KTM TAKE FIRST STAGE AT 2026 DAKAR RALLY

The 2026 Dakar Rally has officially kicked off, and the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team have made an exceptional start with Edgar Canet and Daniel Sanders delivering a one-two result on Stage 1. Luciano Benavides also got his race off to a solid start, claiming fifth place.

Momentum built immediately for the team in prologue, as Canet claimed victory in the event’s opening timed test. As a result, Canet became the youngest ever stage winner in the bike class and secured first choice starting position for Stage 1. Continuing KTM’s early dominance was Sanders in second place, just three seconds behind Canet and ultimately locking out a KTM one-two.

Stage 1 saw a 524km loop around Yanbu, including 305km of racing against the clock. The day began in unforgiving terrain, where narrow passes and jagged rock gardens demanded maximum focus from all riders. Conditions only eased later on as the route opened into sand and small dunes near the finish, ensuring the first full day of racing pushed riders and machines to the limit from the very first kilometer.

Choosing to set off near the back of the lead group, Canet immediately focused on chasing down the riders ahead of him. Quickest to the first checkpoint at the 28km mark, Canet maintained his place inside the top three through to 260km where he intensified his pace to move further up the order. Making very few errors, Canet showed incredible maturity on the stage to ultimately take the win by just over one minute ahead of Sanders. The 20-year-old now leads the provisional rally standings and faces the task of today’s 504km Stage 2. Sanders followed up his second-place prologue performance with another runner-up result. Riding in the dust of Canet for the entire stage, the reigning Dakar Champion did exactly what was necessary to stay in touch with the Spaniard.

Edgar Canet: 
“I’m really happy with how the rally has started. Winning the prologue gave me a great feeling straight away and my rhythm was good, I felt confident on the bike and I was able to follow the roadbook with 100% confidence, braking before the dangers and avoiding unnecessary risks while still being fast. Today’s stage was very demanding with a lot of different terrain, from fast sections to slow, rocky areas, but my navigation was strong and the bike felt great again. Apart from a small mistake that cost a few seconds, everything came together nicely, so to take another win and start the rally like this is incredible.”

Daniel Sanders: 
“It was great to get underway and just be back on the start line. The prologue was much faster than expected and not very technical, so it was pretty much full gas the whole way and the times were very close, but it was good to get it done and focus on the stages ahead. Stage one was similar in that sense – very fast and quite straightforward – but the conditions made it tricky, with strong winds, a lot of dust and even a sandstorm at times, which made it hard to stay fully focused. Still, it felt good to get through the first proper day without any issues. I’m looking forward to the stages to come when the terrain gets more rocky, which suits me better.”

Luciano Benavides:
 “It felt really good to get the Dakar underway. There’s always some tension at the start, especially on the prologue, but it was also an important chance to check how my body was feeling. I focused on riding cleanly with a good rhythm and speed, and it was a positive way to begin the rally. Stage one was very fast for an opening day, with some sections that required careful navigation. I made a couple of small mistakes but didn’t lose much time, and in the rockier, more technical areas I chose to be cautious and avoid unnecessary risks. Overall, it was a solid first stage, and I know the pace is there, which gives me confidence moving forward.”