The official Matthigofen team returns to the most important event of the year with very high ambitions and a trident of ambitious drivers, led by the reigning world champion and winner of the latest edition of the most famous rally raid in the world
The team Red Bull Ktm Factory Racing is now ready for the 48th edition of the Dakarscheduled from 3 al January 17, 2026 in Saudi Arabia. In Yanbu the Austrian team will appear as the underdogs, also by virtue of the success achieved twelve months ago by Daniel Sandersvery intent on defending his crown together with the faithful 450 Rally. The first date of Fim World Rally–Raid Championship (W2RC) will be, once again, the most important and prestigious of the season, with a route that includes almost 8,000 km divided between 13 stages, of which 2 Marathongoing to explore territories never crossed before.
Winning tradition
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The roadmap of Ktm at the Dakar he is simply amazing. With the victory in 2025, the Austrian company has in fact achieved its goal twentieth successa record that is currently unapproachable to which dozens of stage victories are added. In other words, it is the most successful manufacturer ever. Among the riders who brought the orange bikes to triumph there are authentic legends such as Marc Coma, Cyril Despres And Toby Price (moved, in the meantime, to four wheels), but who opened this winning series was the unforgettable Fabrizio Meoni, triumphant in 2001 in the last edition starting from Paris and then first also in 2002. Since then, the official team of the Matthigofen company has won 20 of the 24 editions contested, and this without including in the count Sam Sunderland’s victory in 2022 with the “twin” bike of GasGas. This extraordinary palmares reiterates that the Red Bull Ktm Factory Racing team is not just any team, but rather the true point of reference for anyone who aspires to impose themselves in the toughest stage motor race in the world.
Sanders is the clear favourite
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Inevitably, Daniel Sanders arrives at this edition of the Dakar with the underdogs. As well as being the reigning champion, the 31-year-old Australian is coming off a simply sensational 2025 season, culminating in the world rally-raid champion (W2RC). In the 2025 edition of the Dakar, Sanders managed to win 5 stages leading the general classification from start to finish, the second driver ever to do so after Marc Coma in 2009. With these credentials, it would be difficult not to identify him as the man to beat. “Everything is going according to plan – he declared during the team’s official presentation – I feel really good with the bike. Obviously there is a bit of pressure after the victory in the last edition, but we are training hard and I am sure we can do well. The team is in excellent shape, I feel ready and we are all determined to bring home a good result again. But it’s a long race: every Dakar is different, so we’ll face it day after day trying to do our best.”
eyes on the podium for Benavides
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Luciano Benavidesa 30-year-old Argentine brother of two-time winner Kevin Benavides, aspires to something more than just a supporting role. Already a rally raid world champion in 2023, last January he achieved his best placing in the Dakar with a fourth place, a placing which he then repeated in the world championship. It is certainly among the candidates for a placed on the podium despite the recent misadventures: “The preparation for the Dakar was quite tough after my crash in Morocco – he explained – and my main goal since then has been to improve my fitness and get back on the motorbike as soon as possible. It’s fantastic to be back on the motorbike for the tests in Morocco, and I’m confident that thanks to this I will be in even better condition for the Dakar. I think it will be difficult mentally, because it is the first time I will race the Dakar straight after an injury, but as always my goal is to give my all every day. If I can do that, I think I can finish on the podium.”
the determination of the young Canet
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Completing the line-up of the official KTM team is the 20-year-old Spaniard Edgar Canetthis year’s triumphant from rookie in the World Cup Rally2. The Catalan talent made his debut at the Dakar last January, again with the Austrian company, achieving a surprising result eighth place finish despite not achieving a stage victory. His enthusiasm in returning to compete against the best specialists in the world is understandable: “I have an excellent feeling with the bike and I’m happy with my physical form, because I’ve worked hard to reach a good level. I know how unpredictable the Dakar can be day after day, but I believe I have the speed and navigation skills necessary to stay among the leaders throughout the race. I learned a lot from my teammates at the 2025 Dakar, so I feel much more prepared for this, my second attempt. We have to manage the race and face things from day to day, but we have a great team behind us.”
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