Watch daily extended highlights from the 2025 edition of the Dakar Rally each morning via our - plus a daily 15-minute mini recap and more from January 4 to January 18 (AEDT).
Coming into the Dakar off the back of winning the Rallye du Maroc in 2024, Sanders showed his great form has carried over into the new year as the fastest rider over the 29 kilometre prologue route around Bisha.
Last year's Dakar runner up Ross Branch (Hero Motorsports) and Sanders' Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Edgar Canet both finished twelve seconds behind the Australian to post the first podium for the bikes category.
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Dakar Rally 2025
series • motorsport
series • motorsport
Also in the bikes, Australian Toby Hederics (BAS World KTM Racing) finished 33rd overall and 14th in the Rally 2 class in his first ever Dakar stage, crossing the line in Bisha two minutes and 30 seconds behind his compatriot Sanders.
"It's unreal," Hederics said of officially becoming a rider in the Dakar Rally.
"It's nice to get this one underway, that wasn't too bad of a run. As soon as you twist that throttle off the line, the nerves are gone and it's full focus."
Australian Toby Price started his new Dakar chapter on four wheels with British teammate Sam Sunderland, the pair finishing 12th amongst the Ultimate class competitors in their Overdrive Racing car.
With prologue results not being counted for the cars, Price and Sunderland's first official racing will happen tonight in stage one.
"Honestly, we didn't expect too much out of the day," Price said following the prologue.
"We just wanted to bring the car back in one piece, and I think we did that really well."
Albury's Andrew Houlihan (Nomadas Adventure) began his gruelling Dakar journey in the Original by Motul class with a 15th place finish in the prologue.
"It was pretty rocky and tight," Houlihan said of the prologue.
"But it's done and I've got through safely, so that's the main thing."
While they started later than the other classes, brothers Peter and Christopher Schey finished their first Classic stage in 11th place, with results also not being officially counted until stage one.
The 2025 Dakar Rally continues with Stage 1, a 413 kilometre route starting and finishing in Bisha. Watch extended highlights early on Sunday morning (AEDT) via SBS On Demand, or at 5pm on SBS.
