of Stage 5 of Dakar 2026 this Thursday This could prove to be more than key in the title fight for many riders in the two-wheeled category as well, with Valencian Tosha Chalayna taking first place and the Spaniard’s stage win leveling him on time with Honda teammate Ricky Brabec, with Edgar Canet hovering in fourth place.

Daniel Saunders (KTM)The current Dakar champion believes that in the second half of the marathon stage he can:And it becomes a “drama” If so “thoroughly”. and skyler howes,pilot slingit also suggested that many pilots may not reach the finish line or may fail along the way with many complications. “I think the key will be who can cross the finish line on tires. My tires look like they’re pretty damaged.”

“The key is who can cross the finish line with the tires.”

Schuyler Howes (Honda)

That’s not a small amount. Motorcycle drivers were required to complete Stages 4 and 5, unlike motorists. (Two parts of the first marathon stage of this Dakar) We used the same tires. We won’t be able to change rubber tonight for this Thursday’s stage. We therefore caution that the results confirmed this Thursday should be discounted and quarantined, waiting to see which drivers were able to arrive at today’s evacuation bivouac with full or better tires than others who may have had serious problems.

Shalayna happy with tires

In that sense, it can be said to be good news for Tosha Shalayna. The Valencian, who opened up the track in the fourth stage and took the lead, didn’t seem too concerned about the condition of his tires. ”Everything is going well at the moment, so we’ll see tomorrow. There may be another stone area tomorrow, but we’ll see. ”he said when asked about the condition of his bike and tires at the finish line.

Kanet: “The rear tires are at their limit”

On the other side of the coin was Edgar Kane, who warned: “Keep your fingers crossed.” You won’t be able to reach the goal because the rear tire is almost complete. “For me, it was more or less a good day. It was a long day, over 400 kilometers. It’s the third day and the kilometers are high and the body is starting to notice it. But today I had to relax a little bit, focus on navigation and not push myself any further than I know. I’m happy to get here.” What about tires? The rear tires will be at their limit tomorrow. “I’ll see if I can do something, but I’m sure we’ll have to give it our all tomorrow to reach the goal.”expressed KTM’s Catalan.

And it could have negative consequences for even more pilots. This was the case for Honda teammate Skylar Howes, who finished seventh overall with a time of 14 minutes. “It’s been a tough day. I didn’t have much energy today, probably because I caught a cold from the air conditioner. “I tried to look after the tires because I knew it could be a problem, but I’m scared of that because I’m worried about the rear tire.” Skylar said.

And Daniel Saunders, the current Dakar motorcycle champion, issued a big warning. Saunders was adamant that he wanted to save his tires for the first part of the marathon after seeing many pilots’ tires cracked or damaged. If this is indeed the case, Stage 5 can be very difficult for many people.

“While refueling, a lot of people had scratched their tires and the wheels were pretty much destroyed. I tried to protect them as much as I could and not put too much pressure on the rocks. We’ll see what happens tomorrow, but if it’s a full stage it could be drama.”

Daniel Saunders (KTM)

“It’s not over yet. It’s only the fourth day, but the bike is in good condition and there were a lot of stones so I refueled, Everyone had scratches on their tires and the wheels were almost destroyed. The second half of the stage I tried to deal with in the best way possible. Some drivers touched their rear wheels, but I tried to protect them as much as possible and not push the rocks too hard. let’s see what happens tomorrow “If it’s a thorough stage play, it can become a drama.”.

“There is still a lot left to do, and I am aware that there will be very difficult stages, so I will continue to keep my feet on the ground and not take anything for granted. Because in this very complex race, it starts to become very important,” concludes Tosha, who after winning stage four will have to open the track again in stage five. Another difficult task that could be key to Dakar’s hopes of winning. He has a big day ahead of him at the Dakar, which can be painful for many bikers. Goal: Reach the finish line with the remaining tires.