Dakar 2020
Day Seven – Rest Day – Riyadh
After the first six gruelling days of the 2020 Dakar Rally, riders have enjoyed a day of rest to mark the mid-way point in Riyadh, with Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda Team) leading the combined standings with a 20min-56s lead over Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna Factory Rally Team), with Toby Price (KTM Factory Racing Team) the leading KTM mounted rider.
Toby Price notably had the tyre come off his rear wheel in Stage Six, receiving assistance from Andrew Short to get moving, which saw him outside the top ten, and drop to third overall.
Jose Cornego and Joan Barreda of the Monster Energy Honda Team completed the top five, giving Honda three of the top five riders at the mid-way point, while Matthias Walkner and Luciano Benavides represented KTM in sixth and seventh.
KTM mounted Skyler Howes and Stefan Svitko are running eighth and ninth, while top ranked Yamaha rider is Franco Caimi with the Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team.
Aussie Rodney Faggotter (Yamaha Motor Australia) has also been putting in a strong effort sitting just outside the top-10 in 13th place after Stage Six, with Ben Young currently sitting 66th, Trevor Wilson 88th, and Matthew Tisdall 108th. New Zealand’s Phillip Wilson also currently ranks 63rd.
Stage Seven onwards
After a well-earned rest day, competitors now leave Riyadh for the final week of racing, and Stage Seven incorporates the longest special of the 2020 Dakar Rally, sure to be a hugely challenging return to competition. Heading south-west, racers will need to rely on their navigational skills to tackle the scattered dunes.
Looping back to Wadi Al-Dawasir, Stage Eight takes place in the south of Saudi Arabia. Unique to this stage is a 40-kilometre straight line, which will be a huge contrast to the mountain ranges riders will encounter on the same day.
With the end of the event drawing ever nearer, Stage Nine will be the longest of the 2020 Dakar Rally. Totalling 886 kilometres, riders will venture north-east to Haradh where they’ll be faced with hard and rough terrain. Cautious riding will be the name of the game in order to reach the finish ahead of Stage 10 and the event’s second marathon stage.
The second marathon begins with riders encountering 30 kilometres of rolling sand dunes, testing their endurance and ability to navigate. Adjoining with Stage 11, competitors will need to conserve their bikes as no mechanical assistance is permitted at the end of the stage.
Saudi Arabia’s finest dunes welcome competitors during the initial 80 kilometres of the 744-kilometre Stage 11. Riders will also be mindful of reaching the end of this penultimate leg of the event safely and successfully completing the second part of the marathon.
Friday, January 17 marks the end of the 2020 Dakar Rally, with a 447-kilometre stage from Haradh to Qiddiya.
Results following Stage 6 – Dakar Rally 2020
| Pos. | Rider | Time/Gap |
| 1 | Â Ricky Brabec | 23h 43′ 47” |
| 2 | Â Pablo Quintanilla | + 00h 20′ 56” |
| 3 | Â Toby Price | + 00h 25′ 39” |
| 4 | Â Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo | + 00h 25′ 41” |
| 5 | Â Joan Barreda Bort | + 00h 32′ 58” |
| 6 | Â Matthias Walkner | + 00h 33′ 39” |
| 7 | Â Luciano Benavides | + 00h 39′ 02” |
| 8 | Â Skyler Howes | + 01h 04′ 50” |
| 9 | Â Stefan Svitko | + 01h 07′ 49” |
| 10 | Â Franco Caimi | + 01h 10′ 24” |
| 11 | Â Adrien Metge | + 01h 14′ 18” |
| 12 | Â Andrew Short | + 01h 36′ 39” |
| 13 | Â Rodney Faggotter | + 01h 48′ 55” |
| 14 | Â Lorenzo Santolino | + 02h 19′ 33” |
| 15 | Â Jaume Betriu | + 02h 24′ 08” |
| 16 | Â Martin Michek | + 02h 26′ 28” |
| 17 | Â Maciej Giemza | + 02h 36′ 00” |
| 18 | Â Laia Sanz | + 02h 36′ 21” |
| 19 | Â Juan Pedrero Garcia | + 02h 38′ 17” |
| 20 | Â Maurizio Gerini | + 02h 38′ 34” |
| Pos. | Rider | Team | Time/Gap |
| 1 | Â Ricky Brabec | Monster Energy Honda Team 2020 | 04h 36′ 28” |
| 2 | Â Joan Barreda Bort | Monster Energy Honda Team 2020 | + 00h 01′ 34” |
| 3 | Â Matthias Walkner | Red Bull KTM Factory Team | + 00h 02′ 45” |
| 4 | Â Pablo Quintanilla | Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing | + 00h 04′ 55” |
| 5 | Â Luciano Benavides | Red Bull KTM Factory Team | + 00h 05′ 02” |
| 6 | Â Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo | Monster Energy Honda Team 2020 | + 00h 05′ 16” |
| 7 | Â Franco Caimi | Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team | + 00h 08′ 13” |
| 8 |  Paulo Gonçalves | Hero Motosports Team Rally | + 00h 08′ 16” |
| 9 | Â Stefan Svitko | Slovnaft Rally Team | + 00h 10′ 56” |
| 10 | Â Skyler Howes | Klymciw Racing | + 00h 15′ 03” |
| 11 | Â Toby Price | Red Bull KTM Factory Team | + 00h 16′ 33” |
| 12 | Â Adrien Metge | Sherco Tvs Rally Factory | + 00h 16′ 37” |
| 13 | Â Maurizio Gerini | Solarys Racing | + 00h 20′ 16” |
| 14 | Â Jacopo Cerutti | Solarys Racing | + 00h 22′ 32” |
| 15 | Â Laia Sanz | Gas Gas Factory Team | + 00h 22′ 45” |
| 16 | Â Rodney Faggotter | Yamaha Motor Australia | + 00h 23′ 40” |
| 17 | Â Jaume Betriu | Fn Speed Team | + 00h 23′ 59” |
| 18 | Â Martin Michek | Moto Racing Group (Mrg) | + 00h 24′ 07” |
| 19 | Â Juan Pedrero Garcia | Ls2 Aventura Touareg | + 00h 25′ 16” |
| 20 | Â Jamie Mccanney | Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team | + 00h 26′ 06” |
