Jan 03-17, 2026
14 Stages plus 1 Prologue (about 8,000 km total including non-timed sections)
Dakar is underway! :whoop:
Looks like decent coverage on YT this heat. The free coverage has been just awful in previous years. Like they hired interns or something to do it. Looking forward to watch a fair amount of it.
Between the YT postings for the 2026 event, I've been enjoying watching Charley Boorman's "Race to Dakar" from 20 years ago. I had not seen it yet when I came across it on Tubi the other night. I started it thinking it was just a single documentary, but after getting into it I discovered it's a 7-episode series. Really interesting! :thumbs:
Such a bummer for Hillier. His first retirement in 3 attempts but he's had injuries every year: 2023 dislocated shoulder, 2025 broken nose, and 2026 broken arm (despite which he was still able to complete the stage).
I enjoyed that interview with him. Embodied the emotion of racing.
Proof that you never know the outcome until it's over. Such a heartbreaker for Brabec. To lose the title by only 2 seconds after 49 hours of racing! :eek: And he was up by 3:20 going into the final stage.