Fourth among the Italians and eleventh out of seventy-five fierce competitors competing in the Dakar Classic, one of the most anticipated specialties of the 2025 edition of the Dakar FIA CrossCountry 2025 race, the most important international race for all rally raid racers in the world since last 3 January and until the 17th we are racing in Saudi Arabia from Bisha to Shubaytah. This is the result achieved by the driver from Messina to date Antonio Ricciari the only Sicilian competitor competing in the Dakar 2025, this year for the first time with his son Riccardo in assistance with Rteam RalliArt and TH-Trucks.
After yesterday’s rest day, the race resumed this morning with stage 6: from Hail to Al Duwadimi, of which 223 km of connection and 606 kilometers of special for a total of 829 km. As usual, the day of rest was granted at the end of the Marathon, the most demanding stage of the Dakar which in two days includes 588 km the first and 491 the second to be covered without assistance, undoubtedly the most selective part of the race.
The result obtained so far by Antonio Ricciari from Messina, competing with co-driver Simona Morosi, is truly remarkable but there is a danger now that he will have to overtake Ricciari. The competitor from Messina was injured during the assistance phases and suffered an injury to the tendons of his left ankle. Ricciari was visited at the Medical Center by the doctors on duty in the race who took x-rays to check that there were no broken bones. After the tests, the specialists “splinted” Antonio Ricciari’s ankle to allow him to resume the race.
“I’m very tired.” Antonio Ricciari declared. “It won’t be easy to ride with this severe pain, but I will try with all my might. Now a great new challenge awaits us: the passage through the Empty Quarter desert, the largest in the world and I absolutely don’t want to miss it. “ There are still 7 stages left until the conclusion of the Dakar 2025. On his car, a Mitsubishi Pajero v20 3200cc, for the first time Ricciari has imprinted the Triskelion symbol of his land to represent Sicily in one of the most fascinating car races in world sport. “This is a way to ideally bring with me the many supporters who have been following us in the press, on social media and on TV in recent weeks. Ricciari added. “For me it is a source of great pride.” In 2022 Ricciari was the first Sicilian driver in the history of the Dakar to compete in the Classic category, taking first place among the Italian crews competing in the Classic and in 2023 he did even better by taking third place overall among all the Italians competing at the Dakar, also coming third in the H 2 regularity category. On television, the Dakar 2025 can be followed on Eurosport Italia (Eurosport 2) Sky Sport and discovery+ which will broadcast highlights and summaries of the races and also on the Facebook and YouTube pages of the Dakar Rally.