Stage 4 of the 2026 Dakar Rally in the truck category, the opening half of the marathon stage near AlUla, has shaken up the leaderboard. Over a gruelling 452-kilometre special, Martin Macík came out on top. The defending champion claimed his first stage win of this Dakar and immediately took over the overall lead from Mitchel van den Brink.
Unleashed Macík
Macík started strong and applied early pressure on his rivals. While Mitchel van den Brink opted for a controlled approach, the Czech driver kept pushing the pace. Midway through the stage, the battle appeared to heat up when Vaidotas Žala closed in to just over a minute behind Macík. However, Žala was unable to maintain the pace and faded in the final section, allowing Macík to secure a commanding stage victory in just over five hours and forty minutes.
Mitchel van den Brink crossed the line in second place but lost 12 minutes and 49 seconds, surrendering his comfortable lead. The gap between the two contenders is now down to just a few minutes, leaving the race for the title wide open.
Top three and title battle
Behind Macík and Van den Brink, Žala finished third, more than eighteen minutes down. The Lithuanian delivered a strong comeback after struggling in the previous stage. Martin Šoltys had a solid day to take fourth, while Aleš Loprais endured a tough outing. The Czech finished fifth and lost nearly half an hour, slipping further behind in the overall standings.
Macík now leads the general classification, with Van den Brink close behind in second. Loprais and Žala are already facing a sizeable deficit. Yet the margin between winning and losing remains slim, especially with the second part of the marathon still ahead.
Dutch performances
For the Dutch teams, damage control was the main priority. Mitchel van den Brink deliberately adopted a cautious strategy and arrived safely at the marathon bivouac, keeping his truck in one piece and staying firmly in contention for the overall win.
A solid performance also came from Martin van den Brink, who, together with Peter Willemsen and Richard Mouw, finished seventh. The experienced trio completed the stage without major issues and are well-positioned for the days ahead.
Richard de Groot had a more challenging day with the Firemen Rally Team, finishing eighth with a considerable gap to the leaders. At Kuipers Jongbloed Hybrid, Kay Huzink completed the stage in sixth place after a steady and careful drive, in line with the demands of a marathon stage.
Life in the Marathon bivouac
After the finish, the teams arrived at the bare-bones marathon bivouac. With no service crews and no outside contact, competitors had to inspect and repair their own trucks. Teams are allowed to assist each other, but beyond that, every crew is on its own. Following essential maintenance, the evening continued with a communal tented overnight stay and a basic dinner provided by the organisers.
Looking ahead to stage five
Thursday brings the second and decisive part of the marathon stage. The 371-kilometre route to Hail is known for its fast tracks interspersed with tricky navigation sections. Mistakes are punished severely. Only upon arrival at the bivouac in Hail, where the service teams await, will it become clear who truly mastered the marathon and who suffered the most. The truck competition is more thrilling than ever.
