Dakar Rally 2026: Hero's Nacho Cornejo and Ross Branch Break Into Top 10 After Grueling Stage 1

Hero MotoSports Team Rally opened Dakar Rally 2026 with a strong run in Stage 1 near Yanbu. Nacho Cornejo and Ross Branch placed sixth and seventh in the special. Branch lost a possible win to a speeding penalty. Rally2 rider Tobias Ebster finished 14th.

Cornejo holds sixth overall after the first stage. Branch sits seventh overall, just under five minutes from the leader. Ebster is 13th overall and fourth in Rally2. The opening loop covered 518 km, with a 305 km timed special across mixed terrain.

Branch loses stage win to time penalty

Ross Branch set the fastest time on the Stage 1 special. The Botswana rider led by about 1.5 minutes at the finish. However, officials applied a six-minute speeding penalty from a speed-controlled zone. That drop pushed him to seventh in the stage order.

Branch had earlier been stuck in dust behind another rider. The delay forced him to risk an overtake when the speed zone appeared. Despite the setback, he reported strong pace and bike feeling. Branch now aims to recover the lost minutes over the coming stages.

Cornejo opens tracks to secure top-10 place

Nacho Cornejo was among the first starters on the stage. Around kilometre 70 he caught the early leaders. From there, he opened the tracks almost to the finish. The Chilean showed steady navigation and speed to secure sixth place on the day.

Cornejo said the bike felt good and navigation was clear. He noted that opening the stage yet losing little time was positive. He also highlighted growing confidence after Stage 1. Cornejo plans to keep his approach steady, attacking day by day.

Ebster shines in Rally2 amid sandstorm

Austrian rider Tobias Ebster faced one of the toughest days. The route crossed rocky wadis and complex navigation zones. Later, a sandstorm erased tracks ahead of him. He relied only on roadbook skills, yet still finished 14th and fourth in Rally2.

Ebster said he rode slightly cautiously at times. Even so, he felt comfortable on the bike through the stage. His Stage 1 result gives a useful start position for Stage 2. He underlined that Dakar has only just begun for the Rally2 pack.

Stage 1 route and Stage 2 outlook

The first full Dakar stage formed a 518 km loop around Yanbu. Riders completed 305 km against the clock. The course mixed rocky hard-packed sections, fast sandy stretches and scattered dunes. It tested early navigation and bike set-up for every factory team.

Stage 2 on Monday runs from Yanbu to Al-Ula over 504 km. Competitors will leave the coast and head into mountains. The route will shift between high-speed tracks and tight rocky paths. Riders then arrive at the desert landscapes around Al-Ula.

Provisional Classification - Stage 01 (Overall)

Position	Rider	Team	Time / Gap
1	Edgar Canet	Redbull KTM Factory Racing	03h 16m 11s
2	Daniel Sanders	Redbull KTM Racing Team	+ 01m 02s
3	Ricky Brabec	Monster Energy Honda HRC	+ 01m 32s
6	Nacho Cornejo	Hero MotoSports Team Rally	+ 03m 48s
7	Ross Branch	Hero MotoSports Team Rally	+ 04m 39s
14	Tobias Ebster	Hero MotoSports Team Rally	+ 13m 26s

Provisional Classification after Stage 01 (Overall)

Position	Rider	Team	Time / Gap
1	Edgar Canet	Redbull KTM Factory Racing	03h 27m 42s
2	Daniel Sanders	Redbull KTM Racing Team	+ 01m 05s
3	Rickey Brabec	Monster Energy Honda HRC	+ 01m 37s
6	Nacho Cornejo	Hero MotoSports Team Rally	+ 04m 53s
7	Ross Branch	Hero MotoSports Team Rally	+ 04m 55s
14	Tobias Ebster	Hero MotoSports Team Rally	+ 14m 11s

Provisional Classification - Stage 01 (Rally2)

Position	Rider	Team	Time / Gap
1	Michael Docherty	BAS World KTM Team	03h 25m 09s
2	Martim Ventura	Monster Energy Honda HRC	+ 01m 28s
3	Konrad Dabrowski	Duust Rally Team	+ 03m 49s
4	Tobias Ebster	Hero MotoSports Team Rally	+ 04m 28s

Provisional Classification after Stage 01 (Rally2)

Position	Rider	Team	Time / Gap
1	Michael Docherty	BAS World KTM Team	03h 36m 59s
2	Martim Ventura	Monster Energy Honda HRC	+ 02m 14s
3	Konrad Dabrowski	Duust Rally Team	+ 04m 15s
4	Tobias Ebster	Hero MotoSports Team Rally	+ 04m 54s