Summarize

While Édgar Canet, Daniel Sanders and Ricky Brabec were on fire to capture the Dakar 2026 Prologue top three over the 22 kilometre pipe-opener around Yanbu, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, several other top riders played the tomorrow game as they chased perhaps better starting positions further down the grid for Sunday’s first official stage.

Not that the prologue was a doddle. The technically challenging ride made sure there was nowhere to hide as the two wheelers set off first onto the Prologue, in reverse order. South African privateer, double 2024 overall stage winner Michael Docherty led the way on his BAS KTM 450 once all the Rally 2 favourites were home. Leaving only the fifteen GP class professionals to finish.

Third of those riders in, Spanish Rally GP rookie and ’25  Dakar Rally 2 winner Édgar Canet was the first of the top class men to lead before Czech Martin Michek went third behind Docherty on his new Chinese Hoto Factory 450 Rally. Botswana rider Ross Branch then reshuffled the top three with second for Hero Moto as fellow multiple South African Cross Country champion Bradley Cox went tenth on his Factory Sherco.

That left the cream of the factory crop to complete the Prologue as Honda riders, Frenchman Adrien van Beveren and Californian Skyler Howes slotted into fifth and sixth while KTM man, Argentine Luciano Benavides went second. 2025 top three, American Honda man Ricky Brabec then went second, Spanish rider Tosha Schareina slotted into sixth and ’25 Dakar winner and 2025 world champion, Aussie Daniel Sanders finally stole second.

So KTM men Édgar Canet and Daniel Sanders led Honda man Ricky Brabec, Luciano Benavides on another KTM, Botswana hero Ross Branch and South African Rally 2 leader Michael Docherty on the 22km Dakar Prologue. They will set off in that order on Sunday. Several other riders however took the discretion over valour route in search of a preferable starting position, further back on Sunday’s opening stage. 

Among them, Honda trio, Tosha Schareina, Adrien van Beveren and Skyler Howes will be men to watch on Sunday. As will Hoto rider Martin Michek in tenth, along with Stefan Svitko, Bradley Cox and several other stars scattered through the top twenty or so bikes. Dakar being Dakar, the pursuers should star on Sunday, before Saturday’s top few take over again on Monday and so the Dakar Bikes see-saw should continue. 

Of the rest Among the first riders out, South African privateer Ronald Venter delivered a solid rookie run on his KTM and should be satisfied with his 75th position start among the 115 motorcycle field. It was however a tricky prologue for Kove team leader Neels Theric stuck in the stage with mechanical issues.

With 5000 kilometres of racing over 15 days and a total of 8000 km to the finish on 17 January, Dakar 2026 moves on to another 305 km loop around Yanbu on Sunday’s first official stage. Your Dakar Bike Report is powered by Tork Craft tools. Click here later this afternoon for the Dakar Car Prologue report.