien Van Beverenwho finished 3rd overall, with the Spaniards Tosha in third place in this stage 12, with an excellent 2nd place finish in the Dakar in his pocket.

Tosha, first Spanish podium since 2018

That success in the prologue stage may have been the key to start with the right approach, but also for its immense consistency and absence of mistakes. He remembers only one mistake in the whole career and it was not his fault, but because of the problem with the organization’s tablet. It is very fast, there are no cracks and it completely withstood the Spanish pressure. Tosha Schareinawhich was 2nd, thus achieving the best result for a Spaniard since then Marc Coma won his last crown in 2015, the first Spanish motorcycle podium since conquered by Gerard Farrés in 2018.

Tosha He tried his best, having to deal with the pain of a broken collarbone resulting from the fall at stage 5, attacking to the maximum, though unable to hurt his rival. He didn’t throw in the towel even after another heavy fall, on stage 9, getting back on his Honda to continue the attack. But before he found a wall in Sanders who did not fail, and he won against the Spanish and French Honda Adrien Van Beveren, who was 3rd.

Sanders ended his curse

Sanders won the prologue stage and the next two (1 and 2). He went on to another victory in stage 4 and added another in stage 7. From there, already has 5 stage wins in his pocket, He dedicated himself to ruling the race with great intelligence and immense maturity to end his Dakarian curse.

In 2021, in his debut at the Dakar, Sanders showed the bright future he has as the best rookie, amazingly with a rare 4th position. He had a lot of promise, but then bad luck struck him. In 2022, after a very good start in the Dakar, as the strongest driver, only 5 minutes from the overall lead before the 7th stage and after winning his first two stages, Daniel had an accident. In the link to the special, he climbs a curb and falls to the ground. He left with a broken elbow and wrist.

In 2023, his bad luck continued when he arrived when he was affected by food poisoning and a thorn pierced a muscle in his arm. He is 7th. And before the last Dakar, he broke his femur in training. He was far from his level due to this injury and finished 8th.

However, something has changed with Sanders this year. Viladoms acknowledges that the Australian left the Dakar 2024 hurt, sad. He is a talent with enormous potential who could not find the Dakar key. A free spirit, talkative, humorous, very fast, who suddenly, before the last Morocco Rally, the prelude to the Dakar, made an important change in mentality and way of working that became so important to reign forever with his first ‘Touareg’ .

“He’s fast, but he lacks the maturity to have more control, because before he was a little crazy, very aggressive, very fast on the motorcycle, but a little crazy,” Jordi remembers.

“This year his mentality changed. In the tests he started asking a lot about the bike, working well, and that’s how he developed on a personal and mental level in a brutal way. Now he is the most serious, the one who was sleeping earlier, doesn’t talk nonsense, he asks everything he should, he demands… he made a huge change, and noticed a lot, because people probably don’t know him, I would say, it’s ahead now, but I’m sure it’ll make a mess. But no,” he added about a key aspect of his success. The very fast young Australian who dazzled on KTM 5 years ago has already succeeded.

Canet finished in style

The caravan includes Edgar Canet, the best example for the 19-year-old Catalan who debuted in Dakar 2025 in style, with 2nd place on a stage, with the final victory in the Rally 2 category over half an hour margin and with a Top-8 in the general classification speaks for itself what will come to the one from La Garriga. Sanders smiled. And Canet too. The future is yours.

Edgar Canet learned from the best in this rally as a teammate and caravan partner. He not only grew up in the race, but also outside of it with the example of Sanders, his method, his way of preparing for races, of withstanding the pressure and of assuming the reins of the race every day- day. The best example for Edgar.