In today's show we go deep into what many competitors are calling the toughest day of racing in the 2022 edition of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia. Massive miles and challenging terrain, mixed with navigation complications right out of the gate, had front runners scrambling to limit time loss, while those who set off in a favorable starting position further back reaped maximum benefits.

Starting the day in the overall lead for the rally, Monster Energy Yamaha's Adrian Van Beveren had a tough task starting towards the front of the race with rival teams surrounding him. It didn't take long for it to get worse as major time was lost in the first miles.

We speak with Van Beveren's Yamaha teammate Andrew Short about the stage and what happened as time bled from Van Beveren's lead. 

We also hear from Pablo Quintanilla on the Monster Energy Honda team, as he kept his podium position intact after a tough day. Matthias Walkner on the Red Bull KTM is right there with him. Both of these riders needed to make more time today for overall victory considerations, but they're certainly not out of anything yet as anything can happen!

Overall leader, once again, is GasGas' Sam Sunderland who had a great day, finishing only four seconds back from winning the stage to set himself up for a nice ride to the win in tomorrow's final, short, special stage. 

Red Bull KTM's Kevin Benavides re-entered the race after a mechanical DNF yesterday to take the overall win today from a deep 30's starting position. He will be a big asset to Sunderland's championship ride home tomorrow.

More in today's episode you won't want to miss!

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Dakar Rally Daily is produced and edited by Jesse Ziegler, and hosted by Quinn Cody and Jesse Ziegler.