Dakar Rally Stage 1: Canet Dominates Bikes, De Mevius Snatches Cars Victory
The 48th Dakar Rally exploded into life on January 4, 2026, with a demanding 305km timed special looping around Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. Blending narrow rocky passages, jagged rock gardens, fast sandy tracks, and small dunes under strong winds and occasional sandstorms, Stage 1 tested navigation, pace, and endurance from the outset. While veterans battled, two rising stars stole the show in the premier Bikes and Cars categories.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
Related Article: Dakar Rally Prologue: Ekstrom leads Ford 1-2 in cars, Canet Storms to Victory in Bikes
Bikes: Edgar Canet Makes History with KTM Dominance
20-year-old Spaniard Edgar Canet (Pictured Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) delivered a masterclass, backing up his prologue win with a commanding Stage 1 victory. Starting near the back after topping the short opener, the Rally2 champion from last year charged through the field with flawless navigation and minimal errors. He clocked 3:16:11, winning by over a minute and becoming the youngest stage winner in Dakar bike history—again.
Canet’s teammate Daniel Sanders (Australia) made it a KTM 1-2, finishing just +1:02 behind despite riding in dust. American Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) rounded out the podium at +1:32, keeping Honda in contention.
In the provisional overall standings after Stage 1, Canet leads, with the top five mirroring the stage results. Luciano Benavides (KTM) completed a strong day for the Austrian brand in fifth.
Top 5 Bikes – Stage 1 Results
| Pos | Rider | Team/Make | Time | Gap |
| 1 | Edgar Canet (ESP) | KTM | 3:16:11 | – |
| 2 | Daniel Sanders (AUS) | KTM | 3:17:13 | +1:02 |
| 3 | Ricky Brabec (USA) | Honda | 3:17:43 | +1:32 |
| 4 | Tosha Schareina (ESP) | Honda | 3:18:00 | +1:49 |
| 5 | Luciano Benavides (ARG) | KTM | 3:19:58 | +3:47 |
Cars: MINI’s Late Surge Denies Ford as Ekström Fades
In the Cars category, drama unfolded in the final 45km of rocky dunes and sand. Mattias Ekström (Ford Racing) led most of the stage after his prologue success, but slipped back, compounded by a 10-second speeding penalty.
Guillaume de Mevius (X-Raid MINI JCW Team), co-driven by Mathieu Baumel, capitalized with a flawless run, snatching victory in 3:07:49—MINI’s second straight opening-stage win. Nasser Al-Attiyah (Dacia Sandriders) charged to second, just +0:40 behind after an early recovery.
Ford still packed the top 10 with five entries, including Martin Prokop third and Carlos Sainz sixth. Defending champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi (Toyota) and the factory Toyotas struggled badly, losing big time.
The overall cars standings mirror the stage, with three manufacturers (MINI, Dacia, Ford) atop the leaderboard.
Top 10 Cars – Stage 1 Results
| Pos | Driver / Co-Driver | Team/Vehicle | Time | Gap |
| 1 | Guillaume de Mevius / Mathieu Baumel | X-Raid MINI JCW | 3:07:49 | – |
| 2 | Nasser Al-Attiyah / Fabian Lurquin | Dacia Sandriders | +0:40 | |
| 3 | Martin Prokop / Viktor Chytka | Orlen Jipocar Ford | +1:27 | |
| 4 | Mattias Ekström / Emil Bergkvist | Ford Racing | +1:38 | |
| 5 | Marek Goczal / Maciej Marton | Energylandia Toyota | +1:38 | |
| 6 | Carlos Sainz / Lucas Cruz | Ford Racing | +1:54 | |
| 7 | Guy Botterill / Oriol Mena | Toyota Gazoo SA | +2:03 | |
| 8 | Nani Roma / Alex Haro | Ford Racing | +2:37 | |
| 9 | Mitch Guthrie / Kellon Walch | Ford Racing | +2:50 | |
| 10 | Sébastien Loeb / Edouard Boulanger | Dacia Sandriders | +3:01 |
As the Dakar caravan prepares for Stage 2, Canet will open the road on bikes—a tough task—while de Mevius enjoys a slim but symbolic lead in cars. With 12 grueling stages ahead, the 2026 edition is already living up to its reputation as the world’s toughest rally.