Dakar Rally 2026: Stage 2 Thriller Sees Sanders Lead Bikes, Quintero Sweep Cars & Takale Dominate H3 Class

Stage 2 of the Dakar Rally 2026 covered a 504km route, including 400km special from Yanbu to Al Ula and turned into a proper test of rhythm, patience and navigation. Mixed terrain defined the day, with rocky sections and navigation-heavy zones keeping riders and drivers alert from start to finish. In the bike category, Daniel Sanders delivered a clean and controlled run for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing to take the stage win, finishing ahead of teammate Edgar Canet. That result pushed Sanders into the overall lead after two stages. This stage summed up Dakar perfectly, where speed mattered, but smart riding and staying mistake-free mattered even more across the long kilometres.

Also Read: Dakar Rally 2026: Sanjay Takale Wins H3 Stage 1, Historic Moment for India

In the car category, Seth Quintero claimed the Stage 2 win, adding another strong result for Toyota. Driving the Toyota GR DKR Hilux, Quintero led a complete sweep of the top five positions in the Ultimate class, underlining Toyota’s pace and consistency. However, despite the stage victory, Quintero continues to trail Nasser Al-Attiyah in the overall standings.

Stage 2 proved tough across categories, with competitors dealing with punctures, mechanical issues and navigation errors. The rocky terrain caused delays for several crews in the car and truck classes, turning the stage into a battle of survival as much as speed. Toyota entries controlled most of the timing splits through the day, while Al-Attiyah’s steady and error-free approach allowed him to capitalise on mistakes made by rivals and strengthen his overall lead heading into the next leg.

Indians in Dakar 2026

In the Dakar Classic category, Sanjay Takale continued his strong run with another H3 class victory. Driving the Toyota HDJ 100, Takale secured his third consecutive class win following earlier success in the prologue and Stage 1. The result places him at the top of the H3 class standings and 22nd overall in the Classic classification under the Compagnie Saharienne banner.

Hero MotoSport posted a solid day, with Ross Branch finishing 7th despite an early incident, while Jose Ignacio Cornejo and Tobias Ebster prioritised steady progress and reliability ahead of Stage 3.

Meanwhile, Jatin Jain completed Stage 2 in 107th overall position in the Rally GP class as a privateer. Jain managed both the liaison and special stages without reported issues, keeping his focus firmly on consistency as the rally settles into its early rhythm.