The Dakar has been wrongly named for a long time now. The last arrival in the Senegalese capital dates back to 2007. Since then, the most difficult of all rally raids has gone to South America before arriving in Saudi Arabia in 2020. It is again there, in the sands of the Saudi desert, that the 2026 edition takes place from January 3 to 17.
The route: 8,000 km in the dunes
The adventure began in 1979, and the 2026 vintage is the 48th edition of the Dakar. Between Saturday January 3 and Sunday January 17, competitors have 8,000 km of sand and dunes to swallow, including 4,000 km of timed course. Thirteen stages are scheduled with a rest day in Riyadh. The big start on January 3 takes place in Yanbu in the east of the country where the final finish will also be judged. In the meantime, a long journey awaits the caravan which will bivouac during the special stages. Most of these are long, sometimes very long with a peak of more than 950 km on January 9 to drive the cars to Riyadh.
The car favorites: what if Loeb finally won
325 vehicles are on the starting line. There will be fewer of them on arrival between breakage, silting and severe fatigue. In the car category, the Saudi Yazeed Al Raihi (Toyota) on his land is the number 1 favorite after his success in 2024. We will also have to closely monitor Nasser Al-Attiyah (Dacia), Carlos Sainz (Ford) and Stéphane Peterhansel (Defender), the record holder for the number of victories (14), whose last coronation dates back to 2021. Without forgetting Sébastien Loeb (Dacia) who is aiming a first success and, by dint of trying his luck, will eventually succeed one day.
And among bikers, a French success?
In motorcycling, several favorites stand out. Starting with the title holder, the Australian Daniel Sanders (KTM) and his predecessor on the list Ricky Brabec, winner in 2024 but also in 2020. He is on the handlebars of a Honda. Since Cyril Despres’ victory in 2013, no Frenchman has triumphed on a motorcycle. This time, the French chances rest on Adrien Van Beveren (Honda), third last year.
The Dakar 2026 is broadcast every day on the L’Équipe channel which belongs to the Amaury group, owner of the rally-raid.
