‘Chucky’ dominated the Dakar Rally from start to finish, winning with the factory KTM team.
It could be the first and last time Sanders wins with the Austrian marque, which is currently embroiled in financial turmoil and on the brink of axing its 2026 motorsport plans.
Sanders becomes just the second Australian to win the event in the bikes category after Toby Price, who won in 2016 and 2019.
Sanders finished just behind primary rival Tosha Schareina in Stage 12, sealing the win.
All told, the Australian claimed five stage wins.
“When I came out of the dunes… I could see the bivouac and I just got instant chills through my whole body, I was super nervous,” said Sanders.
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“I couldn’t believe it. All the emotions started coming through and I could see the finishing line.
“It’s the biggest race in the world motorbikes and off-roading. To win the six-day international enduro and now the Dakar, it’s just ticked off all the goals for my career and everything I’ve wanted to achieve.
“It’s a massive accomplishment. For the team, my family, friends, my girlfriend and everyone who’s seen me undergo all the lows and highs along the way, it’s finally all paid off.
“They knew I could do it, everyone who’s backed me along the way, even after the last three years of a lot of lows, really, now we’ve got the up, so all the hard work has paid off.”
For runner-up Schareina, it was a brutal end to the rally – ultimately coming up short.
“I’m super happy to be here on the finishing line,” said the Spaniard.
“It was a really hard race and many of the veterans have told me that. It was the toughest ever edition, so I’m super happy to be here on the finishing line, so happy for the team and for everybody taking this second place we have earned.
“For sure, we had a lot of problems in the bike race and I think everyone is happy to finish. I’m super happy for Daniel, he has done a great job and had a great two weeks. I think the 10 minutes more or less he took on the first day allowed him to control the race from then, but I’m super happy for them”.
Australia’s only other rider, Toby Hedrics, claimed 19th overall on his Dakar Rally debut.
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