Dakar 2026 route, stage by stage: the most extreme adventure begins with many new features

The most extreme adventure begins this Saturday. The world’s toughest race begins with a prologue stage, whose times only count towards the general motorcycle classification, and it will be important for everyone to establish the starting order of vehicles for the real fire start this Sunday in the battle for Stage 1.

he Prologue this Saturday, 23kmwhich serves to guide the protagonists into career mode, but above all because they begin to place pieces on the board of the strategic, pure survival game that your favorite players will experience over the next two weeks.

A date with two faces begins. dakar It’s not just a race. It’s not just a fight to win. For many amateurs, the Dakar is the best way to test themselves and prove that they can overcome their limitations in life’s huge challenges, with the sole purpose of fulfilling the desire to achieve the most important goals in life.

This Saturday, the engines will start and the pilot’s biggest adventure will begin. That’s not an exaggeration. The 48th Dakar will be extremely tough, and the two weeks of the race will be tough.

Prologue stage (January 3rd)

The Dakar begins with a prologue stage in Yanbu, which determines the starting position for Stage 1 and only counts towards the general classification of motorcycles. The 10 fastest car and motorcycle drivers will be able to choose their starting position for the first special after this short day of gravel tracks. It is very important to not have to open the track and be able to choose a suitable starting location and avoid starting too far back to avoid getting the car caught in the dust during stage one.

start: Yanbu

end: Yanbu

Total km: 98

clocked kilometers:twenty three

Stage 1 (January 4th)

The Dakar will be a tough start. An eventful first stage is expected, with each car suffering a horrific puncture. Taking risks can be expensive. The first part of hard terrain and a “pit stop” area is located in the middle of the route, after which you are faced with fast terrain of sandy beaches with small dunes. Stones can cause complications, so Dakar has created pit stop areas in complex sections where each driver can choose to waste time replacing all wheels and fitting a new spare wheel. Therefore, Castella doesn’t want his favorite to go down with a flat tire on the first day.

start: Yanbu

end: Yanbu

Total km: 518

Measured kilometers: 305

Stage 2 (January 5th)

The pace on this mountain day is constantly changing, with the first 200km alternating very fast tracks. Slowing down is key on the stony, winding sections. Punctures will be the main character once again, and another pit stop area will be featured. Dakar warns that “you can never drive 20km at the same speed.” This is the day when a ‘pit stop’ area for tire changes will be re-established, with careful attention to hazards.

start: Yanbu

end: AlUla

Total km: 504

Measured kilometers: 400

Stage 3 (January 6th)

According to the Dakar’s director, this year’s Dakar will be more difficult from stage 3 due to navigational difficulties, warning of how important stages 3 and 4 will be. According to him, Stage 3 is one of the most beautiful stages, with spectacular scenery that combines the colors of the sandy desert and the large rock formations typical of the region. Navigation among all these huge rocks becomes complicated, and later in the day, reading the roadbook becomes complicated as there are many tracks in front of the competitors and few reference points.

start: AlUla

end: AlUla

Total km: 666

Measured kilometers: 422

Stage 4 (January 7th) Marathon Stage Part 1

This first of Dakar’s two marathon stages, the only stage of the first week, has different routes for cars and bikes, complicating navigation for cars with no track for two-wheeled drivers. One of the important days of Dakar. At the end of a special race with lots of open spaces and delicate reliefs, competitors will have no mechanical help in repairing their vehicles and will have to do it with their own hands or with the help of track auxiliary trucks for the fifth stage. They would sleep outdoors, in tents, in front of bonfires, and eat military rations.

start: AlUla

end: shelter camp

Total km: motorcycle, 492; car, 526

Measured kilometers: Motorcycles, 417. car, 451

Stage 5 (January 8th) – Marathon Stage Part 2

Second half of marathon stage. Drivers have to face different routes than cars and motorcycles. Vehicles that could be damaged by opening the track in Stage 4 may recover in Stage 5. This is because the best performance from the previous day allows the course to be opened without leaving any trace of the bike. A day with fast tracks and many course changes. There are also rocky areas, so be careful. Objective: Get the vehicle to the finish line so your supporters can fully repair it.

start: shelter camp

end: hail

Total km: Motorcycles, 417. car, 428

Measured kilometers: motorcycle, 356; car, 372

Stage 6: (January 9th)

David Castella says it’s the “longest and most difficult stage”. Not because of the distance, but because it’s a 100% sand and dune day, which slows down the pace and can make the day very long for many people. A complex day of routes with endless dunes, sometimes separated by sand valleys. The main challenge is arriving at the bivouac during the day. Indeed, Castella warned that at this stage there may be a large number of pilots who were in the dunes during the night.

It’s a very long stage, covering 331km on sand for a total of 90km. Competitors then have to face long connections to the capital. And then comes the greatest prize – a day of rest.

start: hail

end: Riyadh

Total km: 920

Measured kilometers: 331

Stage 7 (January 11th)

After a well-earned rest day, the athletes head to Wadi al-Dawasir at the beginning of the second week for a long and complex day covering a total distance of approximately 876 kilometers. No major traps are expected on this day, and there are many fairly fast sand tracks, so competitors will need to be careful of brush. Stages 7 and 8 may also be key, Castella said. And the big problem could be another area of ​​the stone where another pit stop point exists.

start: Riyadh

end: Wadi ad Dawasir

Total km: 876

Measured kilometers: 462

Stage 8 (January 12th)

With a total time of 481km, it is the longest special of the Dakar, and David Castella points to it as one of the most beautifully completed stages of the event. “That stage has everything: sand dunes, plateaus, fast and technical areas, lots of mountains, rocks, areas where you have to look for good valleys to stay on the right path. It’s very beautiful and special.”

start: Wadi ad Dawasir

end: Wadi ad Dawasir

Total km: 717

Measured kilometers: 481

Stage 9 (January 13th)

Even in the second stage of the marathon, runners face two major challenges. The first part of this shelter marathon is intensely emotional and presents as a “real test of endurance”, both physically and mentally, and finally for the mechanics of the vehicle who have no assistance. Be careful as you will have to click on rocky and complicated areas. The day is full of change of pace and ends in the sand dunes.

start: Wadi ad Dawasir

end: shelter camp

Total km: Motorcycles, 540 units. car 531

Measured kilometers: Motorcycles, 418. car, 410

Stage 10 (January 14th)

Second half of marathon stage. After sleeping overnight in the field or in a tent and repairing the vehicle without the help of a bivouac, the pilots will compete on the second day of this 100% sand Dakar, where the first part of the complex dunes will allow the most experienced on this surface to show off all their techniques. An intense day in the middle of the battle for the Dakarian Scepter.

start: shelter camp

end: Bisha

Total km: Motorcycles, 417. car, 469

Measured kilometers: Motorcycles, 371. car, 421

Stage 11 (January 15th)

After this stage, the difficulty and complexity decreases, but no one makes the mistake of relaxing until the finish line. As evidence of this, Stage 11 is difficult to navigate, with intersections and junctions that can be confusing. Dakar warns that “the environment can be a maze.” You have to be mentally tough so you don’t make mistakes.

start: Bisha

end: Al Henakia

Total km: 882

Measured kilometers: 347

Stage 12 (January 16th)

Even the penultimate day of the Dakar could make a difference, especially due to the variety of routes. High-speed tracks alternate with twisty, narrow terrain, passing through a final area of ​​rivers and sand dunes. No one can relax just yet before the final day of Dakar in 2026.

start: Al Henakia

end: Yanbu

Total km: 718

Measured kilometers: 310

Stage 13 (January 17th)

On the final day, unless it was an even battle, there would be no major change in the overall rankings. This day is divided into two very different sections. The first section is between the mountain and the gravel road. And the second is already on the coast, facing the last kilometers of the world’s toughest test. The final podium of the Dakar awaits the athletes. And a “finisher” medal too.

start: Yanbu

end: Yanbu

Total km: 141

Measured kilometers: 105