Schareina Closes Gap to 11:56 in Dakar Rally Stage 6

Andorran resident Tosha Schareina maintained his title contention in the Dakar Rally after stage 6, closing the overall gap to leader Daniel Sanders to 11:56 despite finishing second, 1:14 behind winner Ricky Brabec in the edition's longest and toughest special.

The 326km timed section out of a 915km total from Hail to Riyadh tested navigation and dune endurance, with risks of overnight bivouacs. Schareina's raw time placed him 5:57 off the fastest provisional pace, but Sanders' speeding penalty elevated him from fourth overall—where a stage 5 10-minute sanction for skipping a flagged control at the refugee camp exit had dropped him 11th in that stage and nearly 12 minutes behind Sanders.

Fellow Andorran resident Edgar Canet finished 15th, 23 minutes off the stage winner, focusing on bike preservation after losing his rear tire's mousse insert in stage 5. That mechanical failure caused multiple stops, ruling out podium hopes as he trailed far behind at checkpoints. Adrien Van Beveren, another resident, took fifth in stage 6, 5:21—or 5:37 by some reports—behind the leader, holding seventh overall, nearly an hour back after a stage 5 wire snag cost over 30 minutes.

Schareina had shared the lead with Brabec after dominating stages 3 and 4, including the 417km marathon opener. Stage 5 went to Luciano Benavides amid Canet's issues and Van Beveren's setback.

In cars, Cristina Gutiérrez placed 13th in stage 6, 12:30 behind the leader, staying 13th overall, 23:59 off the pace. Guillaume de Mévius and Mathieu Baumel completed the stage to reach 70th overall, over five hours behind Henk Lategan after ongoing issues like a stage 3 puncture.

The rally now enters a rest day before resuming.