Dakar 2026 | Stage 8 | Benavides seizes lead as KTM tightens grip

A fast, wind-lashed Stage 8 saw Luciano Benavides edge out teammate Chucky Sanders and take control.

The RallyGP leaderboard at the 2026 Dakar Rally shifted again on Stage 8, but the colour at the front remained stubbornly orange. Luciano Benavides claimed his third stage win of the rally – his second in succession – to seize the overall lead for the first time, spearheading another commanding day for KTM.

The Argentinian mastered the fast, wind-battered special to stop the clock fastest, edging Red Bull KTM teammate Daniel Sanders, who limited the damage with a strong second place. After more than 33 hours of racing, just 10 seconds now separate the two KTM riders at the top of the standings.

“I felt like I did a really good job today,” Benavides said. “I pushed all day and felt super good on the bike. I especially like these faster stages where I can read the roadbook well and make good decisions.”

Stage 8 delivered 483 kilometres of relentless speed, with navigation simplified but precision at a premium. Late in the day, brutal crosswinds turned the final sector into a test of nerve as sand and dust stripped visibility to almost nothing.

“The last part was crazy with the wind,” Benavides added. “I couldn’t see the piste, which made navigation really difficult. To be leading the rally feels amazing, but there’s still a long way to go.”

Behind him, Sanders rode a calculated race. Starting fourth on the road, the Australian knew opportunities to make up time would be limited unless the leaders faltered – a scenario that never materialised.

“The stage was extremely fast today with easier navigation,” Sanders explained. “Any small mistake meant there was no chance to close the gap unless the leaders made an error.”

As the wind intensified late in the special, Sanders backed himself to ride clean and bank the result.

“The wind was tough at the end, pushing the bike around and making it hard to reach top speed, with dust and sand hitting our faces and reducing visibility,” he said. “Things are a lot closer at the front now, but I’m happy to reach another stage finish.”

Ricky Brabec completed the stage podium in third, but lost more than five minutes to Benavides and now sits 4min47sec off the lead overall. Despite that, the American remained upbeat after a trouble-free run.

“Today I felt great, made no mistakes, rode as best and as fast as I could all day,” Brabec said. “It was another fast stage… a little bit of rocks, some fun sand dunes too. I rode by myself all day, so maybe tomorrow I can catch up with the group in front.”

Behind the leading trio, the gaps began to stretch. Tosha Schareina was fourth-fastest but lost close to 10 minutes to Benavides and remains fourth overall, more than 20 minutes back after earlier penalty time continued to bite. Adrien Van Beveren again featured inside the top five on stage pace, while Skyler Howes and Nacho Cornejo held fifth and sixth overall respectively.

Ross Branch, Preston Campbell and Toni Mulec continued to round out the RallyGP top 10 as attrition and fatigue increasingly defined the rally’s second half. Edgar Canet, still recovering from heavy time loss late last week, posted his strongest ride in days with seventh on the stage, though he remains well down the overall order.

In the Ultimate category, the battle at the front remained remarkably tight. Nasser Al-Attiyah continues to lead Mattias Ekström, the gap between them now exactly four minutes. Henk Lategan reclaimed third from Nani Roma, while Carlos Sainz and Sébastien Loeb held fifth and sixth respectively after another evenly matched day.

Stage 9 now marks the opening half of Dakar’s second marathon test – a near-550km haul from Wadi Ad Dawasir where self-reliance again takes priority and the fight for Dakar glory is set to intensify.

2026 DAKAR RANKINGS AFTER STAGE 8