- Stage victory for Luciano Benavides on KTM
- Daniel Sanders regains overall lead
- Marathon stage causes difficulties for several favorites
After four intense days, the 2026 Dakar Rally reaches its first sporting highlight with the second part of the marathon stage. Without external assistance, with heavily worn tires and over the most demanding terrain, stage 5 becomes a real endurance test for riders and motorcycles. The 371-kilometer special stage around Hail requires precise navigation, a smart tire strategy and stamina.
KTM makes a comeback: Benavides wins, Sanders takes the lead
After a difficult run-up with injury worries, Luciano Benavides manages to break free on stage 5. The Argentine prevails after a turbulent day of racing and claims his first stage victory at the 2026 Dakar. Even a heavy crash has no lasting consequences.
“The pace was very fast. I got off to a good start, but made a few minor mistakes in navigation and Canet caught up with me. Then I pulled away from him again until I crashed at high speed. It happened so fast that I didn’t even realize why, but everything remained intact, including my bones.”
Despite the incident, Benavides continues to ride uncompromisingly. All riders are concerned about their tires and mousse, but the KTM rider keeps up the pace and pulls away decisively as the race progresses. At the finish line, he is just under four minutes ahead of José Ignacio Cornejo, with Daniel Sanders following 5:50 minutes behind.
For Sanders, however, third place is still an important success. The Australian regains the overall lead after stage 5 and tops the standings ahead of Ricky Brabec.
Honda between damage control and mistakes
It was a mixed day for Monster Energy Honda HRC. Ricky Brabec once again showed consistency and composure. Starting in second place, he caught up with his teammate Tosha Schareina after around 180 kilometers, collected time credits, and finished the stage in fifth place. The American remains second in the overall standings, just over two minutes behind Sanders.
“It was a long day at the front, actually both days. This morning, navigation on the large flat rocks was a bit difficult.”
Brabec also remains calm when it comes to tires. His tires survived both marathon days without major damage, which paid off in the overall standings.
The day was very different for Tosha Schareina. The Spaniard started the stage in first place again and had to take care of his tires, which had already been damaged the day before. With improvised repairs, he fought his way to the finish line, but lost further ground due to a ten-minute time penalty. The reason was a formal error when leaving the marathon bivouac. Schareina thus slipped from first to fourth place in the overall standings.
“My mission changed and it was about opening both days, almost 800 kilometers. We did a good job and are in a good position.”
Tire problems slow down Howes and Van Beveren
Skyler Howes also had a difficult day. After suffering massive tire damage the day before, the American is facing a material lottery. Temporary repairs with fabric scraps, energy gels, and hose clamps only last for a limited time. Howes rides the stage standing up, shifting his weight forward and trying to avoid heat in the rear tire. In the end, he loses over 20 minutes and drops to sixth place in the overall standings.
Adrien Van Beveren is stopped early on. After just 88 kilometers, pieces of wire get stuck in his rear wheel. The Frenchman has to stop, remove the wheel, and laboriously repair the damage. Finishing more than 30 minutes behind is a bitter blow to his ambitions. He is now more than 52 minutes behind in the overall standings.
Sherco lone warrior Cox makes his mark
Bradley Cox provides one of the surprises of the day. Following the retirements of his teammates, the South African is the last remaining Sherco rider in the RallyGP field. After riding cautiously in the previous days, he seizes his chance on stage 5 and finishes fourth. This moves him up to eighth place in the overall standings.
“I told myself every day that my day would come. Today I realized that it could be a good day.”
Cox deliberately rode with a safety margin to protect his motorcycle and equipment. The result seems like a liberating blow for the struggling team.
Rally2: Campbell extends lead, Ventura gains experience
The marathon stage also took its toll in the Rally2 class. However, Preston Campbell remained error-free. The American got through the stage without any tire damage and finished in third place. This extended his overall lead to over 20 minutes.
“I’m not going to change my strategy. I’m taking it day by day.”
Teammate Martim Ventura fought his way to sixth place after technical problems the day before. The Portuguese rider crossed the finish line in a controlled manner and improved to eighth place in the overall standings. The focus is now clearly on finishing and gaining experience.
Outlook for Stage 6 towards Riyadh
After the feat of strength that was Stage 5, the longest daily distance of the rally awaits the drivers. A nearly 600-kilometer liaison stage takes the field to Riyadh, preceded by a 331-kilometer special stage with many dunes on the program. Sand specialists could benefit, while equipment and concentration remain the focus.
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