Daniel Sanders wins stage 2 of the 2026 Dakar Rally

Rider Daniel Sanders has taken victory in the second stage of the Dakar 2026, so after the dominance shown by Canet in these first days of action, the Champion is back on track and has secured the win in today’s stage held in AlUla.

After a masterclass in rally raid riding alongside his teammate Edgar Canet, the Australian claims his tenth stage win at the Dakar and becomes the twenty-second rider in history to reach double digits.

Canet had to open the trail, a demanding task, but he pushed forward, though he suffered a minor fall with no consequences that cost him a few minutes, which Sanders took advantage of to close in and move into the lead. At the end of the 400-kilometre special, and after the bonus time awarded for opening the trail, the gap between the two riders stands at 1 minute 35 seconds in favour of the Australian, who also takes over the overall lead with a 30-second advantage.

Behind the two KTMs, Ricky Brabec posts the third-fastest time of the day and holds third place in the provisional overall standings, 2 minutes 18 seconds back. The gaps remain modest in the Top 5, completed by Tosha Schareina, 4 minutes 41 seconds back, and Ross Branch, 7 minutes 46 seconds back. By contrast, Adrien Van Beveren, a victim of a heavy crash, already has a considerable deficit, sitting tenth in the race standings, 14 minutes 9 seconds back.

In the Rally 2 category there has been a small revolution, as a Honda motorcycle has won in this class for the first time since it was created in 2022. The rider is Portugal’s Martim Ventura, a recent arrival at the Dakar. The Japanese brand joins a club still heavily dominated by KTM (36 stages in R2), followed by Husqvarna (16) and Sherco (2). Ventura, however, has not managed to take the lead in the category’s overall standings, where Michael Docherty dominates with a 19-second advantage.

On to stage 3.

Source | Dakar