DAKAR 2026

Edgar Canet impresses: RallyGP debut with his first Dakar victory

It's just a sample, and certainly just an anecdote in the 8,000 kilometers of the 2026 Dakar Rally. But, in the prologue, to kick things off, Edgar Canet (KTM) made his mark with a spectacular victory. A fabulous debut as a RallyGP rider and nothing less than his first Dakar victory.

Furthermore, it was a historic victory, as he became the youngest winner in Dakar history, surpassing Laurent Charbonnel's 1990 record, when he was 21 years and 297 days old. The rider from La Garriga finished just three seconds ahead of his teammate and current Dakar champion, Daniel Sanders, and five seconds ahead of Ricky Brabec, the fastest Honda rider, in the 22-kilometer prologue.

Tosha Schareina, normally a specialist in this type of stage, adopted a more relaxed approach... as did the rest of the Honda team (with the exception of the American), who seemed to prefer avoiding the front positions, even if it allowed them to choose a (theoretically) better starting position tomorrow. The Valencian rider lost 23 seconds in his debut in the 2026 Dakar Rally.

In fact, Canet commented at the finish line that he had ridden without taking excessive risks, focusing more on the roadbook than on the racing lines, and that he expected the riders who started behind him to overtake him. "I'm very happy with the speed and pace I had, with the confidence with which I rode, because I didn't take excessive risks. Very happy with the feeling I had," he commented even before knowing he was the winner.

Dakar 2026---Motorcycle Prologue Classification:

Edgar Canet (KTM)

Daniel Sanders (KTM) at 3 seconds.

Ricky Brabec (Honda) at 5 seconds.

Luciano Benavides (KTM) at 11 seconds.

Ross Branch (Hero) at 16 seconds.

Michael Docherty (KTM) at 19 seconds.

Tosha Schareina (Honda) at 23 seconds.

Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) at 24 seconds.

Skyler Howes (Honda) at 32 seconds.

Martin Michek (Hoto) at 44 seconds.

Carlos Sainz, the best Spaniard in the Dakar "warm-up"...It's no surprise to see Mattias Ekström(image above) at the top of the standings in a Dakar prologue. Today, the Swede gave Ford its first stage win of 2026, beating his teammate Mitch Guthrie and Nasser Al-Attiyah.

All three went all out for the first victory, knowing that it would give them a better starting position tomorrow. There were no strategies in today's prologue; it was pure pace, and that's where the specialists have the advantage.

The best Spaniard was Carlos Sainz, who finished eighth (provisionally), just 15 seconds behind his teammate and ahead of Nani Roma, also well-placed in eleventh. "Good stage, it wasn't easy but there were no problems. We're happy with how it felt, but this is just a warm-up," he quickly assessed at the finish line.

The first problem of the Dakar was suffered by... Henk Lategan. The runner-up's Toyota was the first to suffer a puncture after hitting a rock (which will increase nerves for the Japanese manufacturer ahead of tomorrow's and the day after's rocky stage), causing him to lose a minute and a half at the finish. Fortunately for him, the times won't count towards the overall standings, so it will remain just a minor incident.

Dakar 2026---Prologue Classification (Cars):

Mattias Ekström (Ford)

Mitch Guthrie (Ford) +8s

Guillaume de Mevius (Mini) +8s

Nasser Al-Attiyah (Dacia) +8s

Seth Quintero (Toyota) +14s

Yazeed Al-Rajhi (Toyota) +14s

Erik Goczal (Toyota) +14s

Carlos Sainz (Ford) +15s

Mathieu Serradori (Century) at 15s.

Saood Variawa (Toyota) at 18s.

by Mundoquatrorodas