Henk Lategan of Toyota Gazoo Racing secured victory in the prologue of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, edging out Ford M-Sport’s Mattias Ekström and five-time champion Nasser Al-Attiyah. The 29km prologue, held around the southwestern city of Bisha, set the starting order for Saturday’s first 413km stage but did not contribute to the overall classification.
Lategan, returning after missing last year’s rally due to a shoulder injury, completed the stage one second ahead of Ekström, with Al-Attiyah a further 19 seconds behind. The South African last claimed a Dakar stage win in 2022.
“It wasn’t a perfect drive—we made a few mistakes—but it was a good stage,” said Lategan. “We found a good rhythm early on, which is unusual for me on shorter stages. Knowing this was crucial for road positioning on the first stage, we pushed a little harder.”
Defending champion Carlos Sainz had a challenging start, finishing 25th in his Ford M-Sport Raptor.
Indian rider Noah suffers injury
Indian motorcyclist Harith Noah, in his sixth Dakar Rally, was forced to withdraw after fracturing his wrist in a crash that required surgery. Noah, who finished 11th overall last year and claimed the Rally 2 class victory, had been expected to contend strongly in this edition.
Sanders leads in bike category
Australian Daniel Sanders set the pace in the bike category for Red Bull KTM, finishing 12 seconds ahead of Ross Branch on a Hero bike. Spanish teenager Edgar Canet, also on a Red Bull KTM, rounded out the top three. Honda’s defending champion Ricky Brabec finished 18 seconds off the lead in fourth.
Sandra Gómez of Spain, the only female competitor in the motorcycle field, finished 65th out of 134 riders.
The Dakar Rally continues on Saturday with the first full stage, as competitors navigate the gruelling terrain in one of motorsport’s most demanding events.
