Beaten but not broken

Dakar 2026 | Stage 4 | ALULA > BIVOUAC REFUGE
January 7 ^th 2026 - 21:24 [GMT + 3]

For Abdullah Al Fahad and Leander Pienaar, the Dakar stopped between AlUla and Hail, just a few kilometres from the refuge on stage four that they never reached.

Sitting on a bench set up at the finish of the first part of the marathon stage between Alula and Hail, Abdullah Al Fahad and Leander Pienaar recharged their batteries by nibling on a ration that they were unable to enjoy at the bivouac refuge which they should have reached on Wednesday evening, but a crash brought their first Dakar together to a premature end. The Saudi driver and South African navigator reached the finishing line on stage four of the rally thanks to being dropped off by one of the Tangos placed alongside the route of the special so as to help any competitors that got into difficulty. For the Dark Horse Racing SSV crew, their rally was brought to a halt, 18 kilometres from the stage’s end. “We were in a very good position, lying twentieth in the general rankings of our category,” explains Abdullah. “Yesterday, we even finished sixteenth… Unfortunately, today we pushed a little bit more and we were just trying to overtake a car and take a better trajectory when it happened”. There was a minor error of judgement, a wheel hit a mound and the car rolled off the track… The outcome was not a nice one, since, with a damaged chassis, the two men were forced to throw in the towel. At the age of 45 years, Abdullah Al Fahad was taking part in his first Dakar. To this end, he had methodically prepared himself, gaining experience on the demanding terrain of his country, particularly on the Bajas in Hail, Quassim and more recently Jeddah. It was not Leander Pienaar’s first participation, however. The CEO of Jetsport is a renowned navigator in South Africa and began his competitive career in 2016, taking part in events in the national cross-country championship with various drivers and in different vehicles. His most notable collaboration with Ebenhaezer Basson in a Toyota Hilux opened the doors to the Dakar for him. In 2023, he made a noteworthy debut with seventh place in the SSV category. After a three-year absence, he returned, driven by the same thirst for adventure, alongside Abdullah Al Fahad this time, forming a new duo, combining discovery and experience, ready to meet the challenge of the desert together and write a new chapter of their story on the Dakar. However, this chronicle was cut short. Nevertheless, they were not bitter on the evening of their premature exit. “This race is really very special,” pointed out Pienaar. “It’s great to be able to be here, to enjoy the hospitality of this nation and the rally organisers. We are obviously disappointed to leave the race so early but it doesn’t take away any of the pleasure of having been able to start the rally”. In addition to this, there is the friendship that developed between the two men who met in South Africa during a buffalo hunting trip. “It’s one of the biggest game animals in South Africa,” states Pienaar. “Abdullah had never hunted before but he hit the buffalo with his first shot. Then he said that if we could hunt buffalo together, we could hunt success on the Dakar. That’s how we ended up here. That said, I think the buffalo was easier…”