Sanders storms back to Dakar lead

The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider crossed the line runner-up to Honda’s Tosha Schareina on the sand-heavy test from Wadi Ad-Dawasir to the marathon refuge, a result that was enough to vault him back to the top of the overall standings.

With bonus time taken into account, Sanders now holds a 6m24s rally lead heading into stage 10.

Stage nine proved punishing, combining fast off-piste sections, technical canyon crossings and extended dune running late in the day.

Sanders started the stage as the second rider on the road and was immediately under pressure to manage navigation and tyre wear in difficult conditions.

A tricky roadbook note early in the special caught out both Sanders and teammate Luciano Benavides, costing them time to riders coming from behind.

From there, Sanders settled into a controlled ride, finishing second on the stage and banking valuable bonus minutes without risking damage to his KTM 450 RALLY.

“It wasn’t too bad of a stage for me today, but obviously, it’s frustrating to lose so much time early on,” Sanders said.

“At the start I checked the roadbook and could see it was going to be chaotic with lots of rhythm changes in a new area.

“There was one tricky note that we missed, and when Luciano got lost, I ended up riding in the dust, which cost us time.”

With the early setback behind him, Sanders shifted his focus to survival and strategy as the dunes intensified late in the stage.

“After that, it was about managing the stage and thinking ahead to tomorrow with more dunes coming,” he added.

“The rest of the stage was quite straightforward, with a fast finish and rough dunes.

“I took it easy in the rocks to avoid any damage, and overall, I’m happy to be here and ready to push hard again tomorrow.”

Behind him, Benavides recovered to ninth after losing significant time early, dropping from the rally lead to third overall but earning a stronger starting position for the next test.

KTM teammate Edgar Canet showed strong early pace before a technical issue relegated him to 28th at the finish.

Stage 10 will complete the second half of the marathon, with riders leaving the temporary bivouac for Bisha.

The 371-kilometre special will open in soft dunes before transitioning to faster sand tracks, as Sanders looks to defend his overall lead.

2026 Dakar Rally Bikes Top 10 after Stage 9