BISHA, Saudi Arabia — In a remarkable display of skill and determination, Lithuanian driver Rokas Baciuška made a significant impression in the Dakar Rally by clinching victory in the longest stage of the event on Monday.
Baciuška, starting the second half of the extensive 967-kilometer stage 22 minutes behind the leader, showcased his competitiveness during the challenging 341-kilometer drive back to Bisha. He managed to finish within seven minutes of the provisional victor Yazeed Al Rajhi and later was declared the official stage winner after a review of the results.
Due to an error in refueling procedures that had cost him time, Baciuška was granted a time adjustment, allowing him to win by nearly three minutes over Al Rajhi. Argentine racer Juan Cruz Yacopini also moved up after the race concluded, securing third place and rounding out a top-three finish for the Overdrive Racing team with their Toyota vehicles.
Throughout the stage, Al Rajhi and Nasser Al-Attiyah fought closely, often separated by just 20 seconds, but both were penalized at the finish for speeding, receiving two and four minutes added to their times, respectively.
Baciuška has proven his prowess in off-road racing, with podium finishes in his first three Dakar events, which he parlayed into world rally-raid championships over the past three years. This year, he has ascended to the car category and is joined by his original Dakar co-driver, Oriol Mena, after his regular partner Oriol Vidal withdrew due to a back injury. Despite a troublesome start in the initial stage where mechanical issues set them back by over two hours, Baciuška managed to close in on rival drivers by Sunday night.
The rally also saw notable improvement from Sebastien Loeb, who, overcoming engine fan difficulties from the previous day, slashed his time and finished Monday’s leg just 16 minutes back in seventh place. Defending champion Carlos Sainz, who encountered a roll on Sunday, continued to struggle and ended up more than an hour and a half behind.
In the overall standings, Henk Lategan of South Africa led after finishing fourth in the stage, while Al Rajhi trailed by nearly five minutes and Al-Attiyah was over 11 minutes behind. “Dust was an issue for much of the stage,” Lategan noted, emphasizing the challenging navigation. He expressed surprise at leading, stating that his team had not been targeting the top spot but had played a strategic game in the last two days.
In the motorcycle division, Daniel Sanders made headlines as he became the first rider since Joan Barreda in 2017 to win three consecutive stages. Starting the day in seventh place, the Australian caught up with the lead riders after about 150 kilometers and maintained control of the race thereafter.
After 11 hours over two days of racing, Sanders took the stage win by more than seven minutes ahead of American competitor Skyler Howes, with Spain’s Tosha Schareina, who had opened the route for the day, finishing just four seconds later. Overall, Sanders leads by over 12 minutes, ahead of Howes and Botswana’s Ross Branch, while defending champion Ricky Brabec retained fifth place despite falling back by 15 minutes.
“I feel great physically and am not tired at all,” Sanders remarked, noting how he conserved energy for the upcoming challenges. “Winning the stage was good, but I had the choice on how to approach today.”
Looking ahead, stage three on Tuesday will head north but has been shortened by 169 kilometers due to adverse weather conditions in the Al Henakiyah area, now measuring in at 327 kilometers.