Brabec holds off rivals to win Rallye du Maroc stage one

Monster Energy Honda HRC’s Ricky Brabec laid down an early marker at the 2026 Rallye du Maroc, taking victory on stage one and moving into the overall lead after an impressive performance on the road to Zagora.

The first full stage of this year’s rally was always going to be a demanding one, with organisers describing it as being in the mould of a Dakar stage.  An early start saw the riders leave Agadir at 4am for a lengthy 264 km road section before the real competition began with 272 km against the clock.

Hard, stony tracks set the tone early on before the route opened out into the big dunes, with dry riverbeds and fast terrain adding to the challenge as the riders made their way through the Draa Valley towards Zagora.  With speed and navigation both playing a crucial role, there was little room for error.

Brabec wasted no time getting to grips with the Moroccan terrain.  The American, who is still searching for his first Rallye du Maroc victory, was just three seconds behind current World Rally-Raid Championship leader Daniel Sanders after 35 km before taking control of the stage and beginning to edge out an advantage.

Sanders refused to let him get away, though and together with a hard-charging Edgar Canet, mounted a late fightback to keep the pressure on all the way to the finish.  Brabec held firm to take the stage win by 23 seconds, securing his 14th Rally GP stage victory in the process.

The result also moved him into the overall lead, although there is already little separating the leading contenders, with Brabec holding an advantage of just 10 seconds over Sanders heading into stage two.

Behind him, Adrien Van Beveren took a little longer to find his rhythm aboard the Honda CRF450 RALLY, but once the stage reached the dunes the Frenchman began to make his move.  A strong push through the latter part of the route helped him stay in contention, and he eventually reached Zagora in fifth place, just under five minutes behind Brabec.

It was a more difficult day for Tosha Schareina, whose progress was hampered by tablet problems during the stage.  Last year’s Rallye du Maroc winner battled through the issues to finish seventh, 7’08” off his teammate’s winning time.  Despite the setback, the Spaniard remained upbeat at the finish, knowing there are still four stages and plenty of opportunities ahead.

With the riders reunited with the team at the Zagora bivouac, attention now turns to what could be the toughest test of the week.

Stage two takes the field into the Atlas Mountains for a demanding loop from Zagora, featuring 300 km of timed competition and 123 km of liaison. After Brabec struck first on stage one, another challenging day awaits the Monster Energy Honda HRC riders as the battle for Rallye du Maroc honours begins to take shape.