Edgar Canet continues to make history: wins stage 1 of the Dakar, retains leadership, Tosha takes top spot

At first I thought it was Ross Branch. won stage 1 of Dakar 2026 Riding a bike before Edgar moneytook second place, but the joy didn’t last long for the pilot. hero. he dakar According to the announcement, the provisional winner of the day was speeding, resulting in a penalty of up to six minutes, which would see Kane win the second stage (Prologue and Stage 1) and take back the lead. And after waiting nervously for official confirmation, the news arrived. They downloaded Branch’s GPS information, confirming his punishment.

Edgar Canet was declared the winner of stage 2 and remains the new leader of the Dakar after Chalayna had a very hard day on the stones. He moved up to 4th place overall, just 2 minutes behind the leader.

Edgar said it was one thing to win a prologue that was only 23km long, but repeating that feat on a stage that was over 300km would be very difficult. But for the first time he did it. After a 305km time special with a very complex stone first area of ​​the edition that is expected to be very tough. edgar canet He remains in the lead with a 1 minute 5 second lead over teammate and reigning Dakar champion Daniel Saunders, and 1 minute 37 seconds ahead of Honda’s other big favorite, Ricky Brabec. Close behind was another strong contender, Valencian Tosha Chalayna, who moved into fourth place, 2 minutes and 12 seconds behind the young leader. A battle for the crown between the top four Spaniards.

With this penalty awarded to Branch, Kane won the first special of the 2026 Dakar Rally by 1 minute 02 seconds over Saunders, who entered the track immediately after. Brabec took third place with a time of 1 minute 32 seconds, and Shalayna took fourth place with a time of 1 minute 49 seconds, ahead of Luciano Benavidez (fifth place).

great start for money

The 20-year-old Catalan made early history in this Dakar by becoming the youngest winner of a special (even if it was a prologue), and extended his record further with a branch penalty. He is already the youngest winner in the history of the two specials. He won both the prologue and stage 1, becoming the new leader.

The player from La Garriga continued to maintain his good feeling with another very good stage from a slow starting position thanks to his victory in the prologue, creating the best fire. If not for Branch’s penalty, he would have finished in second place, 1 minute and 21 seconds behind driver Herro, ahead of the rest of the favorites, another clear example of his talent.

Edgar admitted that at one point during the voyage he hesitated and even had sections where he thought “the tire might break” as he struggled against the hardness of the stones. Great presentation letter for this edition. It was very difficult from the beginning, and La Garriga was far superior in a good way.

The strategic battle begins

As is always the case with motorcycles, doing well on a stage means being far ahead the next day and at some point encountering the possibility and extra complexity of having to open the track without being able to keep up with anyone. The organization gives bonuses to those who open so that these differences don’t affect the race, but those who move forward still end up taking more risks than others. And that’s what Edgar will experience as well.

The KTM rider reminded the MD before the race that his main goal was not to achieve results, but to learn from possible mistakes and strengthen himself for future championship contention. and The best way to do this is to put yourself in complex scenarios.s.And if you win stage 1, stage 2 can be very difficult. Because it will allow you to get to the front without leaving any traces or traces from other bikes and will show you the rest of the way. You will face dangers in the complex stage 2 and even more difficult rocks than in stage 1. Although he may lose some time, Edgar is here to play in the Dakar and is happy to accept the challenge after his recent strong performances.

In that respect, Tosha Shalayna will be able to get a better starting position (4th place) and reduce the times of all her rivals. I lost today, but a few years ago this race became a game where I lost and won every other day. Therefore, Shalayna, who starts fourth behind her opponents Saunders and Brabec, may choose to attack or wait a little longer to avoid the track opening on stage three.David Castella said navigation would be complicated due to poor visibility and could be further disrupted by the previous day’s rain.

Perhaps that’s a positive for Canet. If you lose time on Stage 2, you can make up time by starting further back on Stage 3. That’s the bike game. Some days you win, some days you lose time. The key is to resist the dizzying pace of top bike riders without falling, without making too much impact, and with patience. Edgar is aiming for that.

3 fierce waterfalls from Santorino

Salamancan people lorenzo santorino (Sherco) was 19th with 16 minutes. After a complicated prologue, he was forced to start second on the track, which could hurt him. The Spaniard entered this test handicapped by a toe injury, so he will have to pick up his pace little by little. It doesn’t help that he suffered three serious crashes on stage one and could suffer further injuries. Lorenzo rose again and again in search of a goal, surpassing himself once again with pure fight, dedication and resistance.

The toughness of the day was perfectly illustrated by Lorenzo as he reached the finish line.

“The stage was not easy. We started in a valley, but after a stony sector there was a lot of sand, which made it difficult to navigate. I liked the road book very much, and 10 kilometers from there I crashed. I tried to take off cautiously, but Cornejo was behind me and I knew that sooner or later he would catch up with me. But I lost the front bike in the river a little too fast, fell down, the airbag activated, I filled it with sand, got up and continued.” “After losing a minute, I ran with Nacho from 50km to 90km,” he said.

“But the track was badly damaged and there was a lot of dust. I got away a little further and kept the distance to 150 km, but then I fell again on a rocky area. My bike tipped sideways and the airbags deployed again. After that, the airbags had already deployed twice, so I didn’t want to fall again. After 300 meters, I tried to put down the road book with the mileage, but it got stuck on a crooked stone and I fell again.”When I ride the bike, I feel very reactive, almost like a passenger in the technical areas. It’s like my mind wants it, but my body isn’t going at the same pace,” the Salamanca native said at the finish line.