RIYADH, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Spain's Tosha Schareina of Monster Energy Honda HRC showcased both pace and strategy on Wednesday by taking a second straight stage win at the 2026 Dakar Rally, edging into the overall lead after Stage 4 from AlUla to the bivouac-refuge.
Schareina spent much of the 417-kilometer special alone at the front on his way to his fourth career Dakar stage victory. He moved to the top of the general classification, tied on time with teammate Ricky Brabec, leaving the two Honda riders locked in a dead heat after five days of racing.
American rider Skyler Howes finished just 10 seconds behind Schareina to complete a Honda 1-2-3 on the stage, while France's Adrien Van Beveren dropped further back and sat on the edge of the top 10 overall. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing remains well placed, with defending champion Daniel Sanders and Edgar Canet still in contention ahead of the marathon-refuge stage.
In Rally2, early favorites suffered major setbacks as Michael Docherty failed to reach the bivouac-refuge after breaking a wheel and is set for a heavy penalty, while Martim Ventura lost nearly two hours with mechanical trouble. Dakar rookie Preston Campbell moved into the Rally2 lead, and French rider Neels Theric earned his first stage win - also the first at Dakar for Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Kove.
In the Ultimate car category, South Africa's Henk Lategan drove his Toyota Hilux to his fifth career Dakar stage victory, finishing more than seven minutes ahead of Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah and taking the overall lead by 3 minutes and 55 seconds. Saudi defending champion Yazeed Al Rajhi saw his hopes of a podium challenge fade after multiple punctures forced his Toyota to stop at kilometer 234, though he may resume after the marathon stage.
Among the Chinese entries, Jiujiang Motorsport's No. 271 crew Fan Gaoxiang and co-driver Zhao Kai, who had been leading the Chinese contingent on overall time, withdrew from Stage 4 after an engine failure at kilometer 89. Under Dakar rules, the pair may rejoin the rally after receiving penalties and replacing the engine.
Meanwhile, Hanwei Motorsport's No. 220 crew Han Wei and co-driver Ma Li continued their strong form from Stage 3, finishing 16th on the stage - their best result so far in the 2026 edition. ■
