Summarize

KTM continued to dominate the 2026 Dakar Bike race when Luciano Benavides took the day win and Daniel Sanders moved back into the overall lead on Thursday’s firth stage. In a mixed day for the remaining Southern Africans, Durbanite Bradley Cox enjoyed his best run so far in fourth as he climbed to eighth overall, but it was a day to forget for Motswana Ross Branch. 

 

KTM’s Spanish super rookie Édgar Canet was fastest in the opening sector of the second half of the first Marathon stage on to Ha'il, Saudi Arabia. He led Bradley Cox, who clearly had the right breakfast before mounting his Factory Sherco, Argentine Luciano Benavides’ KTM, Chilean Hero Moto rider Ignacio Cornejo, Frenchman Adrien van Beveren’s Factory Honda CRF450, French Rally 2 leader Neels Theric on his Kove and Aussie 2025 Dakar winner Daniel Sanders’ Factory KTM 450 Rally. 

 

Canet continued to lead while Cornejo, Benavides, Cox, Theric and Sanders jockeyed for position behind. Branch seemed was fighting a wheel issue on his Hero as he consistently lost time before Frenchman Adrien van Beveren stopped for 20 minutes  to remove wire from his wheel. Canet still led Cox, Cornejo, Theric and Sanders at half distance, but it was all change 50 kilometres later. 

 

Benavides went ahead of Canet and Cox by a minute, with Cornejo also close. But Canet ground to a halt and was feverishly trying to get his KTM back to life. That left Benavides three minutes ahead of Cox, Cornejo, Theric and Sanders, with Honda trio Ricky Brabec, Tosha Schareina and Skyler Howes in chase as they opened the road. 

 

There were a few changes through to the finish as Benavides came through to win KTM’s fifth of six stages so far this year, from Cornejo, Cox, Schareina and Brabec. Theric took a second Rally 2 win on the trot from Konrad Dabrowski's KTM and Honda lad Preston Campbell. Behind them van Beveren, Branch and Canet struggled home well down.  

 

That sees Sanders back into a two-minute overall lead for KTM from Honda men Schareina and Brabec, Cornejo’s Hero and Honda duo Skyler Howes and van Beveren. Brad Cox is up to eighth ahead of Rally 2 leaders Campbell and Dabrowski. Ross Branch has slipped to 10th, Edgar Canet provisionally 33rd. Benjamin Melot leads the no service original class on his KTM after Josep Pedrero won another stage on his Husqvarna.  

 

Friday’s day 6 is a 340 km run to Riyadh ahead of Saturday’s well-earned rest day, Your Dakar Bike Report is powered by Tork Craft tools. Click here for the Dakar Car Preview.