RIYADH, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- American rider Ricky Brabec of Monster Energy Honda HRC won Stage 6 of the 2026 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia on Friday, while defending champion Daniel Sanders of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing kept the overall lead despite a costly speeding penalty on the eve of the rally's rest day in Riyadh.
Brabec clocked 3:41:33 to claim his 12th Dakar stage victory, finishing 1 minute and 14 seconds ahead of Spain's Tosha Schareina, with Sanders third, 1 minute and 17 seconds behind. Sanders was later handed a six-minute penalty for speeding, cutting his overall advantage over Brabec to just 45 seconds at the halfway point of the rally.
In Rally2, South Africa's Michael Docherty topped the class, followed by Slovenia's Toni Mulec and France's Neels Theric. Docherty also placed seventh overall on the stage. ■
