Tosha Schareina Claims Stage 9 Victory as Daniel Sanders Reclaims 2026 Dakar Lead

Stage nine of the 2026 Dakar Rally threw the leading riders into a maze of dunes, rocky plateaus, and fast sand tracks across 418 kilometres of timed special, the first day of the near-1000km marathon.

The story of the day was conservation while maintaining speed as Tosha Schareina took full advantage of early waypoint errors to claim his third stage win, riding aggressively through the dunes and long sandy tracks to finish first. Daniel Sanders recovered from the same early misstep to finish second and retake the overall lead, the largest lead of the rally so far, combining speed with careful tyre and bike management and reclaiming the overall lead by over six minutes. Michael Docherty delivered a steady and calculated ride to secure third on the stage, his best result of the rally, showing that cautious precision can pay off as much as outright pace. The day highlighted how a combination of small errors, strategic riding, and sheer endurance can reshape the leaderboard, underlining the marathon’s punishing mix of navigation, speed, and survival

Navigation proved decisive from the outset, as the opening kilometres caught many off guard and quickly reshaped the leaderboard.

Tosha Schareina started fourth on the stage but seized the advantage when first-away Luciano Benavides and early starter Daniel Sanders both ran into a tricky waypoint around kilometre 33. Capitalising on the chaos, Schareina pushed hard through the dunes and long sandy tracks, finishing in 03h 45’ 42’’ for his third stage victory of the rally. “It was good for me. They made a navigation mistake early in the morning, so my strategy changed there and I tried to take all the bonuses possible from that moment. It was so dusty… In the dunes, I did my best but all the riders were riding together until the end,” he said. With just eight minutes separating him from Benavides in third overall, Schareina is now a strong contender for the remaining stages.

Defending champion Daniel Sanders crossed second, 4’35’’ behind Schareina, recovering well from the same early waypoint error. Riding in a group with the other early leaders, the Australian balanced speed with tyre and bike preservation across the marathon terrain. “It wasn’t too bad of a stage for me today, but obviously, it’s frustrating to lose so much time early on… After that, it was about managing the stage and thinking ahead to tomorrow with more dunes coming,” Sanders said. His result puts him back in the overall lead by 6’24’’, demonstrating the value of steady, smart riding in the marathon.

South Africa’s Michael Docherty made the most of the early confusion to claim third on stage in 03h 50’ 32’’, his best finish of the rally so far. The BAS World KTM rider stayed clear of the costly mistakes and made the most of the bonus time to improve his position in the Rally2 standings.

American Ricky Brabec finished fourth, navigating through the dust and adjusting his strategy on the fly after catching the front runners mid-stage. “From the description, it just said it was kind of fast. I thought Luciano did a good job yesterday opening all by himself and that he would have no problems today… Last night before bed, we had a perfect strategy, but obviously it didn’t work out,” Brabec explained. The American remains second overall, just six minutes behind Sanders, ready to use the tracks laid down by the leaders to close the gap tomorrow.

Skyler Howes rode a measured stage to finish fifth in 03h 53’ 36’’, maintaining fifth overall. Careful tyre management was key, especially over rocky sections early in the special. “It was important to me… to manage everything and make sure to get to this bivouac with the bike in good shape. I think I did a pretty good job,” he said.

Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren continued to benefit from a well-prepared machine, overcoming an early navigation error to finish sixth on stage. Sitting seventh overall, he remains in striking distance of Nacho Cornejo, just three minutes ahead. “I made a navigation mistake at the beginning. Like some riders, it was a bit confusing. After that, I pushed and rode fast up to the refuelling. And then after the refuelling, because I know that I’m further down the overall standings, I pushed again. I was pulling away from Skyler, but I was a bit scared to be too much further ahead, so I then slowed down towards the end, however I’m pleased with my position today,” Van Beveren said.

Neels Theric of Kove Factory Racing claimed seventh, showing impressive speed and precision over the 418km, while South Africa’s Bradley Cox finished just 20 seconds behind in eighth. Cox now sits 11th overall but managed a clean ride through a tough stage that saw riders cover 540 kilometres including the liaison section to the bivouac.

First-away Luciano Benavides endured a tough day, losing around nine minutes at the tricky roadbook note and falling to ninth on stage. Despite the setback, he remains third overall, benefitting from a favourable starting position for stage 10. “Not the best day for me today… From that point on, it was just about surviving to the finish. The bike is fine. There’s a small cut in the rear tire, but nothing serious, so everything is okay,” Benavides said.

Rounding out the top ten, young American Preston Campbell rode a controlled stage to finish tenth in 04h 02’ 58’’. Already leading Rally2, Campbell extended his advantage to 17’28’’ as the marathon moves into its second day. His measured approach highlights the importance of consistency and strategy in a grueling stage where mistakes are costly.

The stage also brought challenges for riders further down the leaderboard. Hero Motosports Team Rally endured a tough day, with Ross Branch finishing 15th after a heavy fall near kilometre 196, and Nacho Cornejo recovering from a navigation error to cross in 19th. Both remain in the hunt for the final podium positions, with Cornejo sixth overall and Branch eighth.

Stage ten will take riders from the temporary marathon bivouac to Bisha, with 371 kilometres of timed special through some of the softest dunes of the rally. With super-fast sand tracks and long, punishing dune sections, tomorrow’s stage promises to shuffle the leaderboard once again, as the front-runners continue their high-stakes game of desert strategy and speed.