[{"id":14759,"permalink":"https:\/\/dirtsportsworld.com\/2026\/01\/04\/dakar-rally-stage-1-de-mevius-claims-early-lead\/","title":"DAKAR RALLY STAGE 1: De M\u00e9vius Claims Early Lead","content":"The 48th Dakar Rally roared into life Sunday with an action-packed first full stage that delivered a mix of surprise victories, early championship pressures and historic performances in Saudi Arabia. Stage One was a 305-kilometer loop around Yanbu featuring rocky trails and sandy dunes that tested both machines and riders in scorching conditions.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_14761\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"792\"]\"\" Guillaume de M\u00e9vius secured a Stage 1 win in his X-Raid Mini. Photo: X-Raid[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn the car class, Belgian driver Guillaume de M\u00e9vius seized the stage win in his X-raid Mini, overtaking early leader Mattias Ekstr\u00f6m and holding off a strong challenge from five-time Dakar champion Nasser Al-Attiyah. Defending champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi suffered a major setback, picking up significant penalties for missing a waypoint and speeding, leaving him nearly 29 minutes behind the stage leader.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_14763\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" Edgar Canet is the youngest rider to win a Dakar stage on two-wheels. Photo: KTM[\/caption]\r\n\r\nOn two wheels, 20-year-old Edgar Canet continued his sensational start by winning the motorcycle category\u2019s Stage 1. The KTM rider, is already the youngest ever Dakar stage winner after clinching a win in the prologue. Canet extended his advantage ahead of teammate Daniel Sanders and Honda\u2019s Ricky Brabec.\r\nIn the SSV class, Xavier de Soultrait emerged victorious, topping the leaderboard with a strong effort that put him ahead of his rivals by several minutes at the end of the grueling Stage 1. Polaris dominated the top positions, with Portuguese driver Alexandre Pinto finishing second, just 3 minutes 34 seconds behind de Soultrait, and American competitor Brock Heger taking third at +3 minutes 48 seconds.","excerpt":"

The 48th Dakar Rally roared into life Sunday with an action-packed first full stage that delivered a mix of surprise …<\/p>","date":"January 4, 2026 20:26","categories":[{"id":25047612,"title":"News","slug":"news"},{"id":25047953,"title":"Rally","slug":"rally"}],"tags":[{"id":25047642,"title":"Dakar Rally","slug":"dakar-rally"},{"id":25048585,"title":"daniel sanders","slug":"daniel-sanders"},{"id":25049828,"title":"Edgar Canet","slug":"edgar-canet"},{"id":25049085,"title":"guillaume de mevius","slug":"guillaume-de-mevius"},{"id":25047641,"title":"Ricky Brabec","slug":"ricky-brabec"},{"id":25047646,"title":"saudi arabia","slug":"saudi-arabia"},{"id":25049487,"title":"Xavier de Soultrait","slug":"xavier-de-soultrait"},{"id":25049826,"title":"Yanbu","slug":"yanbu"}]},{"id":11548,"permalink":"https:\/\/dirtsportsworld.com\/2025\/01\/05\/dakar-rally-underway-with-prologue-and-stage-1\/","title":"Dakar Rally Underway with Prologue and Stage 1","content":"The 2025 edition of the Dakar Rally is underway in Saudi Arabia. The Rally kicked off Friday with a Prologue. Competitors were right back on course on Saturday with the first official stage of the Rally, starting and finishing in Bisha. The top competitors in the Prologue were allowed to choose their starting positions.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_11550\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" Seth Quintero took the first Stage win of the Dakar Rally. Photo: ASO[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe story of the day belongs to none other than American Seth Quintero. The 22-year-old had stopped to help a competitor and was scored in first place. Quintero is competing on the Toyota Gazoo Racing team. Coming in second, despite physically first on course was Guerlain Chicherit.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_11552\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" Daniel Sanders made a statement, winning the opening stage of the Dakar Rally. Photo: ASO[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe bike riders had a rough day getting lost, crashing and navigating the Saudi Sand. In the end it was Daniel Sanders on top of the podium followed by Ricky Brabec and Ross Branch. Brabec is riding with a recently broken leg, however that did not stop him from making major moves.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_11553\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\"]\"\" Brock Heger is in Saudi Arabia competing in the Dakar Rally for Sebastien Loeb Racing in the SSV class. Photo: ASO[\/caption]\r\n\r\nOver in the SSV Class, a three-way battle ensued between Xavier De Soultrait, Francisco Lopez and none other than American Brock Heger. Heger and Max Eddy are running the class in a Sebastien Loeb Polaris RZR. Heger\u2019s teammate De Soultrait took top honors in the class.\r\n\r\nThe competitors will once again finish Stage 2 in Bisha on Sunday.","excerpt":"

The 2025 edition of the Dakar Rally is underway in Saudi Arabia. The Rally kicked off Friday with a Prologue. …<\/p>","date":"January 5, 2025 07:47","categories":[{"id":25047612,"title":"News","slug":"news"},{"id":25047953,"title":"Rally","slug":"rally"}],"tags":[{"id":25049737,"title":"2025 Dakar","slug":"2025-dakar"},{"id":25047900,"title":"brock heger","slug":"brock-heger"},{"id":25047642,"title":"Dakar Rally","slug":"dakar-rally"},{"id":25048585,"title":"daniel sanders","slug":"daniel-sanders"},{"id":25049042,"title":"Francisco Lopez","slug":"francisco-lopez"},{"id":25047641,"title":"Ricky Brabec","slug":"ricky-brabec"},{"id":25047646,"title":"saudi arabia","slug":"saudi-arabia"},{"id":25047961,"title":"seth quintero","slug":"seth-quintero"},{"id":25047955,"title":"ssv","slug":"ssv"},{"id":25049487,"title":"Xavier de Soultrait","slug":"xavier-de-soultrait"}]},{"id":10232,"permalink":"https:\/\/dirtsportsworld.com\/2024\/08\/06\/brock-heger-to-race-at-dakar-for-polaris\/","title":"Brock Heger to Race at Dakar for Polaris","content":"Brock Heger has secured a factory deal to race at the 2025 Dakar Rally. Heger will make his debut appearance at the rally with teammate Max Eddy Jr. as his navigator in the SSV class. Heger secured the 2023 SCORE Pro UTV Open Championship for Polaris and is hoping to bring his driving skills over to Saudi Arabia for the Dakar Rally.\r\n\r\nXavier De Soultrait will also return to the factory team under the Sabastien Loeb Racing (SLR) banner. Both drivers will pilot the special built Gen 2 RZR Pro Factory Machine. \u00a0De Soultrait has an SSV class championship to defend at the rally.\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n\"Securing the win last year was not only a monumental achievement for Polaris and SLR, but also a profound and dramatic demonstration of the performance, sophistication and sheer toughness of our RZR Pro R Factory platform,\" said Alex Scheuerell, Polaris Factory Racing Technical Director.","excerpt":"

Brock Heger has secured a factory deal to race at the 2025 Dakar Rally. Heger will make his debut appearance …<\/p>","date":"August 6, 2024 02:25","categories":[{"id":25047612,"title":"News","slug":"news"},{"id":25047953,"title":"Rally","slug":"rally"}],"tags":[{"id":25047900,"title":"brock heger","slug":"brock-heger"},{"id":25049613,"title":"Dakar 2025","slug":"dakar-2025"},{"id":25047642,"title":"Dakar Rally","slug":"dakar-rally"},{"id":25049521,"title":"Max Eddy Jr","slug":"max-eddy-jr"},{"id":25047711,"title":"polaris","slug":"polaris"},{"id":25049640,"title":"polaris factory racing","slug":"polaris-factory-racing"},{"id":25047646,"title":"saudi arabia","slug":"saudi-arabia"},{"id":25049639,"title":"Sebastien Loeb Racing","slug":"sebastien-loeb-racing"},{"id":25049487,"title":"Xavier de Soultrait","slug":"xavier-de-soultrait"}]},{"id":8637,"permalink":"https:\/\/dirtsportsworld.com\/2024\/01\/19\/ricky-brabec-wins-the-2024-dakar-rally\/","title":"Ricky Brabec Wins the 2024 Dakar Rally","content":"After a very tight race Ricky Brabec finished just seconds ahead of Ross Branch to win the moto class in the 2024 Dakar Rally. Brabec got a final of 38 points totals, bringing home the overall trophy for the Americans. This is Brabec\u2019s second win. Brabec last won the rally in 2020. A technical issue forced him out of last year\u2019s race.\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s a nice way to start the year with a victory,\u201d Brabec said at the finish. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t easy as the course was really tough and so was the competition. Ross and my own team kept me on my toes, but not just me, I think we were keeping everyone on each other\u2019s toes. It was definitely a fight to the end for everyone. I\u2019m happy for all of us, we did an excellent job all of the two weeks. I think number 9 will be my lucky number from now on.\u201d\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\nOver in the car class, Carlos Sainz had an early overall lead and stayed there all the way to the finish. Sainz who started racing at the Dakar Rally now becomes the oldest winner in the history of the event. Sainz has won the event at least five times.\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\nIn the Challenger class, Mitch Guthrie Jr was leading overall until he wasn\u2019t. A heartbreaking mechanical issue would shut Guthrie down for over an hour. He lost the lead and overall race to Cristina Gutierrez. Frenchman Xavier De Soultrait took the overall win in the SSV class. Sara Price finished an impressive fourth for her efforts.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nImages Courtesy of A.S.O & Team Honda HRC","excerpt":"

After a very tight race Ricky Brabec finished just seconds ahead of Ross Branch to win the moto class in …<\/p>","date":"January 19, 2024 15:57","categories":[{"id":25047612,"title":"News","slug":"news"},{"id":25047953,"title":"Rally","slug":"rally"}],"tags":[{"id":25047959,"title":"CARLOS SAINZ","slug":"carlos-sainz"},{"id":25048956,"title":"Cristina Gutierrez","slug":"cristina-gutierrez"},{"id":25049501,"title":"dakar 2024","slug":"dakar-2024"},{"id":25047642,"title":"Dakar Rally","slug":"dakar-rally"},{"id":25049515,"title":"dakar rally winner","slug":"dakar-rally-winner"},{"id":25048358,"title":"honda hrc","slug":"honda-hrc"},{"id":25048637,"title":"mitch guthrie jr","slug":"mitch-guthrie-jr"},{"id":25047957,"title":"rally","slug":"rally"},{"id":25047641,"title":"Ricky Brabec","slug":"ricky-brabec"},{"id":25049092,"title":"ross branch","slug":"ross-branch"},{"id":25047705,"title":"sara price","slug":"sara-price"},{"id":25049487,"title":"Xavier de Soultrait","slug":"xavier-de-soultrait"}]},{"id":8389,"permalink":"https:\/\/dirtsportsworld.com\/2024\/01\/02\/polaris-partners-with-sebastien-loeb-racing-at-dakar-rally\/","title":"Polaris Partners with Sebastien Loeb Racing at Dakar Rally","content":"Polaris is partnering with Sebastien Loeb Racing for the upcoming Dakar Rally. SLR racers will pilot the Polaris RZR Pro R. Xavier de Soultrait and Florent Vayssade are both drivers on the SLR team. They will compete in the SSV T4 category behind the wheel of the Polaris RZR Pro R.\r\n\r\n\u201cOur success with the Polaris Factory Racing team during its first season in the SCORE Baja racing series, capped off with a coveted Baja 1000 victory, was unprecedented and prodigious, but Dakar is an entirely different beast. That said, Sebastien Loeb Racing is a finely tuned program with an enormous level of experience at Dakar and together, we couldn\u2019t be more excited to put the RZR Pro R Factory to an entirely new test,\u201d said Alex Scheuerell, Polaris Factory Racing Technical Director. \u201cOur incredible design and engineering teams have continued to refine and develop the RZR Pro R Factory platform specifically for international rally racing and the unique demands it places on both drivers and vehicles. We are excited to take on this incredible challenge with the combined power of Polaris engineering and our incredible partners at SLR.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe Dakar Rally begins in Saudi Arabia on January 5th<\/sup>.","excerpt":"

Polaris is partnering with Sebastien Loeb Racing for the upcoming Dakar Rally. SLR racers will pilot the Polaris RZR Pro …<\/p>","date":"January 2, 2024 15:30","categories":[{"id":25047612,"title":"News","slug":"news"},{"id":25047953,"title":"Rally","slug":"rally"}],"tags":[{"id":25047642,"title":"Dakar Rally","slug":"dakar-rally"},{"id":25049486,"title":"Florent Vayssade","slug":"florent-vayssade"},{"id":25048551,"title":"polaris rzr pro r","slug":"polaris-rzr-pro-r"},{"id":25048643,"title":"sebastien loeb","slug":"sebastien-loeb"},{"id":25048571,"title":"slr","slug":"slr"},{"id":25049487,"title":"Xavier de Soultrait","slug":"xavier-de-soultrait"}]}]{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1", "user_comment": "This feed allows you to read the posts from this site in any feed reader that supports the JSON Feed format. To add this feed to your reader, copy the following URL -- https://dirtsportsworld.com/tag/xavier-de-soultrait/feed/json -- and add it your reader.", "home_page_url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/tag/xavier-de-soultrait", "feed_url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/tag/xavier-de-soultrait/feed/json", "language": "en-US", "title": "Xavier de Soultrait Archives - DirtSportsWorld", "description": "The Voice of Off-Road Motorsports", "icon": "https://i0.wp.com/dirtsportsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/cropped-DSW-Web-Icon.png?fit=59%2C59&ssl=1", "items": [ { "id": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/?p=14759", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/2026/01/04/dakar-rally-stage-1-de-mevius-claims-early-lead/", "title": "DAKAR RALLY STAGE 1: De M\u00e9vius Claims Early Lead", "content_html": "

The 48th Dakar Rally roared into life Sunday with an action-packed first full stage that delivered a mix of surprise …

The post DAKAR RALLY STAGE 1: De M\u00e9vius Claims Early Lead appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.

\n", "content_text": "The 48th Dakar Rally roared into life Sunday with an action-packed first full stage that delivered a mix of surprise …The post DAKAR RALLY STAGE 1: De M\u00e9vius Claims Early Lead appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.", "date_published": "2026-01-04T20:26:41-08:00", "date_modified": "2026-01-04T20:26:41-08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "DirtSportsWorld Staff", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/author/dirtsportsworld/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4817be88e351e2814fd215f4b782a136e8119efccfc1eafde273c56619cf08f5?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "DirtSportsWorld Staff", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/author/dirtsportsworld/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4817be88e351e2814fd215f4b782a136e8119efccfc1eafde273c56619cf08f5?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "tags": [ "Dakar Rally", "daniel sanders", "Edgar Canet", "guillaume de mevius", "Ricky Brabec", "saudi arabia", "Xavier de Soultrait", "Yanbu", "News", "Rally" ] }, { "id": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/?p=11548", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/2025/01/05/dakar-rally-underway-with-prologue-and-stage-1/", "title": "Dakar Rally Underway with Prologue and Stage 1", "content_html": "

The 2025 edition of the Dakar Rally is underway in Saudi Arabia. The Rally kicked off Friday with a Prologue. …

The post Dakar Rally Underway with Prologue and Stage 1 appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.

\n", "content_text": "The 2025 edition of the Dakar Rally is underway in Saudi Arabia. The Rally kicked off Friday with a Prologue. …The post Dakar Rally Underway with Prologue and Stage 1 appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.", "date_published": "2025-01-05T07:47:48-08:00", "date_modified": "2025-01-05T07:48:07-08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "DirtSportsWorld Staff", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/author/dirtsportsworld/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4817be88e351e2814fd215f4b782a136e8119efccfc1eafde273c56619cf08f5?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "DirtSportsWorld Staff", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/author/dirtsportsworld/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4817be88e351e2814fd215f4b782a136e8119efccfc1eafde273c56619cf08f5?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "tags": [ "2025 Dakar", "brock heger", "Dakar Rally", "daniel sanders", "Francisco Lopez", "Ricky Brabec", "saudi arabia", "seth quintero", "ssv", "Xavier de Soultrait", "News", "Rally" ] }, { "id": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/?p=10232", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/2024/08/06/brock-heger-to-race-at-dakar-for-polaris/", "title": "Brock Heger to Race at Dakar for Polaris", "content_html": "

Brock Heger has secured a factory deal to race at the 2025 Dakar Rally. Heger will make his debut appearance …

The post Brock Heger to Race at Dakar for Polaris appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.

\n", "content_text": "Brock Heger has secured a factory deal to race at the 2025 Dakar Rally. Heger will make his debut appearance …The post Brock Heger to Race at Dakar for Polaris appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.", "date_published": "2024-08-06T02:25:35-07:00", "date_modified": "2024-08-06T02:25:35-07:00", "authors": [ { "name": "DirtSportsWorld Staff", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/author/dirtsportsworld/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4817be88e351e2814fd215f4b782a136e8119efccfc1eafde273c56619cf08f5?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "DirtSportsWorld Staff", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/author/dirtsportsworld/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4817be88e351e2814fd215f4b782a136e8119efccfc1eafde273c56619cf08f5?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "tags": [ "brock heger", "Dakar 2025", "Dakar Rally", "Max Eddy Jr", "polaris", "polaris factory racing", "saudi arabia", "Sebastien Loeb Racing", "Xavier de Soultrait", "News", "Rally" ] }, { "id": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/?p=8637", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/2024/01/19/ricky-brabec-wins-the-2024-dakar-rally/", "title": "Ricky Brabec Wins the 2024 Dakar Rally", "content_html": "

After a very tight race Ricky Brabec finished just seconds ahead of Ross Branch to win the moto class in …

The post Ricky Brabec Wins the 2024 Dakar Rally appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.

\n", "content_text": "After a very tight race Ricky Brabec finished just seconds ahead of Ross Branch to win the moto class in …The post Ricky Brabec Wins the 2024 Dakar Rally appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.", "date_published": "2024-01-19T15:57:05-08:00", "date_modified": "2024-01-19T15:57:05-08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "DirtSportsWorld Staff", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/author/dirtsportsworld/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4817be88e351e2814fd215f4b782a136e8119efccfc1eafde273c56619cf08f5?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "DirtSportsWorld Staff", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/author/dirtsportsworld/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4817be88e351e2814fd215f4b782a136e8119efccfc1eafde273c56619cf08f5?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "tags": [ "CARLOS SAINZ", "Cristina Gutierrez", "dakar 2024", "Dakar Rally", "dakar rally winner", "honda hrc", "mitch guthrie jr", "Rally", "Ricky Brabec", "ross branch", "sara price", "Xavier de Soultrait", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/?p=8389", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/2024/01/02/polaris-partners-with-sebastien-loeb-racing-at-dakar-rally/", "title": "Polaris Partners with Sebastien Loeb Racing at Dakar Rally", "content_html": "

Polaris is partnering with Sebastien Loeb Racing for the upcoming Dakar Rally. SLR racers will pilot the Polaris RZR Pro …

The post Polaris Partners with Sebastien Loeb Racing at Dakar Rally appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.

\n", "content_text": "Polaris is partnering with Sebastien Loeb Racing for the upcoming Dakar Rally. SLR racers will pilot the Polaris RZR Pro …The post Polaris Partners with Sebastien Loeb Racing at Dakar Rally appeared first on DirtSportsWorld.", "date_published": "2024-01-02T15:30:52-08:00", "date_modified": "2024-01-02T15:30:52-08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "DirtSportsWorld Staff", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/author/dirtsportsworld/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4817be88e351e2814fd215f4b782a136e8119efccfc1eafde273c56619cf08f5?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "DirtSportsWorld Staff", "url": "https://dirtsportsworld.com/author/dirtsportsworld/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4817be88e351e2814fd215f4b782a136e8119efccfc1eafde273c56619cf08f5?s=512&d=identicon&r=g" }, "tags": [ "Dakar Rally", "Florent Vayssade", "polaris rzr pro r", "sebastien loeb", "slr", "Xavier de Soultrait", "News", "Rally" ] } ] }