Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, has successfully completed the tenth stage at the Dakar Rally 2025.
Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, has successfully completed the tenth stage at the Dakar Rally 2025.
Nacho Cornejo, Hero’s current flagbearer at Dakar Rally 2025, finished today’s stage with a deliberate 23rd position, as part of the team’s tactical approach to secure a favourable start position for tomorrow’s long stage. The 12-stage rally has already entered its final countdown with the start of the Empty Quarter today, and will culminate in a thrilling grand finale on Friday, January 17, 2025.
The Stage 11 for tomorrow will be the final push before the last stage that will feature a mass start. By finishing 23rd today, Nacho will have a better chance to navigate the challenging terrain and make a strong attack. Cornejo was running in the top-5 after clearing the 82 km mark today and took a conscious decision to slow down and secure his beneficial start position for tomorrow.
With today’s Stage 10, where the ultimate test in the Empty Quarter started, the competitors had to cover a 520 km road section combined with 115 km of timed special. The relatively short stage pushed competitors to their limits, with a total of 635 km at the disposal, featuring technical dunes that threw numerous challenges at the competitors.
With everything going according to the plan, Hero MotoSports Team Rally is poised to deliver another solid performance at the world’s toughest rally. Currently looking in an impressive form, Nacho Cornejo is determined to give his best effort to claim a commendable finish for the team at Dakar 2025.
Tomorrow’s Stage 11 will be the final crucial test of endurance for this year’s edition of the rally. With 308 km of timed special and 232 km of road section, it will be a fairly long day for the competitors as they cover a total of 540 km. With the rally progressing in its final leg in Shubaytah, the Empty Quarter Challenge will reach its climax tomorrow on the eve of the Dakar 2025 finish.
Nacho Cornejo, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, said:
“We’ve successfully navigated Stage 10, our first encounter with a stage full of dunes. Although it was a relatively short stage, it was important for us to secure a favourable starting position for tomorrow’s long stage. I adopted a cautious and conscious approach to achieve this, and I’m glad that everything went according to the plan. With tomorrow’s stage being the final push – a lengthy, dune-filled challenge – I’m looking forward to giving it my all and enjoying every moment of it.”
Provisional Rankings – Stage 10
1. Michael Docherty BAS World KTM Racing Team 02hr 00m 03s
2. Rui Gonçalves Sherco Rally Factory Team + 01m 20s
3. Tobias Ebster BAS World KTM Racing Team + 02m 21s
23. Nacho Cornejo Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 11m 27s
Provisional Rankings – Stage 10 – Overall Classification
1. Daniel Sanders Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 49hr 53m 59s
2. Tosha Schareina Monster Energy Honda Team + 16m 31s
3. Adrien Van Beveren Monster Energy Honda Team + 22m 24s
7. Nacho Cornejo Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 58m 28s
