What Dakar 2026 Bikes Day 3 Report
Where Al’Ula, Saudi Arabia
When Tuesday 6 January 2025
Community International
Schareina & Brabec 1-2 as SA’s Docherty stays unbeaten in Rally 2
Honda riders Tosha Schareina and Ricky Brabec fought back against dominant KTM to take a memorable red 1-3 on a tough third Dakar bike day around Al’Ula in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. It was not enough to wrest KTM rider Daniel Sanders’ overall lead away on a day where Botswana rider Ross Branch was consistent, and South African Michael Docherty remains unbeaten in Rally 2.
The day’s stage comprised treacherous 422 kilometre loop through Al’Ula’s postcard landscape. A mix of sandy tracks and rocky formations with challenging navigation and extreme terrain, would Stage 3 throw the cats amongst the pigeons?
Tuesday already started without two of the three Factory Shercos after a disastrous Monday for the little French bike maker. Both 2024 class winner, Indian Rally 2 rider Noah Harith and Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino’s Rally GP version retired hurt. They were joined by South African amateur Ronald Venter, who called it quits for similar reasons on his Rally 2 KTM. Slovak Rally GP KTM privateer Stefan Svitko and Rally 2 men, British Kove rider James Hillier and Austrian Hero man Tobias Ebster’s races also ended early.
That did not deter Durbanite Bradley Cox from fighting on aboard the remaining Sherco on the fringes of the top ten. Chilean Hero rider Ignacio Cornejo meanwhile led the way through the first waypoint from Argentine Luciano Benavides’ KTM and Honda trio, Californian Ricky Brabec, Frenchman Adrien van Beveren and Spanish rider Tosha Schareina.
Benavides led Schareina and Cornejo by a third distance, before Schareina took over up front from Benavides and Brabec. Americans Skyler Howes’ Honda and Mason Klein Factory Hoto, Botswana Ross Branch’s Hero and South African Rally 2 leader Michael Docherty’s BAS KTM were on the move with Branch and Dochery up to fifth and sixth by the two thirds mark, behind the leader before Schareina Benavides, Brabec and Howes.
Overnight leader, 2025 Dakar winner and World Champion Aussie Daniel Sanders sat seventh as he struggled opening the road, with teammate Edgar Canet a couple of positions further back as the leaders entered the final racing section. Ricky Brabec was the big mover in the final sector as he passed Benavides for second from Howes, a resurgent Sanders, Branch, Canet, and van Beveren. Nobody would however stop Schareina from delivering a blistering stage win.
Mike Docherty once again did South Africa proud to make it four Rally 2 day wins out of four aboard his BAS KTM from Honda Factory duo, Martim Ventura and Preston Campbell. Overall, Sanders’ comeback means that he retains the overall lead now over Honda duo Brabec, just over a minute back, and Schareina.
Luciano Benavides makes it three KTMs in the top six ahead of Branch, Honda duo Howes, and van Beveren and Rally 2 leaders Docherty and Ventura. 13th on the day, Brad Cox remains 13th, while Spaniards, and Javi Vega’s Kove and Josep Pedro on a Husqvarna battled over the no-service Original lead as the dominant Uruguayan Emanuel Gyenes appeared to be in trouble with his KTM.
Issued on behalf of Dakar 2026 Bikes Daily
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