Sanders Leads After Stage Two
of 2026 Dakar Rally
A
s of Monday, January 5,
KTM's defending Dakar
and World Rally-Raid Champion
Daniel Sanders holds a slender
lead in the 2026 Dakar Rally in
Saudi Arabia after taking two
second places on the Prologue
and Stage One and the win for
Stage Two.
The Australian played it cool
in the early stages of the rally as
his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
teammate Edgar Canet stole
the headlines by becoming the
youngest rider in the history of
the event to win a special, taking
the Prologue on the opening day
and backing that up with the
Stage One win.
However, Sanders clicked up a
gear on Stage Two, finishing one
minute and 35 seconds ahead of
the 20-year-old Spaniard Canet
to move into the rally lead by 30
seconds.
"It was a much better stage
today and felt more like classic
Dakar, with open terrain and a
real mix of conditions, which I re-
ally enjoyed," Sanders said after
Stage Two. "I had a good idea
of what to expect, which helped
with the rhythm, and it was
important to get out front, open
the stage, and stay on top of the
navigation, correcting any small
mistakes quickly so I didn't lose
time. The pace was strong, the
bike and my body are feeling
good, and overall, it was a very
positive day."
Third overall after a trio of
third places on the Prologue and
Stages One and Two is former
two-time Dakar winner Ricky
Brabec (Monster Energy Honda
HRC). Starting Stage Two in
third on the track, Brabec quickly
capitalized on not being the lead
rider, setting the fastest time at
the opening checkpoint on the
WIND
IN THE
P24
Daniel Sanders
turned up the heat on
Stage Two, taking the
win and moving into
the rally lead.
