Lategan Toyota ahead as Branch, Cox crash out of Dakar
Saturday’s brutal 604 km Dakar Stage 6 from Ha’il to Al Duwadimi delivered several twists, turns and surprises, but not much changed in the overall car rankings as South African champions Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings’ Toyota Gazoo Hilux continued to lead the way into the second week. It was however a disaster form for the leading Southern African bikers when both Ross Branch and Bradley Cox crashed out within the first 100 kilometres, but compatriot Aaron Mare stepped up to the plate while Ricky Brabec took the day and Daniel Sanders maintained his overall lead.
It was on the other hand a great day for Mini as Guillaume de Mévius and Mathieu Baumel led teammates Joao Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro home in a fine 1-2. Third overall Nasser Al-Attiyah and Edouard Boulanger’s Dacia Sandrider, another South African Gazoo Hilux crew, Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy and Saudi home hero Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk’s Hilux were next from the similar cars of Lithuanians Rokas Baciuska and Oriol Mena, and leader Lategan.
Lategan still in charge after Dakar stage 6
The day started with Botterill and Murphy leading De Mévius, Al-Rajhi and Lategan. Al-Rajhi had a scare when he needed an extra tyre, but Toyota water carriers Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet were soon along to hand him a spare as Botterill led de Mevius and Ferreira. Al Rajhi soon jumped back to third at the stage midway liaison break. De Mevius, picked up the running after he led Al Rajhi, Ferreira and Attiyah after Botterill lost ten minutes to drop to fifth at around the day’s 500 km mark.
De Mevius ultimately took the day from Ferreira in a Mini 1-2, from Attiyah, Botterill, Al-Rajhi, Baciuska and Lategan Ford Raptor crews, factory duo Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist and privateers Martin Prokop and Viktor Chytka followed. South African crews, Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer’s Century CR7 was provisionally 14th on the day from Variawa and Cazalet, Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz’ Gazoo Hilux in 20th. Dutch crew Ronald Van Loon and Erik Lemmen were best of the Red-Lined REVO+ entries, while Daniel Schröder and Henry Köhne’s WCT Amarok hit trouble.
Al Rajhi a steady second in Toyota 1-2
Overall, Toyota remains in control of Dakar 2025. Lategan leads Al Rajhi by 7 minutes 15 seconds with Ekstrom 20 minutes adrift in third, and Attiyah half an hour off the pace. US youngster Mitch Guthrie and Kellon Walch sit fifth in their Ford Raptor ahead of French duo Mathieu Serradori and Loic Minaudier’s South African Century CR7. Brian Baragwanath is tenth overall, Giniel de Villiers 15th and Variawa and Botterill 23rd and 24th after their earlier troubles. All eyes will now be on how far they can all progress through Sunday’s 419 km loop around Al Duwadimi, and on to the finish on Friday.
The Bike day started on the wrong foot for two South African champions. 2024 World Rally 2 Champion, Bradley Cox took a tumble on his BAS World KTM. He remounted but soon stopped with neck pains to be airlifted out of the race. Almost concurrently Botswana’s 2024 World Rally Raid Moto Champion Ross Branch crashed his Hero Moto. Ross was able to walk to his casevac helicopter, but he too, is out of Dakar 2025.
Aaron Mare came alive in Stage 6
There was a glimmer of silver lining on the South African biker cloud however, when Aaron Mare powered through first checkpoint fastest of all following a steady first week aboard his Husqvarna. Aaron spent most of the day on or around the top ten to come home eleventh. American Skyler Howes’ Honda, Aussie overall leader Sanders’ Red Bull KTM and Flormino soon took over up front, before US Kove rider Mason Klein and Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino took over up to liaison break at mid distance.
The order reshuffled through the second sector as Florimo moved ahead, before he was passed by Californian Brabec and then Frenchman Adrien van Beveren’s Hondas. Second overall, Spaniard Tosha Schareina came in fourth on his Honda from Luciano Benavides’ KTM, Santolino, Howes, Klein, Sanders, Chilean Pablo Quintanilla’s Honda and Mare. Tobias Ebster took Rally 2 on a day where SA rival Michael Docherty lost 50 minutes to add to the locals’ misery.
South African amateurs Dwain Barnard was running a steady 56th at the time of writing, with Willem Avenant now into the top 100 in 94th, while Sanders leads Schareina by 11 minutes overall with van Beveren, Brabec, Howes and Benavides next, while Mare moved up to 23rd. Sunday’s stage sees the survivors tackling a 412 km loop around Al Duwadimi.
