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Issue #11:January 14, 2026
On January 13, the second half of the 2026 Dakar Rally entered Day 1 of the Marathon Stage, with 410 km of competition held in the northwestern region of Wadi ad‑Dawasir. The tricky mountain terrain even saw one Land Rover Defender in the Stock class roll over, but TLC crews ran a steady race. Car #501 with Akira Miura and Jean‑Michel Polato, finished 86th overall in the 4-wheel rankings and 3rd in the Stock class, while car #503 with Ronald Basso and Julien Menard safely crossed the line 89th overall and 4th in class. With these results, car #503 now stands 69th overall and remains 3rd in class, trailing the 2nd‑place Land Rover Defender #504 by 1 hour 16 minutes 26 seconds. Car #501 is currently 84th overall and 5th in class.
The Marathon Stage in the second half of the rally runs January 13–14 between Wadi ad‑Dawasir and Bisha. Although the assistance route between the two bivouacs is only 366 km, the marathon bivouac, known as REFUGE, is set up north of Bisha. Day 1 took competitors from Wadi ad‑Dawasir to this location, while Day 2 will continue from there to Bisha. The course is set to feature mountainous terrain and dunes in the same region.
Day 1’s SS started after a 119 km liaison (transfer section) heading west from Wadi ad‑Dawasir. As in the first‑half marathon, separate routes have been set up for bikes and cars. The opening featured fast, sandy off‑road tracks, with some easy dunes also making an appearance. The route then moved into the mountains, where the terrain varied. Cars faced rocky gravel and crossings over wadis (dry riverbeds) before finishing with a 60 km stretch of sand dunes. Some sections of the dunes were heavily collapsed, making it a highly challenging area to cross.
After completing the SS, competitors traveled a 3 km liaison to the basic bivouac “REFUGE,” reserved for participants only. TLC crews carried out basic vehicle checks themselves to prepare for the next day’s competition. The second day of the marathon will head south toward Bisha with a 420 km SS. The route will mainly consist of sand dunes and is expected to be one of the toughest stages of this year’s rally.
(Provisional rankings as of 3:00 AM Japan time on January 14th)
Kakutani (Team Manager): There were some position changes during the SS, but I’m relieved that both cars arrived safely at the marathon bivouac. I think the rest of the rally will be eventful as we head into the final stages, but our goal remains the same. We will keep delivering our best performance, clear every stage, and build toward the ultimate goal of reaching the finish.