Stage 12 delivered one of the toughest tests of the rally, with riders tackling a 311-kilometre timed special from Al Henakiyah to Yanbu across rocky riverbeds, loose stones and technical terrain that proved brutal for an already injured Sanders.

Still nursing a broken collarbone and fractured sternum, the defending Dakar and reigning World Rally-Raid Champion was forced to manage the day carefully after suffering a small crash midway through the stage.

Despite the setbacks, Sanders dug deep to reach the finish in 15th place, an effort that was enough to keep him inside the overall top five heading into the final day.

“It was definitely a tougher day than yesterday,” Sanders said.

“The terrain was more demanding, with a lot of loose rocks, riverbeds, and technical sections, which made things challenging, especially riding with the injury.”

The Victorian admitted the stage highlighted just how compromised he remains physically, particularly through the more complex sections where strength and control were at a premium.

“It looked like a nice stage if you had two arms, but in those more technical parts I had to work hard just to manage it,” he said.

“I did have a small crash, and the bike took a bit of a hit, but the main focus was staying smart and getting through the stage without doing anything silly.”

Sanders slipped from fourth to fifth overall across the day, but his priority has shifted firmly to reaching the finish line after seeing his hopes of back-to-back Dakar victories effectively ended by his earlier crash in the dunes.

“The muscles are sore from compensating, but that’s just part of it,” he added.

“The team has worked incredibly hard and they’ve put a lot of trust in me, so finishing this Dakar is important for all of us.

“There’s one more day to go, around 100 kilometres, so we’ll recover as best we can, recharge the batteries, and give it everything to reach the finish,” he said.

At the front of the rally, the title fight tightened further as Ricky Brabec reclaimed the overall lead with a calculated stage win, while Luciano Benavides kept the pressure on with a strong second-place finish.

It was also a standout day for another Australian, with Toby Price storming to third in the car category.

The two-time bike winner, now competing in a Toyota DXR GR Hilux, was in the hunt for a stage victory throughout the rocky special before finishing just 85 seconds behind Nasser Al-Attiyah to claim his second podium of the 2026 rally.

“I had a lot of fun in the car, and me and Armand worked very well together,” Price said.

He described the stage as “very rocky” but full of variety, adding that he thought he “might be close to a stage win” before settling for third, leaving the 38-year-old eighth overall.

The 2026 Dakar Rally concludes with a short 108-kilometre sprint from Yanbu, where Sanders will attempt to bring his injury-ravaged campaign to the finish.

2026 Dakar Rally Bikes Top 10 after Stage 12