Stage 9 of Dakar proved to be very tough. The riders arrived exhausted in Neom after a 465 km special test on the shores of the Red Sea, which proved to be very hard for both driving and navigation. Bikers raced on a track with many rocky and sandy areas, with temperatures over 30° C. Stefan Svitko ended the stage in P11 and is now in the overall top ten. The rally will now head to the south towards Jeddah and stage 10, which will have a 583 Km total length, will include 342 Km special test through sandy areas.