With four punishing stages still to go, the 2026 Dakar Rally has delivered another round of chaos, heroics and strategy through Stage 9’s grueling marathon segment. Navigation errors, mechanical misfortune and opportunistic rides have reshaped the battle for glory across bike, car and truck categories and the leaderboard now paints an unpredictable picture of who could ultimately stand atop the sands of Saudi Arabia.
The bikes category once again proved to be a tactical war as riders confronted a demanding 418-km special toward Bisha. Spaniard Tosha Schareina seized the Stage 9 win. Daniel Sanders who claimed the provisional overall lead after finishing solidly second on the stage, clawing back time and inheriting the top spot thanks to consistent pacing and resilience through the marathon. KTM rider Sanders now leads Honda’s Ricky Brabec by roughly 6 min 24 sec, with KTM’s Luciano Benavides a handful of minutes further back in third.
Stage 9 was nothing short of a roller coaster in the cars class. Navigation errors and slips from favorites like Nasser Al-Attiyah handed the advantage to Ford’s Nani Roma, who surged to the overall lead with a performance that combined aggression with calculated risk management.
The battle for supremacy in the SSV category at the 2026 Dakar Rally intensified. Brock Heger continued his commanding run as he continues lead the class. Portugal’s Gonçalo Guerreiro remained firmly in contention, finishing near the front on Stage 9 to hold onto second overall. The Polaris driver has matched Heger’s pace on multiple occasions during the rally, keeping the pressure on as the final stages loom.
