Rally Raid
Daniel Sanders's emotional Dakar win: "I did it for everybody at KTM!"
Daniel Sanders makes history as the second Australian to win the Dakar Rally. After years of injuries, a wild bee sting accident and tough conditions, his win proves the power of determination.
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Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders has stormed into the history books, securing his first-ever Dakar Rally victory and becoming only the second Australian to win the legendary off-road race. His triumph in the gruelling 2025 edition was not only a personal milestone, but a powerful statement for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, marking their 20th win in the bike category and reaffirming their dominance in the world of off-road racing.
This victory was extraordinary as Sanders became the first motorcyclist in 16 years to lead the two-week marathon from start to finish. Reflecting on the significance of this win, he shared: "I worked really hard with myself and the team to do better than last year. We've learned from our mistakes and where we needed to improve. I knew I just had to focus on what I needed to do and win the Dakar."
His triumph was especially emotional given the current challenges at KTM: "It's really big! It's the first major motorsport race in the world of 2025. For KTM, where the company is right now, I went in very passionate to win for them. With all the tough times, employees being let go... it's been tough. I've been part of KTM for many, many years – orange is in my blood! It's special to give them this title. I hope it helps the situation and shows KTM is back. We're still fighting, we're still winning!"
I hope it helps the situation and shows KTM is back. We're still fighting, we're still winning!
In 2021, Sanders burst onto the scene of the epic Dakar Rally as the newest recruit to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team, lining up alongside Toby Price. Like his compatriot, he made an impressive debut, converting his off-road skills into a fourth-placed finish overall just behind his team-mate Sam Sunderland. After earning Rookie of the Year accolades, however, adversity soon followed.
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Daniel Sander's rocky road to Dakar glory
Sanders had to put in a lot of work after his injury
© Flavien Duhamel/Red Bull Content Pool
2022 got off to a fantastic start for Daniel Sanders before quickly spiralling into a year of recovery. He won three out of the first six stages to reach the Rest Day mid-point third overall and was in contention for victory. But then, he suffered a devastating crash before the seventh stage. He broke a wrist, an elbow and damaged a kidney, sidelining him for an extended period.
“The crash was bizarre,” says Sanders. “You never expect it as a racer. Imagine if you go into the last round of a Motocross Championship, crash on the way to the start and break a leg. You’re not even at the track. Back then, Sanders blamed his lack of focus for the accident: "It’s a lack of concentration. If it happened in the dunes or in race time you go ‘OK, you pushed too hard,’ but in a road section, it was just unlucky.”
Recovery was gruelling.
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Rock bottom and the fight back
After several surgeries, Sanders faced a long journey back to regain his competitive fitness. “Rehab sucks,” he says. “It’s just frustrating as you want to get back out there and ride to the level you know you can ride at.
Despite the setbacks, his relentless drive led him back to competition. Winning Australia’s Hattah Desert Race after minimal preparation, he proved his resilience. Yet, the road remained rocky.
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A promising return followed by a challenging journey
Sanders in action at the Dakar in 2023
© Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool
Ahead of the next Dakar, another setback sidelined Sanders. Before he could set his eyes on the 2023 race, an x-ray revealed that Sanders had re-broken his elbow. It meant two more surgeries, an extra durable plate put in place and a painful bone graft - and another two months off the bike.
Nobody thought he’d reach the finish line at Dakar that year, let alone be a front-runner. “I hate being told no, being held back from doing things you’re so passionate about," he revealed. "I’m a dirt bike rider, I’ll race whatever I want to race. Just sit back and watch me do it.”
Motorbike riders stand for the majority of each day during the Dakar
© Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool
Finishing inside the top 10 was a major achievement that year. "After crashing the year before and undergoing six surgeries, it was great to bounce back and be competitive." However, the broken femur hadn't healed properly, and the lingering effects of the injury carried over into his performance in 2024.
Sanders started the 2024 Dakar Rally strong with a second-place finish in the prologue, but he knew the journey ahead would be tough. Still recovering from his broken femur in 2023, he had limited time to prepare and was riding a new bike. Despite the challenges, including riding with a healing leg and suffering falls from dunes, Sanders pushed through the pain and finished in the top 10, placing eighth overall.
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Why is Daniel Sander's nickname "Chucky"?
“As a kid, I used to eat and drink a lot of food and milk and then always chuck it up afterward," he explains. "Someone would say ‘he’s chucked up again… he’s chuck’ and it stuck. It’s what my parents called me, and then all my friends and teachers would even call me Chuck. When I was a teenager, I even asked my mum to change my name to Chuck, but she said no.”
I wasn’t the most talented kid, but I just put all the effort into it and worked hard
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Racing around the family farm - a dream is born
In the desert during the 2023 Dakar rally
© Flavien Duhamel/Red Bull Content Pool
Sanders’ journey began on his family’s farm in the Yarra Valley, Australia, where his childhood was filled with outdoor adventures and motorbike stunts with his brothers and cousins. The outdoor life suited young Sanders down to the ground. “I also spent time playing computer games as well as a kid, but most of it was outdoors travelling around, going to the beach and things like that," he says. "In the holidays, I’d also be out riding a lot, always playing sports and being active. It was a big part of my childhood."
At school, Sanders excelled at sport – naturally – and took a keen interest in design and technology, especially hands-on subjects like woodwork and metalwork. However, there were subjects that he wasn’t so fond of. “I hated English. I wasn’t very good at it. I always just thought I was going to be a dirt bike rider,” says Sanders. “It was always a dream, but it wasn’t until the last year of school I was high enough in competitions in Australia to say to the teachers, this is going to be my job.”
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From first steps into racing to turning pro
Sanders and Toby Price at the 2022 Dakar Rally
© Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool
After school, Sanders needed money to kickstart his racing career, and with his father's support as manager, he worked in an orchard to fund his passion. "I didn’t have a professional ride, so I made my money working in the orchard to race," he recalls. "I always knew I could go back if motorbikes didn’t work out." Starting from scratch in motorsports, Sanders put in relentless hours of practice, acknowledging he wasn’t the most naturally talented. "I just worked harder than anyone else, and if I didn’t make it, I wouldn’t regret it," he says. "I believed in myself and wanted it badly enough to make it happen."
With his dad as coach and mechanic, Sanders began racing across Australia as a privateer, winning the Under-19 Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) in 2014 and finishing sixth overall. He earned a spot on Team Australia at the ISDE, taking third in the E3 class, with Toby Price leading as the champion. When Price transitioned to rally-raid and Dakar, Sanders followed quickly, securing a factory ride and going pro. In 2015, he finished second in AORC, fourth at his first Hattah Desert race, and claimed the E3 class title as Australia dominated the ISDE.
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Bikes to bees: How a pro rider unwinds and connects with nature
Sanders was stung by a bee during 2022's Dakar
© DPPI/Red Bull Content Pool
What does a pro off-road motorcycle rider do to relax? The short answer is riding motorcycles as Sanders continues to hone his skills.
“I like building jumps," he says. "As weird as it sounds, just chilling out on the farm and working sitting on a tractor or excavator cleaning things up. That’s sort of my chill-out time. It’s not sitting on the couch. I like mowing the lawns or building something in the shed. I don’t know what a holiday is.”
In 2022, while on stage, a bee slipped into his helmet and stung him – which was ironic given his other hobby is beekeeping. He has about 100 hives dotted around the family farm to pollinate the orchards and prefers honey as a healthy alternative to sugar. “I got into it because when I cleaned up my diet, I took out all processed foods and started to eat more natural food. Honey was the big thing,” he adds.
“I researched how to look after them and it’s pretty cool, just like a pet. And we get to make our own honey. You definitely look at the world a little bit differently when you have bees.”
For Sanders, competing in Dakar is the dream
© Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool
Bees are just like any other pet
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Making the move to Dakar: Sander's rapid rise to rally glory
After dominating the ISDE and desert racing in Australia, Sanders set his sights on the Dakar Rally, a challenge he’d long admired. "Dad used to watch it, and I knew the basics, but it wasn’t until I achieved everything in Enduro that I shifted to desert racing," he explains. The pandemic gave Sanders the chance to learn rally riding in the USA, an experience he calls one of the best decisions of his career. He had no experience with roadbooks or rally bikes, but after a trial year, he was ready to compete.
The Dakar Rally, with its tough navigation and speed through Saudi Arabia's towering dunes, became Sanders’ next big goal. "Navigation is everything - you can be fast, but one mistake can cost you 10 minutes," he says. To master this, he trained under Dakar veteran Jordi Viladoms, learning crucial skills for the race.
In 2021, Sanders joined the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team alongside legends Toby Price, Sam Sunderland, and Matthias Walkner. “I started with KTM and understand how the company works; as long as I’m under their banner, I’ll jump on the bike and do the best I can for them.”
After an impressive debut in the Dakar Rally, Sanders couldn’t help but think, "This is sick, I’m doing this again!" His excitement wasn’t just about racing again – it was about conquering the toughest challenge in international motorcycle racing. A bold ambition, but one he’s now proudly achieved.
Daniel Sanders' racing record
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