Rokas Baciuška stands on the Dakar Rally podium for the third consecutive year.

On Friday, the prestigious Dakar Rally concluded in Saudi Arabia, where Lithuanian racer Rokas Baciuška will climb the podium for the third consecutive time. Having secured third and second places in the SSV class in 2022 and 2023, respectively, this year Baciuška will step onto the third podium spot in the more powerful "Challenger" class.

Baciuška, along with co-driver Oriol Vidal Montijano (Can-Am Factory Team), maintained third place after the final stage around the city of Yanbu on Friday. Competitors covered 328 km, of which 175 km were part of the special stage.

Baciuška finished in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 33 seconds, placing fifth. His main rival and teammate, Chilean Francisco Lopez, finished in 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 26 seconds, without posing a serious challenge to the Lithuanian.

"I’m relaxed and ready to go home," Baciuška smiled after the finish. "Everything is good; I know I won’t have to race tomorrow, but there's still the marathon of flights home, which will feel like the final Dakar stage."

The racer admitted that he drove cautiously yet quickly in the final stage.

"Thanks to the team, sponsors, and fans. This was the toughest Dakar for me, and we made it through. I’m really happy. The final stage wasn’t my type – there were rocks at the beginning, so we played it safe. We managed to avoid any punctures. In any case, the special stage was almost three times shorter than most, so it was easier," said Baciuška.

Brazilian Marcelo Gastaldi won the final special stage (1 hour, 55 minutes, and 22 seconds). Second place went to Saleh Alsaif (+23 seconds) from Saudi Arabia, and third place to Spain's Cristina Gutierrez (+1 minute, 12 seconds).

The winner of this class in the Dakar Rally was decided in the final stage. American Mitchell Guthrie, who had been leading confidently, encountered problems at the start of the stage, losing the 25-minute advantage he had over second-placed C. Gutierrez. Guthrie then lost even more time, along with his lead position.

When both competitors finished, it was revealed that C. Gutierrez had overtaken M. Guthrie in the overall standings, becoming the second woman to win a Dakar Rally trophy. The first was German Jutta Kleinschmidt. Guthrie finished 35 minutes and 46 seconds behind her, taking second place. Baciuška trailed Gutierrez by 58 minutes and 47 seconds.

During this year's Dakar, Baciuška finished in the top three twice – second in the seventh stage and third in the ninth. Baciuška revealed that he plans to compete in another race in three weeks, but he will share more details once back in Lithuania.

In the "Challenger" class, 28 of the 42 participants who started the Dakar Rally were classified as finishers. This year's Dakar Rally consisted of a prologue and 12 stages, with competitors covering a total of 7,891 km over 14 days.