Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides has delivered a strong ride on stage 12 of the 2026 Dakar Rally to finish as second fastest. Edgar Canet completed the special just outside the top 10 in 11th, with Daniel Sanders posting an excellent result of 15th, despite his injuries.
Stage 12 of the 2026 Dakar Rally delivered another demanding test as riders tackled the penultimate day of the event on the route from Al Henakiyah to Yanbu. Covering 720 kilometers, including 311 kilometers raced against the clock, the stage featured a varied mix of terrain, from small dunes and sandy tracks to rocky riverbeds and fast, flowing sections.
Giving his all over the entire stage, Benavides set off as the fourth rider into today’s timed special. By kilometer 150, he had caught and passed the three riders ahead of him and began accumulating bonus time. Navigating perfectly, the Argentine delivered a textbook performance from the front. Ultimately clocking in as second fastest, Luciano now lies second overall in the provisional standings with just one stage left to race.
Luciano Benavides: “It was a really tough day, and I gave everything from the start. I pushed early, passed Edgar quite quickly, and from around kilometer 150 I was opening the stage, which was definitely not easy in these conditions. We lost a bit of time, but I’m happy because I gave 100 percent and we’re still in the fight. The stage was challenging with dust, difficult navigation, lots of rocks, and some soft dunes where it was easy to lose time. There’s just one shorter stage left tomorrow, and we’ll keep pushing and believing right until the final kilometer.”
A small navigation error cost Canet a few minutes early on in today’s stage, and from there, he focused on completing the special safely and in good time. Managing his pace to avoid any further mistakes, the young Spaniard steered his KTM 450 RALLY to the finish in 11th place and will have one final chance to push hard again for another stage win tomorrow.
Edgar Canet: “It was a really tough stage. I got slightly off course early on and Luciano passed me, and from that point my focus shifted to managing the day and reaching the finish. We didn’t have anything to gain by taking big risks and a lot to lose, so the priority was to bring the bike home. I had a small crash on a downhill, but nothing serious, and after that it was clear it wasn’t the moment to push too hard. The goal was simply to get through the stage and keep learning. I’m happy to have just one stage left to finish this Dakar. I’ve learned more in these two weeks than in the last two years of rallying, and it’s been a huge experience. The fight at the front is incredibly close and the guys are doing an amazing job, so tomorrow is going to be tight right until the end.”
The rough terrain and demanding nature of today’s Stage 12 made the challenge even harder for the injured Sanders. The reigning World Rally-Raid Champion also suffered a small crash midway through the special, making an already difficult day even tougher. However, in true Aussie style, Daniel fought all the way to the end, putting in an incredible performance to finish as 15th fastest.
Daniel Sanders: “It was definitely a tougher day than yesterday. The terrain was more demanding, with a lot of loose rocks, riverbeds, and technical sections, which made things challenging, especially riding with the injury. It looked like a nice stage if you had two arms, but in those more technical parts I had to work hard just to manage it. I did have a small crash, and the bike took a bit of a hit, but the main focus was staying smart and getting through the stage without doing anything silly. The muscles are sore from compensating, but that’s just part of it. The team has worked incredibly hard and they’ve put a lot of trust in me, so finishing this Dakar is important for all of us. There’s one more day to go, around 100 kilometers, so we’ll recover as best we can, recharge the batteries, and give it everything to reach the finish.”
Saturday’s final stage 13 of the 2026 Dakar Rally provides a relatively short sprint set out in a loop from Yanbu. With just 108 kilometers raced against the clock, all riders will be pushing hard to secure a strong final position in the rankings.
Provisional Results – 2026 Dakar Rally, Stage 12
- Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 3:19:01
- Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 3:22:44 +3:43
- Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 3:31:59 +12:58
- Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 3:32:08 +13:07
- Michael Docherty (RSA), KTM, 3:36:12 +17:11
Other KTM
- Toni Mulec (SLO), KTM, 3:38:02 +19:01
- Edgar Canet (ESP), KTM, 3:46:44 +27:43
- Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 3:54:23 +35:22
Provisional Standings – 2026 Dakar Rally (after 12 of 13 stages)
- Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 48:08:12
- Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 48:11:32 +0:03:20
- Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 48:36:03 +0:27:51
- Skyler Howes (USA), Honda, 49:06:33 +0:58:21
- Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 49:06:43 +0:58:31
Other KTM
- Toni Mulec (SLO), KTM, 51:03:28 +2:55:16
- Edgar Canet (ESP), KTM, 60:21:35 +12:13:23
