Lucas Del Rio has won the second stage in the Challenger category, claiming his first Dakar stage victory. The Chilean beat Yasir Seaidan by 2:40 and Puck Klaassen by 3:57. Paul Spierings experienced a disastrous day with multiple stops, losing almost an hour and a half. In the SSV class, Polaris dominated again with a 1-2-3, led by Gonçalo Guerreiro.
It was the first Chilean victory in the Challenger class since “Chaleco” López in 2024. Del Rio, who previously competed in the Dakar in 2022 and 2023, took the lead at kilometre 70 and never relinquished it. “Lucas Del Rio has held strong until the end. Today, the Chilean has picked up his very first stage victory on the Dakar,” the organisation reported.
Spierings sees chances evaporate
Paul Spierings experienced a nightmare. The Dutchman, who was fastest yesterday but finished second due to a time penalty, was still leading after 39 kilometres but then had to stop multiple times. After 62 kilometres he had to wait for assistance, at 102 kilometres he had already lost almost a quarter of an hour, and at 112 kilometres he stopped again.
At kilometre 199, his deficit had grown to almost an hour and a half (1:26:04). “It has most definitely been a bad day for Paul Spierings. After several stops, his hopes for stage victory have completely evaporated,” the organisation noted. He has also lost his leading position in the overall classification.
Puck Klaassen shines on podium
Puck Klaassen drove an excellent stage and claimed third place, her first Dakar podium. The Dutchwoman finished 3:57 behind winner Del Rio and proved once again she can compete at the top of the Challenger class.
Pim Klaassen finished an impressive ninth in 15:45, Kees Koolen finished thirteenth after a time penalty in 23:48, Lex Peters set the 18th fastest time in 57:31, Dick van Culenborg finished 23rd in 1:24:52, and Spierings finished 1:35:26 behind. Streppel, Van Steenbergen, and Kersbergen are still on their way.
Zille recovers after poor start
David Zille, the winner of the first stage, had a dramatic start. The Argentinian was stationary for a long time and had already lost 10:30 after 39 kilometres. However, he managed to recover and limited the damage, allowing him to retain the lead in the overall classification. He now has a 1:58 advantage over Seaidan and 2:22 over Del Rio.
Benavides with problems, Busi stops
Kevin Benavides, the two-time motorcycle winner making his Dakar debut on four wheels, lost almost 18 minutes in the first part of the special. Rebecca Busi stopped after 150 kilometres with mechanical problems on her X-raid Fenic and tried to repair on the spot.
Guerreiro claims first Dakar victory in SSV
In the SSV category, Gonçalo Guerreiro claimed his first Dakar stage victory in his second participation. The Portuguese driver from Loeb Fraymedia Motorsport beat teammate Florent Vayssade by 1:02 and Xavier de Soultrait by 1:46. “Gonçalo Guerreiro and Xavier de Soultrait continued to set the pace in the SSV category, pulling away from their Can-Am rivals,” the organisation reported.
It was another Polaris celebration with four cars in the top five. Only “Chaleco” López could offer some resistance for Can-Am in fourth (+5:15), while Kyle Chaney finished sixth (+8:33).
De Soultrait retains lead
Xavier de Soultrait retained the lead in the overall classification despite his third place in the stage. The Frenchman has a 2:47 advantage over Guerreiro and 7:22 over Brock Heger. It’s an all-Polaris podium in the classification, with López as the best Can-Am in fourth place (+7:31).
“You couldn’t ask for anything better!” smiled De Soultrait after his victory yesterday. “Being at the top of the overall rankings is fantastic. We have a new vehicle, a standard Polaris, so it’s great to be in first place.”
Casteu stops early
A heavy blow for David Casteu, former runner-up in the motorcycle classification. In his first year transitioning to SSV, he had to stop after just six kilometres with a mechanical problem. He was given permission to leave the special, but the door remains theoretically open if he manages to repair the vehicle.
Benoît Lepiètre drove a strong stage and finished eighth (+16:21). The Frenchman from the BTR team was in the top ten throughout the stage and confirmed his potential after his eleventh place last year.
The battle between Polaris and Can-Am in the SSV category is clearly in Polaris’s favour after two days, continuing their dominance from yesterday with verve.
Wouter Rosegaar, navigating Richard Aczel, finished 19th in 42:35.
