Edgar Canet Makes Dakar History With Prologue Win as 2026 Rally Gets Underway

The 2026 Dakar Rally is officially underway, and it didn’t take long for history to be made, with Edgar Canet becoming the youngest-ever prologue winner as the opening kilometres of the world’s toughest rally were contested on Friday.

The prologue marked day one of the 48th edition of the Dakar Rally, with 115 bikes taking the start line, including 15 RallyGP riders and 100 Rally2 competitors, among them 26 entered in the Original by Motul class. As tradition dictates, riders set off in reverse ranking order, with the first bike away at 9:15am (UTC+3), while reigning champion Daniel Sanders was the final starter at 11:24, departing at two-minute intervals for RallyGP riders.

Set 40 kilometres outside the bivouac, the 23km prologue course was more technical than recent editions, demanding immediate focus from the opening metres. Riders were quickly dropped into a rocky canyon, faced with a marked ‘trial’ section just before kilometre 10, and a tricky CAP heading at KM17 that punished any lapse in concentration.

Opening the course with no tracks to follow, Tomas Gavardo laid down an early benchmark, an impressive effort given the disadvantage of running first. His time stood for over an hour before being eclipsed by defending Original by Motul champion Emanuel Gyenes, as the pace steadily increased with the arrival of Rally2 and RallyGP contenders.

Once the leading riders hit the stage, the times tumbled decisively. Red Bull KTM Rally2 champion Edgar Canet, making his first-ever RallyGP appearance, stunned the field with a blistering 11:32, a time none of the established front-runners could beat. The 20-year-old Spaniard’s effort not only secured the prologue win but, according to available records, made him the youngest rider ever to win a day at the Dakar Rally.

Canet admitted the moment carried extra significance, saying that “being part of the RallyGP race makes it feel like I’m one of the top riders. It’s a good feeling,” while keeping his expectations measured, adding that “the first aim for this year is to finish and take all the experience I can.”

Just three seconds behind his KTM teammate, Daniel Sanders opened his title defence with a solid second place. The Australian was pleased to get his campaign underway, explaining, “Last season was great, but the wave stopped in Morocco when we got beat, so it’s a clean slate now. I’m motivated to try and go back-to-back. It won’t be easy. This year we’ve got longer stages and it’ll be more gruelling than ever. I have decided to start back at position 16. The head is good, the body is good and the bike is good. Let’s bring on tomorrow.”

Monster Energy Honda Team’s Ricky Brabec was the strongest of the Honda contingent, finishing third, five seconds off the lead.

“The prologue was great, I made it to the finish in a good position so we’re looking good for tomorrow,” Brabec reflected, “I’m happy to get some speed under our belt and shake the monkey off our back. Overall, it’s a good start, but tomorrow starts the real Dakar Rally.”

KTM continued its strong showing with Luciano Benavides fourth at 11 seconds, while Ross Branch rounded out the top five for Hero MotoSports at 16 seconds back.

Branch was upbeat after the opening test, saying the prologue was “an amazing way to kick things off,” adding that “the bike felt incredible and I really enjoyed being back out there.” The Botswana rider explained that the fast, open nature of the stage, with limited navigation, “was perfect to shake off the cobwebs and get into rhythm,” before looking ahead to the challenge to come. “I’m really looking forward to the next two weeks of racing — the real battle begins tomorrow, and I’m excited for what lies ahead. Thank you to everyone for the incredible support,” Branch said.

Benavides also made no secret of his ambitions moving into the rally, stating that “I have a World Championship already under my belt and now I want a Dakar podium as well, or a win which would be even better.”

In Rally2, Michael Docherty repeated his strong form from the 2023 Sea Camp prologue in Yanbu, claiming class honours and finishing an impressive sixth overall, 19 seconds from the outright lead. The South African held a 26-second advantage over Tobias Ebster, with Konrad Dąbrowski completing the class podium. Rookies Preston Campbell (+32 seconds) and Ruy Barbosa (+33 seconds), both aboard Hondas, rounded out the Rally2 top five.

From an Australian perspective, David Brock, 55, a full-time firefighter from Murmungee in Victoria, is contesting his first Dakar Rally and sits 81st overall aboard his KTM 450 RR after qualifying through the 2025 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal after finishing second in the veterans class.

The opening test has set the tone for what lies ahead while also determining the start order for Stage 1 proper on Saturday, January 4. Riders finishing inside the top 15 will be able to choose their starting positions later tonight in the bivouac, with the remainder lining up based on their prologue times.

For KTM, the opening day could hardly have gone better, with Canet’s breakthrough performance, Sanders firmly in the hunt, and multiple orange bikes inside the top four signalling clear intent as the Dakar marathon truly begins.