Britain’s Robbie Wallace endured the toughest day so far of his 2026 Dakar Rally adventure as injury and illness took its toll on today’s tenth stage which finished in Bisha earlier today.
The 28-year-old from Northallerton, North Yorkshire was competing in the event’s second marathon stage over two days which meant a night in the remote Saudi Arabian desert last night with minimal rations and comfort at a premium as he continued to suffer from back injuries sustained in a fall on Sunday.
As a result of the stage mostly comprising his less favoured and energy sapping sand dunes, a couple of minor offs meant he physically couldn’t pick the 450cc KTM up without assistance so each time had to await a fellow competitor who was prepared to help and as a result, he dropped over three hours and ended the day in 45th place overall and 34th in the Rally 2 class.
Robbie Wallace: “That was my hardest day yet. In the remote bivouac, I didn’t have anyone to help me get dressed and do things like help me put my boots on so I really struggled as I can’t move my back, then I had to pack my tent and sleeping bag away before even climbing on the bike. I knew today was going to be gruelling enough with it being mostly soft dunes which go on for miles and hours, but I kept getting stuck and tipping off the side of my bike. I just didn’t have the strength to keep lifting the bike back up as I didn’t want to do any more damage, so I had to keep waiting for help and some other competitors kindly helped me out each time. To make things worse, I’ve picked up a stomach bug which is giving me all sorts of problems, and which is dehydrating me even more. I was beyond exhausted when I finished the stage today. It’s so annoying to be this close to the finish and to come down with something like this. There’s two more big days to go before a small final day on Saturday. I have little left to offer now but I will do my best to get to that finish line as it’s within touching distance now. Finally, thanks for all the support messages I’m getting, they really do keep me going, especially at times like this.”
With the assistance of his dad Duncan and the X-Raids Rally Team to help mobilise him in the morning, and the relative comfort of his regular tent and airbed, Robbie hopes for a better day tomorrow on another long stage over 547 miles (882km) from Bisha to Al Henakiyah which should suit him better as it’s mainly fast rocky tracks although the navigational element will be challenging once more.
Crash For Sanders Scuppers His Bid
Reigning Dakar champion Daniel Sanders left this morning’s bivouac refuge with a near six-minute lead but that all changed when the Aussie crashed out at 138km injuring his shoulder. ‘Chucky’ soldiered on to the finish, but the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider lost half an hour to dent both his rally and world championship aspirations and probably spells the end of his bid now he’s down in 16th overall.
Monster Energy Honda HRC rider Adrien Van Beveren won the stage ahead of teammate Rick Brabec but it’s the American who has taken over the lead by 56 seconds after edging past the KTM of Luciano Benavides who moved up to second in the overall standings. Honda’s Tosha Schareina is third overall but is some 15 minutes behind the leading duo and in need of them to slip up if he’s to mount a bid over the final three stages.
In Rally 2, South Africa’s Michael Docherty (BAS World KTM Team) took the stage win once again but it’s American Preston Campbell (Monster Energy Honda HRC) who still leads the way.
Results after SS10 – Bivouac Refuge – Bisha
Overall Position: 45th (out of 97 remaining)
Rally 2 Position: 34th (out of 86 remaining)
British Rider: No. 1 (out of 4 remaining)
Overall Time: 56h 54′ 20”
Time Behind Leader: 12h 50’ 52”
Distance Covered: 6288 km
Distance To Go: 1729 km
More updates as the event progresses and via the links below.
https://www.dakar.com/
https://www.facebook.com/dakar
https://x.com/dakar
https://www.dailymotion.com/Dakar
https://www.instagram.com/dakarrally
https://www.tiktok.com/@dakar
Notes to Editors.
The 48th edition of the Dakar Rally will see around 780 competitors from all over the world, including 115 in the motorcycle category, converge on Yanbu on the shores of the Red Sea in western Saudi Arabia. 2026 sees a significantly reworked route offering competitors a fresh challenge across Saudi Arabia’s vast deserts. The 2026 Dakar Rally will feature 13 full stages, plus the traditional Prologue to commence proceedings on January 3 that will help determine the starting order for the first full day of action. The rally will be split by a rest day in the capital Riyadh on Saturday 10 January, allowing competitors some vital recovery time before the decisive second week. Bike competitors will cover 7,896 kilometres over two weeks, including 4,826km in the form of competitive special stages, with the remainder made up of transport sections. With nearly 5,000km of timed running, the 2026 edition will be one of the longest Dakars in terms of competitive distance, making it potentially one of the toughest events in the rally’s recent history. The finish is scheduled for Saturday 17 January 2026 with the final stage around Yanbu.
ENDS
