Monster Energy Honda HRC flexed its muscle on the opening leg of the marathon stage at the Dakar Rally, with Tosha Schareina claiming back-to-back stage victories from AlUla to seize the overall lead as teammates Ricky Brabec and Skyler Howes completed a commanding Honda one-two-three.
It was a far tougher day for Australia’s Daniel Sanders, who lost the overall lead after tyre issues and small navigation mistakes cost him valuable time in marathon conditions where survival, strategy and mechanical sympathy proved just as critical as outright speed.
Stage four was always shaping as a pivotal moment in this year’s rally. The 417-kilometre special wound its way across rocky plateaus, sandy canyons and unforgiving stone slabs, all under marathon conditions where riders knew there would be no outside mechanical help once they reached the overnight refuge. Every decision mattered, and for Schareina, it was another day executed to perfection.
Opening the stage from the front, Tosha Schareina embraced the challenge. Drawing on his World Rally-Raid Championship experience, the Spaniard controlled the pace through every time check, banking bonus seconds as the stage leader and ultimately stopping the clock in 4h 31’ 56’’. The victory, his second in as many days, also propelled him to the top of the overall standings, where he now sits tied on time with Brabec after four gruelling days of racing.
Reflecting on the effort, Schareina explained that the plan was clear from the outset, saying the goal was to open from start to finish, something he and the team executed despite tricky navigation and the added pressure of marathon conditions. He noted that Brabec caught him around the halfway mark and the pair rode together to the end, before turning their attention to resting up and assessing the bike ahead of another demanding day.
Just six seconds behind, Ricky Brabec delivered another measured and intelligent ride to secure second place on the stage and remain locked in a dead heat for the overall lead. Starting behind his teammate, the American admitted he began conservatively before finding his rhythm and reeling Schareina in around the 200-kilometre mark.
From there, the two Honda riders navigated much of the remaining distance together, working through vast slab sections where there were no visible tracks and navigation relied entirely on CAP headings. Brabec described the day as long but enjoyable, praising Schareina’s work at the front and noting that despite a couple of early navigation scares, he slowed when needed and brought the bike through without touching the ground, arriving at the marathon camp confident in both his position and machinery.
Completing Honda’s clean sweep at the front was Skyler Howes, who finished third just 10 seconds off the stage win despite feeling under the weather. The American showed grit and discipline, managing his pace and tyres carefully as the rocky terrain threatened to punish even the smallest mistake. Although he remains seventh overall, Howes closed ground on those ahead and underlined Honda’s strength across the field. He admitted the day took a toll physically, explaining that low energy levels and concerns over rear tyre condition made the final kilometres especially tense, with the challenge now being simply to get through the second leg of the marathon without a failure.
Fourth on the stage was Ross Branch, who produced one of his strongest rides of the rally so far. The Botswanan was right in the fight from the outset, sitting just seconds off the lead at multiple checkpoints and maintaining relentless pressure through the bulk of the special. Branch finished only 16 seconds shy of the stage winner, a result that keeps him sixth overall despite an earlier time penalty. He described the day as one he genuinely enjoyed, riding much of the stage alongside Nacho Cornejo and praising the teamwork that helped keep both riders on track, with only a minor tyre issue to manage along the way.
For Daniel Sanders, stage four was about damage limitation rather than outright attack. Third into the stage, the Australian pushed to close the gap but was hampered by a couple of small navigation errors and tyre issues that forced him to rein things in. Sanders still came home fifth fastest in 4h 34’ 33’’, arriving safely at the marathon refuge and dropping to third overall, just 1’24’’ off the joint leaders. Posting from the bivouac, Sanders acknowledged it was a tough day and that tyre problems dropped him further back in the pack, but stressed that he and the team never stopped pushing and were now fully focused on managing the challenges of the unsupported overnight camp.
Sixth on the stage was Ignacio “Nacho” Cornejo, who rode through soreness from his heavy crash the previous day to deliver a composed performance. The Chilean found the opening kilometres difficult but gradually rebuilt confidence, particularly after the refuelling zone, where he linked up with Branch and benefitted from riding together through the more complex sections. Cornejo said that while he was in pain early on, the day improved steadily, and he was pleased to arrive at the refuge with the bike in good condition and ready for the second half of the marathon.
Seventh place went to Luciano Benavides, who continued his quietly consistent Dakar campaign. Starting seventh, the Argentine focused on maintaining a solid rhythm and minimising risk, aware of the punishment being handed out by the terrain. His controlled approach paid off with another strong top-10 stage result, keeping him fifth overall and well placed as the rally moves deeper into its decisive phase.
Eighth on the stage was Edgar Canet, who again showed maturity beyond his years on his RallyGP debut. The young Spaniard adopted a cautious strategy, prioritising a clean run to the finish over chasing outright speed on the brutal marathon opener. That approach saw him safely through in 4h 35’ 45’’, and while he slipped slightly on the stage, he remains a solid fourth overall with plenty still to play for.
Adrien Van Beveren finished ninth as he continues the task of rebuilding after a difficult opening to his Dakar. The Frenchman conceded just over five minutes to the stage winner and now sits ninth overall, 27’24’’ off the lead. Van Beveren described the stages so far as extremely rough, highlighting the constant risk posed by rocks and the toll being taken on tyres and wheels, but remained determined to lift his pace and keep pushing as the rally unfolds.
Rounding out the top 10 was Neels Theric, who delivered a landmark result for Kove Factory Racing. After early bike trouble on the prologue cost him dearly, the Frenchman finally struck back, bringing the Chinese manufacturer its first-ever Dakar stage win in Rally2 while also claiming 10th outright on the stage. His performance capped a dramatic day in the class, which was thrown wide open by misfortune for several key contenders.
The Rally2 category was turned on its head as pre-stage leader Michael Docherty was forced out after hitting a rock that destroyed his front wheel, while Martim Ventura suffered transmission problems and limped to the finish with a massive time loss. Their setbacks opened the door for Preston Campbell, who now leads the class and has delivered Honda its first-ever Rally2 lead, while Theric’s victory marked Kove as the fifth different brand to win in the category.
With the second leg of the marathon stage looming on Thursday, riders face another 356 kilometres against the clock, where careful navigation, tyre management and mechanical sympathy will again be paramount. As stage four showed, the Dakar is entering a phase where patience and precision may prove just as decisive as outright speed.
| 2026 Dakar Rally – Stage 4 Results | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos. | No | Rider | Nat | Team | Time | Gap | Penalty |
| 1st | 68 | Tosha Schareina | ESP | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 04h 31′ 56” | – | – |
| 2nd | 9 | Ricky Brabec | USA | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 04h 32′ 02” | + 00h 00′ 06” | – |
| 3rd | 10 | Skyler Howes | USA | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 04h 32′ 06” | + 00h 00′ 10” | – |
| 4th | 46 | Ross Branch | BOT | Hero Motosports Team Rally | 04h 32′ 12” | + 00h 00′ 16” | – |
| 5th | 1 | Daniel Sanders | AUS | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 04h 34′ 33” | + 00h 02′ 37” | – |
| 6th | 11 | Ignacio “Nacho” Cornejo | CHI | Hero Motosports Team Rally | 04h 35′ 09” | + 00h 03′ 13” | – |
| 7th | 77 | Luciano Benavides | ARG | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 04h 35′ 12” | + 00h 03′ 16” | – |
| 8th | 73 | Edgar Canet | ESP | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 04h 35′ 45” | + 00h 03′ 49” | – |
| 9th | 42 | Adrien Van Beveren | FRA | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 04h 37′ 07” | + 00h 05′ 11” | – |
| 10th | 66 | Neels Theric | FRA | Kove Factory Racing | 04h 42′ 18” | + 00h 10′ 22” | – |
| 11th | 7 | Bradley Cox | RSA | Sherco Rally Factory | 04h 45′ 34” | + 00h 13′ 38” | – |
| 12th | 16 | Toni Mulec | SLO | BAS World KTM Team | 04h 49′ 53” | + 00h 17′ 57” | – |
| 13th | 85 | Preston Campbell | USA | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 04h 50′ 59” | + 00h 19′ 03” | – |
| 14th | 26 | Konrad Dabrowski | POL | Duust Rally Team | 04h 54′ 22” | + 00h 22′ 26” | – |
| 15th | 29 | Paolo Lucci | ITA | Rsmoto Rally Team | 04h 55′ 57” | + 00h 24′ 01” | – |
| 16th | 41 | Ruy Barbosa | CHI | HT Rally Raid | 04h 58′ 04” | + 00h 26′ 08” | – |
| 17th | 57 | Khaliunbold Erdenebileg | MGL | BAS World KTM Team | 05h 02′ 11” | + 00h 30′ 15” | – |
| 18th | 28 | Nerimantas Jucius | LTU | HT Rally Raid | 05h 06′ 47” | + 00h 34′ 51” | – |
| 19th | 78 | Arnau Lledó | ESP | Pedregà Team | 05h 09′ 29” | + 00h 37′ 33” | 00h 00′ 10” |
| 20th | 98 | Mason Klein | USA | HOTO Factory Racing | 05h 11′ 02” | + 00h 39′ 06” | – |
| 2026 Dakar Rally – Overall Standings After Stage 4 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos. | No | Rider | Nat | Team | Time | Gap | Penalty |
| 1st | 68 | Tosha Schareina | ESP | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 16h 45′ 40” | – | – |
| 2nd | 9 | Ricky Brabec | USA | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 16h 45′ 40” | – | – |
| 3rd | 1 | Daniel Sanders | AUS | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 16h 47′ 04” | + 00h 01′ 24” | – |
| 4th | 73 | Edgar Canet | ESP | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 16h 57′ 02” | + 00h 11′ 22” | – |
| 5th | 77 | Luciano Benavides | ARG | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 16h 58′ 49” | + 00h 13′ 09” | – |
| 6th | 46 | Ross Branch | BOT | Hero Motosports Team Rally | 16h 59′ 39” | + 00h 13′ 59” | 00h 06′ 00” |
| 7th | 10 | Skyler Howes | USA | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 17h 00′ 18” | + 00h 14′ 38” | 00h 02′ 00” |
| 8th | 11 | Ignacio “Nacho” Cornejo | CHI | Hero Motosports Team Rally | 17h 07′ 41” | + 00h 22′ 01” | – |
| 9th | 42 | Adrien Van Beveren | FRA | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 17h 13′ 04” | + 00h 27′ 24” | – |
| 10th | 7 | Bradley Cox | RSA | Sherco Rally Factory | 17h 47′ 03” | + 01h 01′ 23” | – |
| 11th | 85 | Preston Campbell | USA | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 17h 54′ 30” | + 01h 08′ 50” | – |
| 12th | 16 | Toni Mulec | SLO | BAS World KTM Team | 18h 13′ 08” | + 01h 27′ 28” | – |
| 13th | 26 | Konrad Dabrowski | POL | Duust Rally Team | 18h 15′ 18” | + 01h 29′ 38” | – |
| 14th | 29 | Paolo Lucci | ITA | Rsmoto Rally Team | 18h 34′ 54” | + 01h 49′ 14” | 00h 02′ 00” |
| 15th | 41 | Ruy Barbosa | CHI | HT Rally Raid | 18h 46′ 22” | + 02h 00′ 42” | 00h 06′ 00” |
| 16th | 57 | Khaliunbold Erdenebileg | MGL | BAS World KTM Team | 18h 49′ 06” | + 02h 03′ 26” | 00h 06′ 10” |
| 17th | 28 | Nerimantas Jucius | LTU | HT Rally Raid | 18h 49′ 57” | + 02h 04′ 17” | – |
| 18th | 98 | Mason Klein | USA | HOTO Factory Racing | 18h 59′ 37” | + 02h 13′ 57” | 00h 02′ 00” |
| 19th | 35 | Bruno Santos | POR | BS – Frutas Patricia Pilar | 19h 08′ 28” | + 02h 22′ 48” | – |
| 20th | 84 | Martim Ventura | POR | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 19h 27′ 00” | + 02h 41′ 20” | – |
