Sanders Strikes Back in Alula
Defending champion Daniel Sanders didn’t waste any time reminding the field who’s in charge. By Stage 2 in AlUla, the Australian had already clawed his way back to the top, delivering a commanding performance to win the stage and reclaim control of the Dakar. Riding alongside teammate Edgar Canet, Sanders produced a masterclass in rally-raid racing, securing his 10th career Dakar stage victory—a milestone that places him among just 22 riders in the event’s history to reach double digits.
After opening the rally with wins in the prologue and Stage 1, Red Bull Factory Racing’s young Spanish prospect Edgar Canet was tasked with leading the pack. He held the front for nearly 100 kilometres before a minor, harmless fall allowed Sanders to reel him in. Following the demanding 400-kilometre special, and once the time bonuses for the stage openers were applied, Sanders emerged with a 1’35’’ advantage. That result also propelled him into the overall lead, where he now sits 30 seconds clear.
Behind the KTM duo, Ricky Brabec posted the third-fastest time of the day and remains third overall, 2’18’’ off the lead. The battle remains tight inside the top five, with Tosha Schareina trailing by 4’41’’ and Ross Branch by 7’46’’. Further back, however, Adrien Van Beveren has already lost significant ground, sitting 10th overall at 14’09’’ behind.
Rally 2 Shaken Up as Honda Makes History
Stage 2 also delivered a landmark moment in the Rally 2 category. For the first time since the class was introduced in 2022, a Honda claimed a stage victory, thanks to Portuguese newcomer Martim Ventura. While KTM continues to dominate the category’s history, Honda now joins a select group of winning manufacturers. Ventura’s triumph, however, wasn’t enough to take the overall lead, which remains in the hands of Michael Docherty, narrowly ahead by 19 seconds.
Quintero Back in the Fight
Seth Quintero is once again proving he belongs among the elite. After collecting an astonishing 20 stage wins in the Challenger class between 2021 and 2023—without ever sealing the overall title—the American’s move to the Ultimate class is paying off. Following two stage wins and a top-10 finish last year, the 22-year-old continued his upward trajectory in AlUla, claiming his third Ultimate-class stage victory at the wheel of the Toyota Hilux T1+.
Paired with new navigator Andrew Short, Quintero came agonisingly close to a perfect day, missing out on the overall lead by just 7 seconds to Nasser Al Attiyah. The Qatari could only manage the eighth-fastest stage time but benefits from a favourable road position heading into tomorrow’s navigation-heavy loop stage. Remarkably, this marks Al Attiyah’s first time back at the top of the standings since his fifth Dakar victory in 2023, a boost also shared by the still-new Dacia team.
Completing the stage podium were two drivers eager to bounce back after early misfortune: Henk Lategan (2nd, +1’42’’) and Yazeed Al Rajhi (3rd, +1’56’’), the winner and runner-up of Dakar 2025—this time in reverse order.
Further down the order, Toby Price took fourth, followed by João Ferreira in fifth, making it a Toyota-dominated top five. One of the standout performances came from Simon Vitse, who finished sixth in his two-wheel-drive Optimus, earning best privateer honours and even finishing ahead of Sébastien Loeb in seventh.
Guerreiro Breaks Through
Gonçalo Guerreiro continues his rapid rise. After impressing on his Dakar debut last year with second overall in SSV—without a single stage win—the Portuguese driver has been building momentum ever since. National champion at home, even ahead of T1+ machinery, Guerreiro was handed a prime opportunity by Nasser Al Attiyah, who entrusted him with an SSV for bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal. Guerreiro delivered, winning the category and finishing sixth overall.
Today, he reached another milestone by claiming his first-ever Dakar stage victory, helping secure a dominant 1-2-3 result for the Polaris-backed team alongside Florent Vayssade and Xavier de Soultrait. In the general standings, Guerreiro sits exactly where he finished last year—1’47’’ behind team leader Xavier de Soultrait and fellow official Polaris driver Brock Heger.
Sherco Down to One
Misfortune has once again struck Sherco. Last year’s Rally 2 champion Harith Noah saw his Dakar unravel after a prologue crash forced him out with injury. This year followed a cruelly similar script: a fall in the prologue, another crash yesterday, and a back injury that ended his campaign. Adding to the team’s woes, Lorenzo Santolino—a former stage winner—also crashed and damaged his bike beyond repair.
That leaves Bradley Cox as Sherco’s sole remaining rider. The South African currently sits 13th overall, less than 15 minutes from the lead. Recruited less than a year ago, Cox now carries the full weight of Sherco’s hopes as the French manufacturer looks to match—or better—their best Dakar result to date: Santolino’s sixth place finish in Jeddah back in 2021.
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By Matt Hancock
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