Stage six of the 2026 Dakar Rally in the truck category has once again shaken up the standings. The first real sand stage of this edition created significant time gaps. Ales Loprais was the fastest of the day and claimed the stage win, but the big winner was Mitchel van den Brink. With a third-place finish, the Dutchman reclaimed the overall lead, helped in part by a major setback for defending champion Martin Macik.
Dunes decide the day
Sand and dunes dictated the pace on the eve of the rest day. From the very first waypoint and well beyond the midpoint of the special, Mitchel van den Brink set the pace. The Eurol Rally Sport Iveco looked on course for a top result, while behind him, the competition pushed hard and took risks.
But Loprais had other plans. The Czech driver, who was well behind in the standings, went on the attack and maintained that pace all the way to the finish. It earned him not only the stage victory but also his twentieth Dakar stage win. Teammate Vaidotas Zala completed a successful day for Team De Rooy by finishing second.
Penalty and progress for Mitchel van den Brink
For a long time, Mitchel van den Brink looked set to take second place, but a one-minute penalty for speeding dropped him back to third. Despite that, the Harskamp native had plenty to celebrate. His main rival Macik suffered a huge blow and lost 46 minutes and 39 seconds, turning the standings upside down.
Van den Brink started the day trailing Macik by 8 minutes and 29 seconds. Upon arrival at the bivouac in Riyadh, he suddenly held a comfortable lead of 35 minutes and 24 seconds. “I didn’t want to destroy the truck,” Mitchel van den Brink said afterwards. In the short but tricky dunes, he deliberately played it safe, then attacked again in the faster final section.
Disaster for Macik
For Macik, the day turned into a nightmare. The Czech came to a halt in the second half of the stage and lost valuable time. He eventually finished sixth, and with that result, his lead from the past few days has completely disappeared. Heading into the rest day, he now faces a significant deficit.
Strong Dutch presence
Beyond the podium, several other Dutch crews performed well. Richard de Groot drove a solid stage and finished fourth. Kay Huzink followed closely in fifth, once again showing consistent pace in the heavy sand.
Martin van den Brink, together with Peter Willemsen and Richard Mouw, brought the second Eurol Rally Sport truck home in seventh. A slipping multi-belt cost them time, but overall, the damage was limited. The experienced Harskamp driver is clearly riding in support of his son this year and currently sits ninth in the overall standings.
Looking ahead to the rest day
With Loprais taking the stage and Macik hitting trouble, the fight for the podium has opened up once again. Loprais has moved into third and feels the pressure from Zala right behind him. Mitchel van den Brink now holds a commanding lead but knows better than anyone that the Dakar is far from over.
After six grueling days, the rally caravan arrives in Riyadh for a well-earned rest day. Time to recover, analyse, and prepare the trucks for the second week. On Sunday, the Dakar resumes with a long and demanding stage towards Wadi Ad Dawasir. The battle in the sand may be won, but the war for the overall victory is far from decided.
