2025 Dakar Rally Stage 1: Hero MotoSports battles highs and lows

Hero MotoSports Team Rally experienced mixed emotions during Stage 1 of the 2025 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia. The team, which had shown promising form in the Prologue, was dealt a major blow as rider Sebastian Buhler was forced to retire after a serious crash. Meanwhile, Ross Branch continued his strong performance, finishing third, while teammate Jose Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Cornejo made a remarkable recovery from his Prologue position to finish inside the top 10.

Branch and Nacho in the top 10

Ross Branch continues to shine for Hero MotoSports, finishing third in Stage 1 despite starting at the back of the Rally GP class grid. Branch, who secured second place in the Prologue yesterday, showed great form on the desert loop south of Bisha, pushing through rocky and sandy terrains. By the first time check at km 39, Branch was third, just 15 seconds behind the leader, Ricky Brabec, and seemed to be ready to take the lead as well. By km 122, Branch was in the lead, having overtaken Brabec by 19 seconds. However, the lead was short-lived as Daniel Sanders surged ahead at km 151, leaving Branch behind. By the time the stage reached km 182, Branch had closed the gap to just two seconds behind Sanders, keeping him well within striking distance. Unfortunately, towards the latter part of the stage, Branch lost some ground and finished 3rd overall, 2 minutes and 26 seconds behind Sanders and 22 seconds behind Brabec.

Jose ‘Nacho’ Cornejo also performed well, recovering from his 36th place in the Prologue. Cornejo took on the challenge of leading the race because of the reversed starting grid but earned valuable time bonuses on the way. By the first time check at km 39, Cornejo was in fourth place, just 23 seconds behind the lead. But opening the stage wasn’t easy and other riders soon caught up. Despite that, Cornejo finished 9th overall in the stage, recovering nearly 30 positions in the standings.

Sebastian Buhler crashes out

Unfortunately, Hero MotoSports’ suffered a setback with the crash of Sebastian Buhler. Buhler, who had been running a solid race, crashed at the km 68 mark and sustained a shoulder injury that forced him to retire from the rally. 

Looking ahead

As Stage 1 draws to a close, Hero MotoSports still has two riders in the race, and both Branch and Cornejo will be aiming to build on their strong results. Stage 2 will present an even more demanding challenge as riders will tackle a 947km special in what is known as the 48-hour chrono stage. Starting and finishing in Bisha, this stage will push competitors to their limits with varying terrain, including dunes, rocks, and gravel, over two long days with an overnight camp under the stars before resuming the stage early the next morning.