Summarize

Dakar’s ninth Bike day proved a day of drama and intrigue as leading riders had to fight for their lunch on Tuesday. On another cruel day for early leaders Edgar Canet and Ross Branch, Daniel Sanders fought back from 34th earlier in the day to end up second behind Spanish Honda rider Tosha Schareina and  move back into the overall lead for KTM.

South African Michael Docherty dominated Rally 2 as he chased the overall stage win en route to third on his BAS KTM 450 at the second week Marathon bivouac on Tuesday. Compatriot Bradey Cox ended eighth for Sherco as Botswana Hero Moto rider Ross Branch struggled home once again after a promising early showing.

The day started with Spanish Rally GP rookie Édgar Canet leading Michael Docherty, Tosha Schareina and Ross Branch while overnight leaders, 2025 Dakar winner 450 Rally Factory KTM men, Argentine Luciano Benavides and Aussie World Champion Daniel Sanders languished in 52nd and 34th, and Honda riders, Frenchman Adrien van Beveren and Californian Ricky Brabec struggled in 34th and 11th.

An entertaining dice followed for second between Docherty and Neels Theric’s Kove behind runaway leader Canet before Ross Branch moved up to second. Canet however lost half an hour and Branch slowed considerably to allow Schareina to lead Docherty, a recovered Brabec, Utah Honda teammate Skyler Howes, Theric and Branch. 

Sanders was the man on the move toward the finish as he picked off all except Schareina with Docherty third from Brabec, Howes, van Beveren, Theric, Cox and Benavides. That also served to shake up the overall leaderboard as Sanders returned to a 6-minute lead over Brabec with Benavides third from Schareina, Howes and Chilean Hero rider Ignacio Cornejo. 

Van Beveren rides in seventh from Branch and US Rally 2 leader Preston Campbell’s Honda, with Cox 11th overall. Wednesday brings a dune-rich 371 km run to Bisha to end the second Marathon stage with three more stages from there to the finish in Yanbu on Saturday. Your Dakar Bike Report is powered by Tork Craft tools. Click here for your Dakar Car report.