Stage 9 - Dakar 2025: Van Beveren Podiums in 2nd

In Stage 9, Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally’s Tosha Schareina, suffered a spectacular get-off near the beginning of the Special section at the 20 km mark, losing valuable time. Despite this, Schareina, with true Dakar grit given the speed (approaching 160 km) at which he was traveling when he swapped out, managed to remount his Honda CRF 450 Rally and finish the stage – and only losing a few minutes on Sanders. Making the Stage 9 podium for Monster Energy was Schareina’s teammate, Adrien Van Beveren, who placed 2^nd on the day, 1:54 behind Stage 9 winner Luciano Benavides (KTM).

“Today, I had a big crash at the beginning more or less after 20 kilometers,” said Schareina. “I then didn’t have too much visibility with the sand and the early morning light. I lost time, but it’s part of the game. After that crash, if you are all okay and continue riding, then it’s super good. So, I was happy that I could do that. Now, I’m going to try and enjoy my rest this afternoon and get ready for tomorrow.”

With the 2^nd place run, Van Beveren was able to remain in 3^rd place in the overall standings with three stages remaining, inching closer to teammate Schareina (six minutes behind), while staying more than seven minutes ahead of 4^th place Benevides.

Rounding out the top seven on the day for Stage 9 were defending champ Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally) in 4^th, teammate Skyler Howes in 5^th, Jose “Nacho” Cornejo (Hero Motosports, fueled by Monster Energy) in 6^th and Schareina in 7^th.

Also continuing to rally from some real tough luck at Dakar ’25 was Monster Energy’s Sara Price (Can-Am Factory Team), along with her co-driver Sean Berriman. Stage 9 saw Price and Berriman score a top ten (10^th) finish, which was their third consecutive top ten finish in as many stages (8^th on Stage 8, 6^th on Stage 7).

Stage 10 of the 2025 Dakar Rally, Round 1 of the 2025 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship, begins in the eastern province (Saudi Arabia’s largest province) town of Haradh and sends the racers headlong into the famed Empty Quarter desert. The Special will be short – a mere 115 km – but tricky, according to race officials. Most of the day will be spent in Liaison (520 km), road running from Haradh to the race’s final bivouac site in Shubaytah. Stage 10 gives the racers their first full taste of sand and dunes as they throttle ever so closer to the Stage 12 finish.

LOOKING FOR A VIDEO RECAP? CHECK STAGE 9 HIGHLIGHTS HERE!

Said Brabec: “Today was one of the shorter stages of the rally. It was a good one. Not much to be gained, but a lot to be lost. Overall, it was a good day. Rode with Tosha after his crash, at the 20 kilometer mark. Happy I was able to help him get to the finish with little or no mistakes, help him stay in it. Tomorrow’s a big Liaison with a short special. Everyone’s going to stop tomorrow to determine a good spot for Stage 11.”

Said Cornejo: “Very, very fast stage. Battled up front pretty much all day. Did pretty well. Just one mistake with directions late, and I slowed down and lost some time. That could have been better, but overall it was a good day.”

Said Howes: “Probably one of the faster stages. On the speed limiter at 160 (km) pretty much all day. There were bulldozer tracks out there. Think they were looking for oil or something. A bulldozed oil road. Easy to get tripped up on those. Took one of those oil roads and got stuck out in a boulder field. Lost a couple of minutes there. We’d done this zone three to four times now, and I’m always a fan of this one. Positive to end the day in 5^th. Long day in the saddle, but a short race stage heading into the Empty Quarter tomorrow.”

Stage 9 Notes:

Van Beveren actually won Stage 9, by 2:57 over the 357 km Special, but Benevides was awarded the victory with 4:51 in time bonuses as the lead bike (and never caught by 2^nd place Van Beveren).
“I didn’t see one stone, with no visibility with the sun in the face. I have pain in all my body.” – Schareina, regarding his Stage 9 crash.
“But I was good. The bike was good, too,” he added.
Fortunate for Schareina, but unfortunately similar were the crashes to Monster Energy’s defending WRRC champ, Ross Branch (Hero Motosports) and Pablo Quintanilla (Honda HRC Rally) – both of whom were unable to continue the ’25 Dakar Rally.
“We could always be doing better in the overall, but these were the cards we were dealt this rally.” - Brabec

Monster Energy Dakar Stage 9 Motorcycle Results

Place/Name/Team/Time

2^nd – Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Energy/Honda)
03:17:32 (- minus 00:01:54)

4^th – Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy/Honda)
03:19:17 (- minus 00:03:39)

5^th – Skyler Howes (Monster Energy/Honda)
03:20:18 (- minus 00:04:40)

Monster Energy Dakar Motorcycle Standings (after Stage 9)

Place/Name/Team/Time

2^nd – Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy/Honda)
48:00:19 (- minus 00:14:45)

3^rd– Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Energy/Honda)
48:05:55 (- minus 00:20:21)

5^th – Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy/Honda)
48:17:05 (- minus 00:31:31)

Monster Energy Dakar SSV Class

Stage 9 SSV Results

10^th – Sara Price (Can-Am Factory Team)
(- minus 00:15:35)

Overall

27^th – Sara Price (Can-Am Factory Team)
131:10:36 (- minus 79:57:76)

Up next…

Stage 10 of the 2025 Dakar Rally, Round 1 of the 2025 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship, begins in the eastern province (Saudi Arabia’s largest province) town of Haradh and sends the racers headlong into the famed Empty Quarter desert. The Special will be short – a mere 115 km – but tricky, according to race officials. Most of the day will be spent in Liaison (520 km), road running from Haradh to the race’s final bivouac site in Shubaytah. Stage 10 gives the racers their first full taste of sand and dunes as they throttle ever so closer to the Stage 12 finish. For more information, including “Live” timing and scoring, visit www.dakar.com