The second week of the 2026 Dakar Rally began on a optimistic word for KTM, who continued to guide the rally with a win in stage 7 on Sunday.
Daniel Saunders’ benefit on the prime of the Dakar standings elevated to 4 minutes 25 seconds over Ricky Brabec, with the Australian ending fourth, 5 minutes 35 seconds off his stage-winning time, however Brabec was ninth till the seventh stage, 3 minutes 40 seconds slower than Saunders.
Saunders did not end within the prime three of the stage, but it surely was KTM 1-2 in stage 7. Luciano Benavidez set the quickest time, beating Edgar Canet. It was the Argentine’s second stage win within the rally after the fifth stage, and second place for Kane was a powerful comeback after dropping 10 hours on the fifth stage when he was one among a number of riders to undergo a rear puncture.
Canet was 66th on the finish of stage 5, however the RallyGP rookie has now moved as much as fiftieth.
The highest three within the rally are at present Saunders, Brabec and Benavidez, with a distinction of 4 minutes and 40 seconds between the three, with Benavidez and Brabec separated by simply 15 seconds.
Behind him, Tosha Chalayna was in fourth place, eight minutes behind Benavidez (on the finish of the sixth stage it appeared like he was preventing for third place) and quarter-hour off the lead. Had it not been for a 10-minute penalty imposed for not following beginning procedures through the second half of final week’s marathon stage, he would have been first within the race for the win with HRC teammate Brabec and the 2 KTMs.
Skyler Howes is at present in fifth place, an additional 18 minutes behind No. 3 Manufacturing unit Honda’s Chalayna, and overtook Nacho Cornejo on stage seven within the total standings, leaving the Chilean hero rider with an 11-second hole between the ultimate prime 5.
Adrian van Beveren remained in seventh place after the seventh stage, almost an hour off the lead, however his third place on Sunday was his finest stage end result within the rally to this point.
Ross Department (who acquired a 10-second penalty right now, which was added to the six minutes he had earned), rookie Preston Campbell and Toni Murek accomplished the highest ten.
Nasser Al-Attiyah continues to guide the Final class, taking the lead as Ford’s prime driver with a 4 minute 47 second lead over seventh stage winner Matthias Ekström. All-Athiyah handed the stage in eleventh place, 7 minutes and 24 seconds slower than Ekström.
Nani Roma was solely tenth within the seventh stage, however remained on the rostrum in third place total, seven minutes and 15 seconds behind the chief and 6 seconds forward of Henk Lategan, who completed thirteenth within the seventh stage and fell again to fourth.
Carlos Sainz maintains third place within the total standings for the Ford, however is now fifth, 10 minutes and 26 seconds behind the chief.
On the again, Sebastien Loeb, in sixth place, continued to shut the hole to the leaders, setting the sixth quickest time on stage 7, now at quarter-hour 39 seconds. He was in second place within the Dacia, one place and 10 seconds behind Lucas Moraes, who was ninth total, and slightly below 25 minutes behind the chief.
Former Rally GP class Dakar winner Toby Worth produced his finest efficiency on 4 wheels to this point on stage seven, setting the fourth quickest time in his Toyota. This was 5 minutes slower than Ekström and 34 seconds slower than the Hilux of João Ferreira, who was main the way in which.
