RALLY DAKAR 2026

Mitchel Van Den Brink(Iveco Powerstar) wins the 12th stage

In the truck category, the 12th stage marked the strong return of Mitchel Van Den Brink / Bart Van Heun / Jarno Van De Pol (Iveco Powerstar) to victories. The young Dutchman, whose overall aspirations had been shaken by previous problems, responded in great style between Al Henakiyah and Yanbu, winning his 4th stage of this Dakar and reminding Vaidotas Zala / Paulo Fiuza / Max Van Grol (Iveco Powerstar) and Ales Loprais / David Kripal / Jiri Stross (Iveco Powerstar) that they remain very present in the history of the race, even from third place in the standings.

At just 45 km, the four main contenders showed they weren't there to manage their lead: Zala took the lead by a mere three seconds over Loprais, with Martin Macik / Frantisek Tomasek / David Svanda (Iveco Dakar Evo4) and Van den Brink just 16 and 17 seconds behind, respectively, in a start where the top 4 could be divided within less than 20 seconds.

It was from km 94 onwards that Van den Brink truly began to stand out. The Dutchman took the lead and, at km 134, had already opened up a 2m17s gap over Zala, a clear sign that he was in full attack mode. Behind him, the hierarchy became scrambled: Macik moved up to third and Loprais, after three consecutive victories, fell to fourth, 3m35s behind the stage leader, in a rare moment of retreat from someone who had been on a series of strong results.

Zala's response, however, was not long in coming. At kilometer 184, the Lithuanian regained the lead and, at kilometer 223, confirmed his strength with a 1m03s advantage over Loprais and 1m19s over Van den Brink. At that point, it seemed that Zala, in addition to controlling the overall standings, could also add a stage victory, reinforcing his morale and status before the final special stage.

But the Dakar rarely allows such a linear route. At kilometer 258, Van den Brink returned to the attack, regained the lead and confirmed it at the last intermediate checkpoint before the finish line. At that stage, he led by 1m01s over Loprais and 4m20s over Zala, who had begun to lose time at the end of the special stage, opening the door for the overall gap to shrink significantly.

At the finish line, Van den Brink sealed the victory with authority. His time was 6m56s faster than Zala's and 8m24s better than Martin Soltys / Vlastimil Miksch / Tomas Sikola (Tatra Buggyra Evo 3), guaranteeing him his 4th stage victory in this Dakar and, above all, sending a clear message that he continues to have the pace of a champion, even if the accumulated difference in the general classification keeps him, for now, in the role of "late chaser". Loprais, in turn, gave up considerably in the final sprint, finishing only in 5th place, 11m36s behind the winner, overtaken by Macík, who finished 4th at 10m48s, in a result that cost him valuable time in the direct pursuit of Zala.

Coming out of stage 12, Zala continues in the lead, gaining time on Loprais, with a distance that is now 21m24s. With only one stage left on the road to Yanbu, the title for Zala and Fiuza is getting closer and closer. Van den Brink is 30 minutes behind the leader with just over 100km of timed sections remaining.

SSV: Jeremias Ferioli (Can-Am) wins, Brock Heger/Max Eddy (Polaris RZR) “untouchable”

Stage 12 of the SSV did not change the course of the 2026 Dakar Rally, with Brock Heger / Max Eddy (Polaris Rzr Pro R) “untouchable” overall with more than an hour's advantage and already with six stage wins. Heger opted this time for a clearly controlled approach, while Jeremias Gonzalez Ferioli / Gonzalo Rinaldi (Brp Can-Am Maverick R) took advantage of the day to secure a resounding victory, their second of this edition, in a scenario where Johan Kristoffersson / Ola Floene (Polaris Rzr Pro R) saw an almost perfect performance crumble with a rollover in the final straight.

Heger left Al Henakiyah heading towards Yanbu with a 1h06m lead over Kyle Chaney / Jacob Argubright (Brp Can-Am Maverick R) and Xavier De Soultrait / Martin Bonnet (Polaris Rzr Pro R) solidly in third, 1h27m54s behind. In this context, Heger's focus was elsewhere: securing the overall lead and preparing the final attack for his second consecutive title, rather than battling for another stage victory.

Johan Kristoffersson, however, had no intention of managing his lead. The eight-time World Rallycross champion once again showed that his adaptation to the Dakar is meteoric: at 45km he was already leading the stage, 22 seconds ahead of João Monteiro / Nuno Morais (Brp Can-Am Maverick R) and 45 seconds ahead of Hunter Miller / Jeremy Gray (Brp Can-Am Maverick R). Heger, on the other hand, appeared discreet, more than three minutes behind the Swede, with De Soultrait in seventh, 1m39s behind, in a start that made it clear that the official Polaris drivers were playing different strategies.

As the special stage unfolded, Kristoffersson consolidated his position. At kilometer 94, he had increased his advantage to 1m05s over Jeremias González Ferioli, who had moved up to second, leaving Monteiro in third. Heger continued to lose time, now 4m33s behind the leader, at a pace that confirmed his decision not to take risks in a phase where the title was practically assured. At kilometer 134, the Swede maintained a 1m37s lead over Ferioli, with Monteiro in fifth, while the stopwatch showed Heger already 7m22s behind the leader, but still close to Chaney in the internal Polaris battle, less than seven minutes behind his compatriot and without any real threat to his overall lead.

At kilometer 223, the scenario seemed to crystallize: Kristoffersson was still in the lead, but Ferioli refused to give way, maintaining a little over a minute's gap and fueling expectations of a close finish. Heger, for his part, was in pure management mode. It was precisely at this point that the Dakar showed, once again, its cruelty. Around kilometer 250, Kristoffersson rolled his SSV, immediately losing the lead he had held since the beginning. The pair emerged unscathed and managed to return to the track, but the chance of a first Dakar victory evaporated there, in the Saudi sand, just a few kilometers from turning a brilliant performance into a triumph.

Jeremias González Ferioli did not waste the opportunity. The Argentinian took the lead at kilometer 258 and confirmed his lead at the last intermediate point, at kilometer 288, with an already overwhelming advantage: 6m24s over João Monteiro, 7m33s over Hunter Miller and 7m54s over De Soultrait. Heger, calm in his strategy, was in sixth place, more than 11 minutes behind, perfectly within the plan for absolute control of the overall classification.

At the finish line, Ferioli celebrated his second stage victory of this Dakar Rally — after his success in the seventh special stage — with a “street” advantage over the competition: 6m55s over João Monteiro, who secured an excellent second place on a day when he needed a strong result to boost morale and status, and 7m39s over Hunter Miller, who completed the podium. De Soultrait finished the special stage in fourth, confirming his consistency and keeping his chances alive, mathematically, to try and attack Chaney's second place overall in the final stage. Helder Rodrigues / Gonçalo Reis Polaris Rzr Pro R Sport finished 15th on this day.

At the end of the 12th stage, the SSV picture is clear: Brock Heger remains untouchable in the lead, with a margin that allows him to approach the final day with the confidence of someone who is one special stage away from a second consecutive title. Kyle Chaney has a good lead over Xavier de Soultrait, and Monteiro is fourth, a position he should maintain in the final stage.

by Autonews