The final stage of the Dakar Rally 2026 for the bikes delivered an ending nobody could have predicted. With only a few kilometers to go, Ricky Brabec appeared to be heading for his third overall victory, but a navigation error in the closing phase turned everything upside down. Luciano Benavides capitalized fully and wins the Dakar by a margin of just 2 seconds, the smallest in the history of the rally. The stage win went to Edgar Canet, who narrowly beat Benavides in a sprint to the finish.
Brabec loses overall victory, Benavides seizes his chance
Brabec started the 105 kilometer special around Yanbu as the leader, holding a lead of 3 minutes and 43 seconds over Benavides and seemingly had the finale under control. During the stage he even increased his virtual advantage, partly thanks to bonus time for opening the stage. But 98 kilometers into the special things went wrong. Brabec made a navigation mistake with around 7 kilometers remaining. Benavides sensed the opportunity, pushed hard and completely turned the Dakar around in the final minutes.
The result is historic. Luciano Benavides wins Dakar 2026 with a lead of just 2 seconds over Brabec. In doing so, he comfortably breaks the previous record from 2023, when Kevin Benavides won by 43 seconds.
Ian Olthof ticks off childhood dream
For Ian Olthof, Yanbu marked the end of a Dakar Rally that he describes as intense, exhausting, and unforgettable. The Dutchman from HT Rally Raid drove controlled and consistently throughout the final stage, just as he had done over the past two weeks. A 38th-place finish on the final stage confirmed his consistent performance, resulting in a 41st-place finish overall and a 30th-place finish in the Rally 2 class.
After the finish, Olthof reflected on his adventure with visible satisfaction. “It was a fantastic time, it flew by, but it also feels like I’ve been away from home forever,” he said. “The days are extremely long, and your circadian rhythm is completely disrupted. You flip a switch in your head so you don’t think about it anymore. That way, you tick off the kilometers one by one and also switch off the aches and pains. That switch is really necessary, otherwise it becomes almost mentally unbearable,” he said with a smile. The main goal, reaching the finish, was easily achieved, with even a strong day’s result here and there. “P38 on the final stage, that’s a list to be made,” Olthof laughed. He also praised the collaboration with the Hellegers and Honda teams, where everything was perfectly arranged. “The Dakar is a beautiful game. You live in a small bubble, but in a gigantic world. The routes are incredibly beautiful; we almost wish we had more time to explore. My childhood dream has been ticked off. I’ll carry this with me for the rest of my life, with a big smile on my face.”
Stage win for Canet, Benavides second at 6 seconds
Alongside the fight for the overall classification, there was also the battle for the stage win. Edgar Canet, who started 31 minutes after Brabec, managed to insert himself into the fight for victory and came out on top. The young Spaniard won the final stage by 6 seconds over Benavides, securing his third stage win of this Dakar. Notably, it was also his third victory in Yanbu this edition, following the prologue and stage 1. Tosha Schareina set the third fastest time and firmly secured his position on the final podium.
KTM retains the crown, Benavides writes history
With Benavides as the winner, the overall victory remains with KTM. For the manufacturer from Mattighofen, this marks its 21st Dakar overall win in the bike category. For Benavides, it is his first overall victory and his first Dakar podium, a huge step forward after his best previous result last year, when he finished fourth. It is also the third Argentine overall victory in the Dakar, following the wins of his brother Kevin in 2021 and 2023.
Behind Benavides and Brabec, Schareina completes the overall podium. Daniel Sanders, who struggled with injuries during this Dakar, finishes the rally in fifth place.
Mulec takes Dakar victory, Docherty ends with ninth stage win
In Rally2, the final verdict was also delivered. Toni Mulec is the winner of the Dakar in Rally2. The Slovenian holds off Preston Campbell by 4 minutes and 37 seconds. Martim Ventura finishes third at 1 hour 37 minutes and 15 seconds. For BAS World KTM, this is the second Dakar victory in Rally2, following Mason Klein in 2022. For Honda, their first official participation in this class is immediately rewarded with two bikes on the podium, with Campbell and Ventura.
The Rally2 stage win once again went to Michael Docherty. The South African dominated the final special and claimed his ninth class victory of this edition, ahead of Ventura by 2 minutes and 28 seconds and Campbell by 3 minutes and 3 seconds. Campbell also completes his Dakar debut as the best rookie in Rally2.
Long awaited victory for Melot
Benjamin Melot has finally claimed his long awaited victory in the Malle Moto class Original by Motul at the Dakar Rally 2026, the category for riders without assistance. The Frenchman, who previously jokingly referred to himself as the Raymond Poulidor of this class, had finished on the podium four times but never managed to take overall victory. This time he stayed mistake free all the way to the finish and redeemed a year of disappointment, after missing out on victory in 2025 on the final day due to a missed waypoint. With a lead of 14 minutes and 32 seconds over Josep Pedró and more than one and a half hours over Jérôme Martiny, Melot firmly etched his name into Dakar history, an emotional milestone after years of perseverance, self maintenance and survival in the toughest rally in the world.
A finale for the history books
Dakar 2026 therefore ends with a scenario that is exceptional even by the standards of this rally: a title fight decided in the final kilometers and a winning margin of just 2 seconds. Benavides secures the biggest victory of his career, Brabec is left with a missed opportunity at the very last moment, and in Rally2 Mulec converts his strong second week into overall victory. Yanbu delivered a finale that will be talked about for many years to come.
Results stage 13
1. Edgar Canet 00:49:03
2. Luciano Benavides +00:00:06
3. Tosha Schareina +00:00:47
38. Ian Olthof +00:12:39
Results Dakar Rally 2026
1. Luciano Benavides 49:00:41
2. Ricky Brabec +00:00:02
3. Tosha Schareina +00:25:12
41. Ian Olthof +15:55:34
