2025 Dakar Rally Stage 5: Branch in third place after Stage 5

Hero MotoSports Team rally, the only Indian manufacturer at the 2025 Dakar Rally has successfully completed the fifth stage of the gruelling rally, with Nacho Cornejo and Ross Branch finishing in the top 10 by the end of the stage. Today’s stage consisted of a 428km route, with timed specials and super fast tracks, along with sandy terrain which forced the competitors to slow down. The stage also featured stony terrain, and the competitors will be receiving a much-needed day of rest on January 10th, after the consecutive marathon stages on January 8 and 9, as the rally reached its midpoint in Ha’il.

Ross Branch finished in third place in the overall standings by the end of Stage 5, while Cornejo finished in 9th place overall. Both the riders performed impressively during the stage, with Cornejo securing his second consecutive podium finish, crossing the finish line with the 3rd fastest time, with less than a 2 minute time gap separating him from the top rank holder. Branch followed Cornejo closely in the stage, finishing 4th and making a strong comeback after yesterday's navigation error, resulting in a top-5 finish for the duo at the end of stage. Branch also managed to close the gap between himself the and the leader, Daniel Sanders.

Cornejo commented on the stage saying, “We've made it to the rest day, we had some really good stages in the marathon and I'm thrilled to have finished third in today's stage. We arrived with a lot of confidence on the bike, although ninth place isn't where I want like to be in the overall standings in the end, I'm motivated to make up ground in the second week.” Branch also spoke about his performance in the stage, saying, “Today was good, unlike yesterday where I made a navigation mistake at the end of the stage which cost us a lot of time and got a speeding penalty halfway through the stage. We are here in one piece, the bike is in good condition, and the team is happy and in high spirits. With a mammoth second week ahead, we're more determined than ever to make our mark. We're still very much in the race, and our motivation is stronger than ever. Bring on week number two!

The following week is expected to be tougher as the rally progresses southwards towards Al Duwadimi, marking itself as one of the longest stages on this year’s Dakar. After a transfer section, the competitors will face a faster stretch with the difficulty ramped up, thanks to sandy terrain, hills, dunes and sandy tracks.