Summarize

Dakar 2026 is loading fast and as usual, the great race promises epic two wheel action between a star-studded line-up throughout the great two-week adventure. Southern Africa is once again well represented among the Dakar Bikes with Ross Branch and Bradley Cox in the top Rally GP Elite class and Michael Docherty, Anthony Raynard and Ronald Venter riding in Rally 2.

Botswana hero, 2024 W2RC Moto champion and Tork Craft rider, Ross Branch returns chasing that elusive Dakar win aboard his Indian Hero 450 Rally alongside Chilean teammate Ignacio Cornejo. Durban lad and Rally 2 rookie Bradley Cox is part of a two man Sherco Factory team alongside experienced Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino on a pair of 450 Rallyes.

They will be up against the usual, strong Red Bull KTM 450 Rally team with ’25 Dakar winner and 2025 world champion, Aussie Daniel Sanders leading the orange attack. He’s backed by Argentine Luciano Benavides and Spanish Rally 2 rookie and ’25  Dakar Rally 2 winner Édgar Canet, and Slovak privateer Stefan Svitko.

Honda is ready to paint Dakar red with Americans Ricky Brabec and Skyler Howes, Frenchman Adrien van Beveren and Spanish rider Tosha Schareina on four factory Monster CRF450s. And adding a touch of variety are dark horses American Mason Klein and Czech Martin Michek on a pair of new Chinese Hoto Factory 450 Rallys.

South African Michael Docherty is among the Rally 2 favourites on his BAS KTM 450 Rally. He can expect company up front in the second division from fellow KTM men, Slovenian Toni Mulec, Pole Konrad Dabrowski, Slovak Dusan Drdaj and Saudi home hero Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera.

Adding a little variety, Indian Rally 2 expert Noah Harith is back on his Sherco along with Belgian Jérôme Martiny’s Honda, among others. Another Honda rider, South African Anthony Raynard is a certain Rally 2 wildcard on his Dakar debut, and compatriot Ronald Venter is back after a solid 2025 rookie run on his KTM. 

With 5000 kilometres of racing over a total of 8000 km, Dakar 2026 starts with the 23 km Prologue at Yanbu Saturday 3 January, before a 305 km loop there on Sunday. Then it’s 400 km to Al-Ula before a 422 km loop there Tuesday. Wednesday brings the Marathon to the mid-desert no service refuge bivouacs before heading to Ha'il Thursday and on to Riyadh for the Saturday 10 January rest day.

Week 2 commences with a 462 km Sunday run to Wadi ad-Dawasir before a 481 km loop there Monday and the 418 km to another desert refuge Tuesday evening. A dune-rich 371 km run to Bisha follows before 347 km to Al Henakiyah and 310 km back to Yanbu on Friday. And a final 105 km run to finish there on Saturday 17 January.

Motorsport Media will publish Dakar Bike reports daily from 3 to 17 January on www.motorsportmedia.co.za  Your Dakar Bike Report is powered by Tork Craft tools. 

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