Nani Roma has taken the lead in the 2026 Dakar Rally after a chaotic ninth stage. The Spaniard finished eighth and capitalized on his rivals’ problems to take the lead for the first time since his victory in 2014. Eryk Goczał won the stage ahead of his uncle Michał in a historic family 1-2 finish.
It was a day of drama and surprises on the 410-kilometer marathon stage. Roma now leads with a 57-second advantage over Carlos Sainz and 1:10 over Nasser Al-Attiyah. This is the closest battle in over 20 years, with the top five within 11:19 and the top three within 1:10.
“A new surprise at the finish: Carlos Sainz, the virtual leader in the standings after 309, 351, and 380 kilometers, ultimately lost the lead to none other than his teammate Nani Roma,” the organization reported. “The Catalan has taken the top position for the first time since his triumph in 2014.”
Sainz was the virtual leader
Carlos Sainz seemed on his way to the lead. He was the virtual leader at kilometer 309, 351, and 380. At kilometer 309, he had a 13-second lead over Roma and 3:02 over Al-Attiyah. By kilometer 351, his lead had grown to 2:34 over Roma and 3:50 over Al-Attiyah.
“Carlos Sainz is unstoppable. ‘El Matador’ has pushed Roma back by 2:34, Al-Attiyah by 3:50, Lategan by 9:02, and Loeb by 10:28,” the organization noted at kilometer 351.
But Sainz received a 1:10 time penalty for speeding, and Roma drove a stronger finale. At the finish, Roma was 57 seconds ahead of Sainz and 1:10 ahead of Al-Attiyah.
Lategan loses a lot of time
Henk Lategan had a dramatic day. The South African had issues with his power steering and lost more than 18 minutes by kilometer 186. “Significant time loss for Lategan, putting Sainz on the virtual Dakar podium,” the organization reported. “Lategan started the stage but this is no longer the case, and for good reason: the South African has just completed 186 kilometers with a deficit of over 18 minutes.”
The problem was fixed in 14 minutes during the pit stop at kilometer 183, but the damage was done. Lategan finished fourteenth at 25:18 and dropped from third to fourth place, 6:13 behind.
Al-Attiyah and Ekström get lost
Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mattias Ekström lost their way around kilometer 280. “Al-Attiyah and Ekström are lost,” the organization reported. “Around 280 kilometers into the FIA stage, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mattias Ekström seem to be experiencing navigation issues.”
Al-Attiyah finished fifteenth at 26:23 and dropped from first to third place. Ekström finished nineteenth at 32:32 (including a 0:10 penalty) and dropped from second to fifth place, 11:19 behind.
Goczał wins ahead of his uncle
Eryk Goczał dominated the stage and secured his first Ultimate class victory at the age of 21. The Pole already has four SSV wins (2023) and one Challenger win (2024) to his name. His uncle Michał finished second at 7:45 (including a 0:10 penalty) in a historic family 1-2 finish.
“He did it: Eryk Goczał has achieved his first victory in the Ultimate class at the Dakar,” the organization celebrated. “At just 21 years old, the Pole hammered out his lead and won in style. It’s a day of celebration for the Goczał family.”
At kilometer 309, Goczał had a 6:56 lead over his uncle. He maintained that margin until the end.
Price secures first Ultimate podium
Toby Price achieved his first podium finish in the Ultimate class. The two-time Dakar motorcycle winner finished third at 11:36. “Toby Price, a two-time Dakar winner on a motorcycle, is on his way to new success on four wheels,” the organization reported during the stage.
Brian Baragwanath finished fourth at 11:58, his best result this Dakar. Guillaume de Mévius completed the top five at 14:03.
Van Kasteren fastest again
Janus van Kasteren and Marcel Snijders continue their upward trend. Today, they recorded the 26th fastest time in their Century at 34:09. Roger Grouwels came 31st at 42:48 and Tim Coronel came 33rd at 45:08. Dave Klaassen recorded the 38th time at 53:53 and Maik Willems finished 48th at 1:07:39.
Marathon bivouac
The competitors will sleep tonight in a small bivouac in the middle of the desert with tents, mattresses, sleeping bags, and military rations. They can perform repairs all night but have no contact with their mechanics and support teams, who are already on their way to the next bivouac in Bisha.
The stage had separate routes for cars and motorcycles. There was a pit stop at kilometer 183 where teams could consult and change tires.
