- Edgar Canet wins Stage 1 and leads the overall standings
- KTM takes the top two spots in the RallyGP classification
- Michael Docherty wins the Rally2 class
After the short but decisive prologue, the field of competitors in the 2026 Dakar Rally tackled a full stage distance for the first time. From the bivouac in Yanbu, the route first led along connecting roads to the start of the special stage, before a 305-kilometer special stage over a wide variety of terrain awaited. Rocky passages, scree fields, fast sand sections, and smaller dunes challenged riders and equipment early on, before the route returned to camp via further connecting kilometers.
Canet keeps his nerve and prevails
As the prologue winner, Edgar Canet started the first stage from a favorable position. The young Spaniard set the pace early on and had already posted the fastest time at kilometer 28. The lead changed hands several times as the stage progressed, with Hero rider Ross Branch setting the pace at the front for a long time. Daniel Sanders and Ricky Brabec also remained within striking distance throughout.
Canet increased the pressure once again in the final third of the stage. At kilometer 260, he overtook his teammate Sanders and put himself in a promising position for the stage victory. Although Branch initially crossed the finish line first, a six-minute time penalty for a speeding violation cost him the stage victory. This moved Canet up to first place and secured his second victory in two days.
Behind the KTM duo, Ricky Brabec on Honda completed the podium. Tosha Schareina followed in fourth, while Luciano Benavides took fifth place. The role of the bonus system for opening the route was also striking, with Nacho Cornejo among those who benefited from it.
Overall standings: Early gaps after day one
Canet’s stage victory also extended his lead in the overall standings. After the first of a total of 13 stages, he is just over a minute ahead of Sanders. Brabec and Schareina follow close behind, while smaller gaps are already opening up behind them. For some of the favorites, the start was less fortunate. Ross Branch fell back to seventh place in the overall standings due to a time penalty, but remains within reach of the leaders.
Rally2: Docherty uses experience, Ventura impresses
In the Rally2 category, an exciting duel developed between experience and young talent. Michael Docherty prevailed in the end and celebrated his eleventh stage victory in this class. The South African benefited from a consistent pace on the technically demanding passages.
Martim Ventura put in a strong performance on his Dakar debut. The Portuguese led the Rally2 classification for much of the stage and was ahead at several intermediate times. It was only in the final kilometers that he lost time and had to admit defeat with a gap of 1 minute and 28 seconds. Nevertheless, Ventura took second place in the overall standings and remains within striking distance of Docherty.
Preston Campbell also put in a solid performance, finishing his first full Dakar stage in seventh place and gaining valuable experience.
Outlook for Stage 2
The next day, the Dakar Rally leaves Yanbu and leads the field towards AlUla. The second stage covers a total of 504 kilometers, 400 kilometers of which are special stages. The mountainous terrain and longer distance are set to bring navigation and concentration back to the fore and could already bring further changes to the overall standings.
