Summarize

Twenty-time winners in the 46 years of Dakar Rally history, and with an incredible eighteen of those victories on the trot, Austria’s KTM once again has the Bike category under control after the first week of racing in 2026. Halfway through this year’s 5000 kilometres of racing, 2025 winner and World Rally Raid Moto Champion, Australian KTM rider Daniel Sanders has built up a 6 minute 45 second advantage over Californian Honda star Ricky Brabec.

In an as-ever dramatic first Bike week, Spanish rookie and 2025 Dakar Rally 2 winner Édgar Canet sounded a warning to become the youngest ever Bike day winner on Saturday’s Prologue. Botswana rider Ross Branch was second for Hero Moto with Czech Martin Michek third on his new Chinese Hoto Factory 450 Rally. South African privateer Michael Docherty led Rally 2 on his BAS KTM and Uruguayan Emanuel Gyenes no-service Original on his similar device.

Tork Craft rider Ross Branch and his Indian Hero then dominated Sunday’s first 305 km loop around Yanbu, only to be docked six minutes for speeding and hand the win to Edgar Canet from KTM teammate Sanders. Honda duo, Californian Ricky Brabec and Spaniard Tosha Schareina, Spaniard Luciano Benavides’ KTM and the penalised Branch followed. Spanish Honda rookie Martim Ventura made Docherty work for the Rally 2 win as Uruguayan Emanuel Gyenes led no-service Original.

Sanders led Canet home with another orange 1-2 on the day and overall on Monday. Honda riders, Brabec, Schareina and Utah rider Skyer Howes followed as Martim Ventura thought he’d claimed Honda’s first ever Dakar Rally 2 victory. He was however penalised for speeding to hand another win to Rally 2 leader Michael Docherty on a plate.

Honda men Schareina and Brabec then fought back to a memorable red 1-2 on Tuesday’s tough 422 km loop around Al’Ula. Benavides and Howes followed from Sanders in fifth despite opening the road, Branch, Canet, and van Beveren. So Sanders retained the overall lead over Schareina, Benavides and Branch. Docherty led Rally 2 and Spaniards, and Javi Vega’s Kove and Josep Pedro on a Husqvarna took over the no-service Original battle.

By Tuesday, two of the three Factory Shercos; Indian Rally 2 rider Noah Harith and Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino’s Rally GP version, Slovak Rally GP KTM privateer Stefan Svitko and Rally 2 men, British Kove rider James Hillier and Austrian Hero man Tobias Ebster and South African amateur Ronald Venter’s races had all ended early.

Wednesday’s first half of the first week no service Marathon stage 4 saw just fourteen seconds separate the top four, Honda trio Schareina, Brabec and Howes, and Hero rider Branch. Even more remarkable, Schareina and Brabec were tied in the overall lead. In Rally 2, a broken wheel put paid to dominant Michael Docherty’s overall hopes, leaving Frenchman Niels Theric’s Chinese Kove to claim a maiden win and prevent new leader, US rider Preston Campbell from finally scoring Honda’s maiden class win. Pedrero once again won the Original class.

Day 5, Thursday’s demanding 357 km run from the Marathon bivouac to Ha'il proved another KTM benefit. Luciano Benavides won from Hero rider Ignacio Cornejo, South African Brad Cox’s Sherco, Schareina, Brabec, Rally 2 winner Theric and Sanders. Among the frontrunners, Ross Branch lost an hour with a broken wheel, Édgar Canet stopped for half an hour and Honda rider Adrien van Beveren lost 20 minutes. Overall, Sanders was back into a two-minute overall lead from Schareina, Brabec and Cornejo. Campbell led Rally 2 and Melot Original after Pedrero won the day again.

Daniel Sanders then demolished the opposition to win Friday’s sandy 340 km run to Riyadh ahead of Saturday’s well-earned rest day. Despite his unfavourable starting position, Chucky added almost five minutes to his overall advantage as he stormed home to beat Brabec and Schareina, while a rejuvenated Rally 2 winner, Michael Docherty bounced back in fourth from Honda Rally GP men Howes and van Beveren.

Which leaves Daniel Sanders leading the Dakar 202 Bikes by almost seven minutes from Ricky Brabec’s Honda, Luciano Benavides’ KTM, Tosha Schiarena’s Honda, Ignacio Cornejo’s Hero, and Skyler Howes’ Honda. His teammate, Adrien van Beveren rides in seventh from Durban lad Brad Cox’s Sherco, Rally 2 leader Preston Campbell’s Honda and Botswana Hero Ross Branch in tenth after another tough run on Friday.

Dakar 2026 commences with the longest special of 2026 so far in a 462 kilometre into Wadi Ad Dawasir on Sunday. Your Dakar Bike Report is powered by Tork Craft tools. Tap  here for your Dakar Car Week 1 report.