The most demanding race in the world takes place through the Stage 1, the Argentinians were protagonists. He Dakar Rally It is the motorsport competition that begins the year and to which the 305-kilometer time test, a route marked with stones, is dedicated David Zille already Sebastián Cesana winner in the Challenger category.
A day that included the success of the young Spaniard Edgard Canet (KTM) a historical fact: It was the youngest motorcyclist – 20 years old – to win a stage. At the binomial celebration Guillaume de Mevius And Mathieu Baumel There was a reward for those who didn’t give up: The French sailor suffered the amputation of his right leg in 2025after an accident while providing assistance on the way to the historic Monte Carlo Rally.
The Challenger category, that of the sand prototypes, is a division that suits the Argentinians well. The Cordobans Nicolas Cavigliasso and his wife Valentina Pertegarini They made history by winning the race in 2025, while Zille and Cesana took the lead in the new year. For the Pampa pilot, the partial success is a satisfaction after what happened last year: “Dakar 2025 was very tough for us. We had a lot of technical and assistance problems and that meant we were in an unfavorable position from day one. But still it was a great experience for us because the Dakar always teaches a lot,” commented the man from Pampas, who gave up the 11th stage in 2025 and is now gaining his fifth experience in the race.
“We found a good, powerful rhythm, but that doesn’t mean anything. The race has just started and it is very difficult and long. Don’t break tires, always be neat, take care of the car… that’s the secret“, he told the media at Yanbu Parc Fermé, the start and finish location, because the competition was a burden. On Tuesday, the caravan will walk 504 kilometers from Yanbu to Alula400 km of which are timed.
After the bitter experience that led to defection in 2025 due to obstacles, Zille did not give up. With the help of multiple Argentine rally champion Federico Villagra in tuning the car, winning the South Africa Rally restored confidence and lifted spirits. Statistically, wearing No. 305 in the Taurus was worth a promotion. That wasn’t all: he is now part of the BBR Motorsport team and can look back on a long history with the Dakar Rally.
The cars had a special feature in stage 1: a Pit stop. The shutdown occurred last year and was used again in 2026, with the aim of not observing any vehicle failures leading to delays and cancellations from the start.. The stops lasted four minutes and gave participants the opportunity to change tires. The harshness of the terrain and the new BF Goodrich tires, which will be measured after development in the middle of the test, were the reasons that led the organization to order that the machines stop at kilometer 32 of the special stage, regardless of whether they have changed the tires or not, in order to avoid speculation. The experience will be repeated on Monday and in the eleventh stage.
Baumel’s resilience
The winner of the prologue, the Swede Mattias Ekstrom (Ford Raptor) fell to fourth place in the classifier in the car category, where The De Mévius-Baumel duo celebrated above all others. The arrival of the number 222 Mini in Yanbu was certainly more emotional than the one the duo celebrated in the stage win in 2024 and even in the final podium finish with a second place. After the serious accident that cost the French co-pilot the amputation of his right leg, there was no forecast that the formula would be confirmed for 2026 Baumel expected that he wouldn’t be able to let go of the experience in Saudi Arabia, and it was rewarded.
Four-time winner as Nasser Al-Attiyah’s navigatorOn January 29, 2025, Baumel’s life took a turn: the Frenchman was on his way to the historic Monte Carlo Rally and As he tried to render aid to a car, he was hit by another vehicle. He suffered serious injuries, particularly to his legs.so much so that the right one had to be amputated below the knee. He immediately declared that he would not miss the appointment. dakariana. Together with De Mévius he ran the Baja TT Sharish in Portugal in September and came second; At Baja de Jeddah they reached eighth place at the beginning of December last year.
The challenge is emotional, physical, sporting… A flat tire is a real challenge because getting out of the car in a sandy area requires enormous effort. “It’s not even the same whether the puncture is on the left or right side,” says Baumel about handling the prostheses he wears. It’s not the usual: uses a special part to be able to work faster and on your knees in the event of a breakdown. The cabin also has a custom-made seat that secures the upper part of the prosthesis stably and comfortably, and the diver has been modified. “Sparco has approved some adjustments so that I can change the prosthesis more quickly every time I need to get out of the car.“, emphasized the Frenchman.
For 49 years, his preparation consisted of daily training sessions with physiotherapists to rebuild strength, mobility and concentration. “One of my biggest concerns is the length of the race.. We did a three-day Baja, but compared to today’s 15, that’s very little. It’s completely different. It’s not easy, but my head is ready and the rest will follow,” says Baumel, who received congratulations from the doctors who supported and motivated his participation, although they were surprised at how quickly he got back into action.
“I have the manufacturer of the prosthesis to thank for this, because I have a flexible solution that allows me to stay in the seat without pain. I can separate the upper and lower parts of the prosthesis and decide for myself what is best for each situation.” I can’t quantify how different and difficult everything will be, but I’m not competing just to be there: I’m competing to fight at the top“, he asserted, who has already left his mark.
Canet, the wonder boy
He presented his certificates with the victory in the prologue and afterwards Sanction received by Ross Branch He put his seal back on. The background of Spanish Edgar Canet They claimed he could blend in with the established pilots, but The young man, 20 years old, doesn’t stop beating. With success on the first stage, he became the youngest winner in motorcycle history at the Dakar Rally.
He celebrated in the section that is considered a procedure and now on the hard road where speed and navigation do not take a break. He wasn’t the fastest on the track, but the six-minute speeding penalty received by Botswana Branch resulted in the Catalan losing out on success. The young KTM rider started the journey as planned, with the strategy of positioning himself among the first in the standings and then pushing forward and seeing how far he can breathe.
However, as winner of Rally 2 in 2025, he repeated the Prologue podium finish managed to extend the lead over the pursuers: from his teammate at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, Daniel Sandersthey are separated by 1m02s; 1:32 s, the time it takes Ricky Brabecfrom Monster Energy Honda HRC. Neither more nor less, the last two winners of the Dakar Rally.
“This type of route suits me very well. A very fast stage with different terrain: fast sections, other slow sections with rocks…” Ten kilometers of stones without seeing a grain of sand, you had to be very careful because you could not only break the tire, but also the rim.“, said Canet, who will take the lead in stage 2. He is 3:47 minutes behind the young wonder Luciano Benavidesfrom the official KTM team, which took fifth place in the overall ranking. A solid start from Salta, with good feelings in a race that is just beginning.
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