Ricky Brabec: “I'm still in a very good spot”

Dakar 2026 | Stage 6 | HAIL > RIYADH
January 9 ^th 2026 - 14:00 [GMT + 3]

Ricky Brabec thought he would finish second behind Daniel Sanders, but the Australian's speeding penalty should give him his first victory of the week and his 12th on the Dakar. The American, who is second in the overall rankings, now finds himself 45 seconds behind the Australian.

 “I knew today was going to be a little bit tough, but there's still a long way to go. I'm still in a very good spot, right between Tosha and Daniel. I’m not spending too much time opening. Now I think my only goal is to catch Daniel on the day after the rest day and try to take some bonus time; that's how the rally works now. You have to open to win. I haven’t been fortunate enough to get up to the front just yet but there are still seven days of racing left, so anything can happen. I'm happy to make it to the rest day. Everyone wants to win, I'm doing the best I can, I’m trying my hardest. The sand dunes weren't that easy for me my strong point, I'm a little bit heavy on the bike and there was soft sand, but I'm happy with the result”.