The marathon-refuge stage from Wadi ad Dawasir brought tough navigation challenges that quickly changed the rally picture for the front-runners. Luciano Benavides’ time at the top of the overall standings came to an end after confusion on the route disrupted his strong run.
Tosha Schareina delivered the standout performance of the day by choosing the correct canyon early in the stage, while several rivals went the wrong way. He was also the fastest at the finish, winning the stage by over six minutes from Daniel Sanders and his Honda teammate Ricky Brabec.
Although Schareina remains fourth overall, he has reduced his gap to the lead to around 15 minutes. A penalty from an earlier marathon stage still hurts his chances, as without it he would be closely fighting Sanders for the top spot.
Daniel Sanders benefited most from the day’s events and has regained the overall lead. The KTM rider now holds a 6-minute advantage over Brabec, but with another demanding marathon stage and difficult dunes ahead, the battle for the lead remains wide open.