The duo Mário Franco/Rui Franco continues to make a brilliant comeback in the Dakar 2025.
Today, in the fifth stage, the cousins took 11th place in the Challenger category – 7th among the W2RC participants –, while their teammates Pedro Gonçalves/Hugo Magalhães (also on an X-Raid YXZ 1000R) were the 22nd fastest. Among the motorcycles, António Maio (Yamaha WR450 RALLY), who also benefits from the support of the Portuguese structure Franco Sport, set for the 23rd time.
With a stage without major setbacks, the duo Mário Franco/Rui Franco, riding an X-Raid YZX 1000R, once again confirmed their potential and only missed out on a place in the top 10 of the overall classification, among the prototype competitors, by a mere 4m48s. SSV of the Challenger category, in the fifth stage of the Dakar 2025. “If we hadn’t punctured and lost time with a problem in the brake pump, we would have been able to do better than the 11th time”, admitted Mário Franco who, among the W2RC competitors, set the 7th best time. “Even so, we are very happy with the result and satisfied with the way the stage went. Very fast in the first kilometres, with navigation traps and trails with stone slabs that are less destructive than volcanic rocks. A stage more in my style, where I had fun. Tomorrow, we will take advantage of the day to rest, after an extraordinarily hard and demanding week. We are confident for the second week, but aware that the Dakar is always the Dakar, and that everything can change quickly.”
It is worth noting that, after starting the Dakar in last place, the Franco cousins now occupy 25th place in the overall classification, in the Challenger category.
The duo Pedro Gonçalves/Hugo Magalhães, also at the controls of an X-Raid YZX 1000R assisted by Franco Sport, once again overcame the toughness of yet another stage, with a positive 22nd time in the category. “A day in which we consolidate the experience acquired in a week at Dakar”, began by highlighting Pedro Gonçalves. “Today, we choose to trust ourselves 100 per cent in navigation. Due to our inexperience, this didn’t always happen in the previous days, but the truth is that the stage went quite well. It’s just a shame that we started so late, which forced us to do the last kilometres at night and always in the dust of other teams.”
The duo Pedro Gonçalves/Hugo Magalhães finished the first week of the Dakar in 30th place in the overall classification, in the Challenger category.
Also registered by Franco Sport, António Maio (Yamaha WR450 RALLY), set the 23rd fastest time, among the bikes, in today’s stage. The pilot, a GNR Major, rose to 25th place in the overall classification.
Today is the rest day for the teams still competing in Dakar.
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