The third stage of the 2026 Dakar Rally in the bike category has caused a serious shake-up in the pecking order. After KTM set the tone early on with Daniel Sanders and Edgar Canet, it was Monster Energy Honda HRC that hit back in AlUla. Tosha Schareina claimed victory in the 421-kilometre special, securing Honda’s first RallyGP stage win of this edition. More importantly, the Hondas are now only seconds behind overall leader Daniel Sanders.
Honda one-two, Sanders saves podium as stage opener
Schareina delivered a strong and controlled ride to record the fastest time of the day. Teammate Ricky Brabec completed the Honda success story by finishing second, 2 minutes and 17 seconds behind. Daniel Sanders, who had the task of opening most of the stage, limited the damage and secured third place, just 2 minutes and 28 seconds off the lead. Luciano Benavides finished fourth, Skyler Howes fifth, and Ross Branch was the first Hero rider at 10 minutes and 38 seconds behind.
It’s a major boost for Honda, which immediately takes a double. Their last HRC double in the Dakar came last year, when they achieved it in the sixth stage. This result shows that the team is ready to attack KTM.
Sanders holds lead, Canet drops back
Sanders remains at the top of the overall standings for the second consecutive day, but the gap is narrow. Brabec climbs to second place, just 1 minute and 7 seconds behind, while Schareina moves into third at 1 minute and 13 seconds. Edgar Canet, who had a more difficult day compared to his earlier performances, drops to fourth, now trailing by 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Ross Branch is fifth at 7 minutes and 46 seconds, still within striking distance, although he again lost valuable time to the front-runners.
With the marathon stage coming up, this sets up an intriguing scenario. Sanders holds the lead, but Honda has two riders within striking range and Canet will need to bounce back quickly.
Svitko out of the rally, Van Beveren climbs up
There was also bad news in RallyGP. Štefan Svitko suffered a heavy crash around the 140-kilometre mark, injuring his right shoulder and exiting the Dakar. Adrien Van Beveren had a consistent day and finished eighth, moving up to eighth overall as well. However, his gap to Sanders has grown to 23 minutes and 26 seconds.
There was a moment of confusion at Hoto regarding Mason Klein due to a GPS beacon issue. The organisers later confirmed he had indeed passed and was safely on course.
Rally2: Docherty takes third win in four days, Ebster drops out
In Rally2, Michael Docherty confirmed his strong form by winning the stage, marking his third victory in four race days. Martim Ventura finished second, 3 minutes and 13 seconds behind, with Preston Campbell in third at 6 minutes and 57 seconds. Docherty now leads the general classification by 3 minutes and 32 seconds over Ventura.
Further down the field, the standings were shaken up again. Pre-event favourite Tobias Ebster crashed early, sustained a hand injury, and is expected to return to the bivouac. While he is allowed to rejoin under the rules, his chances of claiming the Rally2 title have virtually vanished. Neels Theric faced more technical trouble on his Kove and lost time after stopping for repairs.
Dutchman Ian Olthof had a long day, finishing two hours behind stage winner Schareina. Olthof started the stage in 53rd place but was fast in the early stages. After km 114, he dropped back down the field and consistently rode the stage to the finish.
With Honda now fully on the offensive and the marathon stage looming, the Dakar Rally in the bike category is far from decided after three days. The narrow gaps between Sanders, Brabec and Schareina promise a fierce battle ahead.
Results stage 3
1. Tosha Schareina 04:26:39
2. Ricky Brabec +00:02:17
3. Daniels Sanders +00:03:28
69. Ian Oltholf +01:59:16
