Quotes
Stage 13 | Car - Truck
YANBU > YANBU
604| VAIDOTAS ZALA
Vaidotas Zala: "The Dakar is a strange beast"
Z for Zala! Like Zorro, Zala came out of nowhere to disarm the class heavyweights and win the trophy on his second attempt. Two Tuareg trophies are heading to Lithuania, where rally raid is one of the most popular sports, as Rokas Baciuska also prevailed in the Stock class.
"I entered the Dakar ten times in the car category, but trucks are a completely different story. I'm happy to get home without a hitch. When I started my first Dakar eleven years ago, my dream was just to take part, but today I won a trophy. Life is crazy! I think my consistency...
Stage 13 | Car - Ultimate
YANBU > YANBU
401| BROCK HEGER
Brock Heger: "I can't wait to come back next year"
Brock Heger picked up his second SSV trophy in a row. Polaris staved off the onslaught of the Can-Ams, but they are likely to pose an even greater challenge next year. The American, all of whose Dakar victories have been crowned with victory, is as cool as a cucumber.
"Our goal was to win and we did it. I loved the Dakar, I had a blast with Xavier and my other teammates. We're an American crew, it's an American brand. It's a huge win and I can't wait to come back next year and try to do it again. It's a brutal race that can stop at any moment,...
Stage 13 | Car - Challenger
YANBU > YANBU
336| PAU NAVARRO
Pau Navarro: "We built up an advantage"
Pau Navarro and Jan Rosa are the youngest crew to claim a title in the 48th edition. The two Spaniards, wise beyond their years, never missed the right move despite not winning any stage.
"It hasn't sunk in yet. We're just two blokes who love this. I'm going to see my parents and we'll all enjoy the sight of the Touareg trophy back home! The only day we attacked, we finished second or third. We built up an advantage without pushing the car too hard, setting a fast pace, but without hitting the front".
Stage 13 | Car - Ultimate
YANBU > YANBU
502| ROKAS BACIUSKA
Baciuska: "It's nice to be a factory driver"
Rokas Baciuska won a revitalised Stock race ahead of his teammate Sara Price and Ronald Basso in his Toyota.
"It was a great adventure for Defender. We beat Toyota and scored a one-two. I've learnt a lot this year, especially from Stéphane Peterhansel. We're friends now. It's nice to be a factory driver. It's so hard to become one in Ultimate, but I will. Next stop, Portugal."
Stage 13 | Car - Ultimate
YANBU > YANBU
226| MATTIAS EKSTRÖM
Mattias Ekstrom "[I want] to contest the full championship"
Mattias Ekstrom finished on the rally podium for the second year in a row. The Swede is already plotting his next campaign and wishes to contest all the rounds of the 2026 W2RC series to better prepare for 2027.
"I'm pleased with the podium, but we come here to win. The first lesson is that I have to come back even better prepared because the level at the front is extremely high. I'm going home and asking my bosses to let me contest the full championship, because to fight here you need the same level of preparation as Nasser and the Dacias....
Stage 13 | Car - Ultimate
YANBU > YANBU
227| NANI ROMA
Nani Roma: "We're coming back for more next year"
The 2014 Dakar car champion, Nani Roma, almost equalled his best-ever result by finishing second, 9′42″ off the top spot. He came ahead of his teammate Mattias Ekström, making it two Fords on the podium. The Raptors stamped their authority on the race by claiming six specials over fourteen days of racing.
"Yesterday I broke a wheel 50 metres before the end of the special, but we kept believing in our chances and here we are today, in second place. I only have words of gratitude for my team. This victory doesn't...
Stage 13 | Car - Ultimate
YANBU > YANBU
299| NASSER AL-ATTIYAH
Nasser Al Attiyah: "I still need to break Peterhansel's record"
Nasser Al Attiyah has won his sixth Dakar, the first for Dacia, on the Romanian manufacturer's second try. The Qatari also pulled level with Ari Vatanen and Stéphane Peterhansel, all three with 50 special wins, and came closer to the Frenchman's record eight titles. He has made that his next goal.
"We've worked very hard since last year. I might not be showing much emotion yet, but it's there, deep down. We are so happy to win. I think we made the difference on the second day of the first marathon stage by building up a twelve-minute...
Stage 13 | Bike - Rally GP
YANBU > YANBU
42| ADRIEN VAN BEVEREN
Adrien Van Beveren: "I was in the hunt every day of the second week"
Adrien Van Beveren finished his eleventh Dakar in fifth place. The Frenchman recaps the last two weeks with clear eyes and promises to come back for more next year.
"They often say that just finishing a Dakar is a victory in itself, and I want to take heart from that, but I also feel like I could've used a third week! I had a tough first week, struggling a bit to find my rhythm and dealing with all sorts of drama: a crash, a coil of wire getting caught in my wheel… It was a hyper-eventful opening week. The second week started much better;...
Stage 13 | Bike
YANBU > YANBU
Benjamin Melot: "Job done"
Benjamin Melot had been chasing victory in Original by Motul for seven editions. After four podium finishes, half of them in the runner-up's spot, the Frenchman has finally got his hands on the trophy for riders without service crews. Josep Pedró emerged as his arch-rival, but Cyril Despres's former mechanic got his day in the sun.
"Last year I really made an impression and I took a fair bit of punishment myself. But I worked incredibly hard to come back this year in better shape, with the mindset of leaving it all out there until the...
Stage 13 | Bike - Rally 2
YANBU > YANBU
16| TONI MULEC
Toni Mulec: "The Dakar had started so badly for me"
Toni Mulec, 41, riding as a privateer for BAS World KTM, handed the orange squad victory in Rally2, outfoxing Honda's two young recruits in their first appearance in the race. Preston Campbell (+4'37") held the top spot for a long time. The Slovenian rider netted the Dutch outfit their second title in this class, after Mason Klein in 2022.
"It's crazy because the Dakar had started so badly for me, with so many navigation blunders. I lost so much time during the first week. The second one went better and I didn't make...
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