Stage Two of the 2025 Dakar Rally- a brutal 48-hour two-day sprint across the desert - is finally finished with top rally motorcycle competitors racing for over 11 hours on the stage. Australian Daniel Sanders continues his strangle hold on the field, winning the stage outright and putting more time between himself and his competitors. American Skyler Howes finishes the stage in second place seven minutes behind Sanders with fellow Monster Energy HRC Honda Racing Rally teammate Toscha Schareina right on his heels a few seconds behind. 

Defending Dakar Rally winner and American favorite Ricky Brabec (Honda) struggled today on the shorter half of the two-day stage, losing upwards of ten minutes to Sanders. 

The race enters Stage Three tomorrow after stranding nearly 50 motorcycle competitors in the remote Saudi sand last night. Those racers will be trickling into the bivouac for a long time, and with weather threatening tomorrow, organizers have shortened Stage Three by nearly 200km, putting 300km of timed racecourse on the menu tomorrow - not much of a rest after the 48-hour stage. 

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