Dakar pressure mounts as Brabec and Schareina chase the leaders

The Dakar Rally stepped up a gear on stage two as Ricky Brabec and Tosha Schareina pushed hard to keep the overall leaders within striking distance.

Departing Yanbu, the Monster Energy Honda HRC riders headed north on a demanding 504 km route that crossed the rugged Hejaz Mountains along the eastern edge of the Red Sea, before finishing at the AlUla bivouac.

Starting the stage in third position, Brabec quickly capitalised on not being the lead rider, setting the fastest time at the opening checkpoint.  As the course opened out across the fast sandy plains of the Medina Province, the American maintained a strong pace all the way to the finish.  Although he recorded the fastest stage time outright, time bonuses earned by Daniel Sanders and Edgar Canet ultimately dropped him to third on the day.  Finishing 1’46” down, Brabec retains third overall, now 2’18” off the lead, a margin he’ll be eager to reduce on stage three as more bonus time comes into play.

Skyler Howes enjoyed a much-improved day following his crash on stage one. With his Honda CRF450 RALLY back in full working order, the American was able to make the most of his preferred sandy terrain to secure fourth place, just over three minutes off the win.  It marked a strong recovery as he moves up to seventh overall.

After spending much of the opening stage riding alone, Tosha Schareina once again delivered a measured and consistent performance.  The 2025 Dakar Rally runner-up kept the leading group firmly within reach across the rocky terrain, finishing fifth on the stage.  He now sits just over two minutes behind Brabec and remains firmly in contention for a provisional podium position.

Adrien Van Beveren was hoping for a smoother run after completing most of stage one without a front brake, but his day was again compromised following a crash into a tree.  Despite the setback, the Frenchman nursed his damaged Honda CRF450 RALLY to the finish in eighth place, nearly nine minutes down.  He now faces a 14-minute deficit in the overall standings.

Stage three promises an even tougher challenge, with a massive 736 km loop around AlUla. The region’s spectacular rock formations will provide a stunning backdrop, but with navigation set to be critical, precision will be essential to avoid losing valuable time.