Ricky Brabec delivered a decisive performance on the penultimate day of the Dakar Rally, claiming stage victory and regaining the overall lead with just one day of racing remaining.
With only 23 seconds separating the top two riders at the start of Stage 12, the day was always going to be pivotal. Brabec’s calculated move on Stage 11 – easing off to secure a later start position behind rival Luciano Benavides – was put to the test as he chases a third Dakar title.
The 311 km timed stage from Al Henakiyah to Yanbu demanded precision across technical navigation, rocky terrain and small dunes and starting six minutes behind Benavides, Brabec needed a near-perfect ride. Benavides struck first, leading at the 45 km mark, but once Brabec settled into his rhythm, the momentum began to shift. Gradually closing the gap, Brabec took control of the stage and as he caught riders ahead, including teammate Tosha Schareina, the time advantage grew. At the refuelling point, Brabec was able to assess the standings, knowing the second half of the stage would be about damage limitation. Benavides mounted a charge of his own, catching and passing Skyler Howes and Adrien Van Beveren to collect bonus time, but it wasn’t enough.
At the finish, Brabec secured his second stage win of the 2026 Dakar Rally and the 13th of his Dakar career, beating Benavides by 3’43”. The victory also marked Honda’s 120th Dakar stage win. Brabec now carries a 3’20” advantage into the final stage.
Tosha Schareina continued his quiet resurgence. After earlier setbacks in the rally, including a ten-minute penalty, the Spaniard delivered a strong stage podium result today on the very rocky terrain to further cement third overall. With two stage wins already this year, Schareina will be targeting a third on the final day.
Adrien Van Beveren has rediscovered his form after early struggles in the rally. Starting second on the road, the Frenchman quickly caught Skyler Howes but found navigation particularly challenging, a small error in a riverbed cost him time and he finished fourth on the stage. With an eight-minute deficit to Daniel Sanders overall, Van Beveren will push hard on the final day to secure a top-five result.
Skyler Howes endured a difficult day opening the stage and just 100 kilometres in, an oil leak spread over his boots and rear brake, forcing him to nurse his Honda CRF450 RALLY to the finish. He ended the day 10th, 24 minutes down, but moved up to fourth overall – just 10 seconds ahead of Sanders.
Everything now hinges on the final stage of the 2026 Dakar Rally. Back in Yanbu, last seen on Stage 2, just 105 km of racing remain as the world’s toughest rally is set for a dramatic conclusion.
Ruben Faria – General Manager:
“It was a tough day for the riders and the team. We were all a bit nervous because it was a crucial day for the final stage results. Ricky did an amazing job, he really pushed hard. Yesterday, his plan was to finish behind Luciano, which he did and today he rode brilliantly to win the stage. He now holds a 3 minutes 20 seconds overall advantage. Tomorrow, he will start three minutes ahead of Luciano and if everything goes well and he avoids mistakes, he has a strong chance to win the Dakar for the third time. But there’s still another day of racing, and he’s fully focused on taking that top step.
Tosha started ahead of Ricky today, but we instructed him to keep an eye on him, as we didn’t want Ricky in his dust. He rode well to reach Yanbu and has built enough of a gap to stay on the provisional podium.
Adrien quickly found his rhythm on the stage, opening the way with Skyler, though he ran into some tricky navigation and finished fourth. Still, it was a strong performance. Skyler led the stage from the start, a tough task, but finished seventh. The result moves him up to fourth overall, and if he holds that position tomorrow, it will be an excellent result for him.
The team is motivated, focused and we are prepared for stage 12 + 1, as I don’t like to say 13!”
Ricky Brabec (9) – Stage 1st – Oversall: 1st :
“I tried to ride carefully but took many risks today to make a good push. With one day to go we’re looking really good, so I’m really happy about this. I think last night was probably the best night’s sleep I’ve had since the rally started. We have a late start tomorrow so I might be able to stay awake until 8.30pm tonight, so we’ll see. We’ve still got one day to go, Luciano has been riding really well through the whole rally, so I got to give it up to him, we’ve been fighting every single day. It’s truly cool to see and I think people that are watching at home are really enjoying the results everyday because it’s so back and forth. It makes for good racing and it makes for good television.”
