2022 Dakar Rally Highlights
Cycle News Staff | January 25, 2022
The Dakar Rally has been run and won, here are some photo highlights from the event that many regard as the toughest off-road race in the world.
Photography by RallyZone, GasGas, Yamaha, Dakar Press, HRC
Sam Sunderland took his second victory in the Dakar Rally and a first for KTM-owned GasGas as the world’s best off-road protagonists descended on Saudi Arabia to do battle in the desert.
Briton Sunderland proved consistency was the key to Dakar glory, taking just a single stage win but crucially staying in the top five for most of the stages. Although Sunderland hit the rally lead after Stage 2, he was never comfortably in front and lost the rally lead on Stage 10 to Yamaha’s Adrien van Beveren. However, Sunderland’s mastery of navigation meant he was soon back in front by Stage 11 after taking second to KTM’s Kevin Benavides, setting himself up for the final run to Jeddah and gold, once again, for Great Britain.
Second, once again, went to Honda’s Pablo Quintanilla. The Chilean finished second in the epic 2020 tussle with Ricky Brabec and was closing on the 2022 Rally lead at the right time, only to run out of stages as Sunderland held on by three minutes and 27 seconds.
Rounding out the podium was KTM’s 2018 Dakar Champion and current World Rally Champion, Matthias Walkner. Like Sunderland, the Austrian played the long game at Dakar 2022, taking no stage wins but hitting the Rally lead after Stage 9 thanks to his consistent performances inside the top six. It wasn’t, however, enough to take him to a second Dakar triumph.