Sanders regains the upper hand
Dakar 2026 |
Stage 2 |
YANBU
> ALULA
January 5
th
2026
- 19:04
[GMT + 3]
- Title holder Daniel Sanders only had to wait for the second stage to regain control of the Dakar by winning the stage in AlUla. It was after a truly impressive rally raid performance alongside his teammate Edgar Canet that the Australian won his 10th stage on the Dakar Rally, becoming only the 22nd rider in the race’s history to achieve a double-digit score.
- After his two successes in the prologue and the first stage, the young Spaniard from Red Bull Factory Racing was called upon to open the way, a task he performed for around 100 kilometres, before a minor fall without serious consequences allowed Sanders to catch up. At the end of the 400-kilometre special and after the bonus points awarded to the openers were taken into account, the gap between the two riders was 1'35'' in favour of the Australian, who is also the new leader in the overall standings with a 30’’ lead.
- Behind the two KTM riders, Ricky Brabec achieved the day’s 3rd best time and also remains 3rd in the general rankings, 2’18’’ behind the rally leader.
- The gaps remain modest in the Top 5, completed by Tosha Schareina, 4'41’’ behind, and Ross Branch, 7'46’’ behind. However, Adrien Van Beveren is already trailing significantly by 14'09’’, in 10th place in the general rankings.
- The competition in the Rally 2 class has undergone a minor revolution, with a Honda motorcycle winning for the first time in the class, in existence since 2022, ridden by Portuguese rider Martim Ventura, a newcomer to the Dakar. The Japanese brand joins a club that remains largely dominated by KTM (36 stages in R2), followed by Husqvarna (16) and Sherco (2). However, Ventura failed to take the lead in the overall category standings, where Michael Docherty reigns supreme with a lead of 19 seconds.
QUINTERO IS IN THE HUNT AGAIN
. In his first participations on the Dakar in the Challenger class, Seth Quintero picked up 20 stage victories over three editions (2021, 2022 and 2023), although he never managed to triumph outright in the class. His move up to the top division really bore fruit last year with two stage wins and a final place in the top 10, which was a first for a 22-year-old driver. The youngster seems determined to continue his progress and today, in the majestic setting of AlUla, he claimed his third stage victory in the Ultimate class behind the wheel of a Toyota Hilux T1+.
. The American, alongside his new navigator Andrew Short, almost achieved a double whammy, falling only 7’’ short of Nasser Al Attiyah in the general rankings. The Qatari posted merely the 8th best time but will benefit from this advantageous position to tackle a loop stage including tricky navigation tomorrow. Furthermore, it is the first time that he has occupied the top of the race hierarchy since the day of his 5th outright triumph, in 2023. The Dacia team, which made its debut on last year’s edition, is also sharing in this success!
. In the day’s top three, two of the unluckier drivers at the beginning of the rally made an appearance: Henk Lategan (2nd, 1’42’’ behind the winner) and Yazeed Al Rajhi (3rd, 1’56’’ behind Quintero), namely the winner and runner-up of the Dakar 2025, but in reverse order.
. The following places were occupied by drivers not so used to such heights in the rankings, with Toby price in 4th, followed by Joao Ferreira in 5th – rounding of a Toyota festival in the top 5 – and Simon Vitse in his two-wheel drive Optimus in 6th, the day’s best privateer, with the added bonus of finishing ahead of none other than Sébastien Loeb (7th).
