The winner of the Dakar 2025, Yazid Al-Raji, retired from the race and could not defend the title.

The winner of the Dakar 2025, Saudi racer Yazid Al-Raji, retired from the race on the fourth stage of the rally marathon and lost his chance to defend the title. This was announced on January 7 on the official website of the race.

"Due to technical problems, Yazid Al-Raji announced that he would withdraw from the stage at 234 km. The winner of the Dakar 2025 sees that his hopes in the overall standings are disappearing, and this year he will not be able to defend his title," the publication says.

Al-Raji is 44 years old. In 2025, he became the winner of the Dakar in the off-road competition. The driver is also a two-time winner of the World Bach Cup, held under the auspices of the International Automobile Federation (FIA).

In July 2025, it was reported that the Silk Road rally raid had reached Mongolia. The route of the special stage with a length of more than 200 km consisted of a tangle of turns, dry riverbeds and rolling steppe between the hills. The route, which runs along rocky trails, has become one of the most scenic along the entire route of the rally marathon.

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