Andorra Racers Shine and Struggle in Dakar Rally 2026 Stages 2-4

Andorra-based competitors in the Dakar Rally 2026 continued their mix of triumphs and troubles through Stages 2-4, with Tosha Schareina securing back-to-back stage wins to claim the motorcycle lead, while Guillaume de Mévius and Mathieu Baumel endured mounting mechanical setbacks.

The rally opened strongly for the Orran team residents on Stage 1, a 518km run with 305km timed. De Mévius and Baumel won by 40 seconds over Nasser Al-Attiyah. Teammate Cristina Gutiérrez placed 15th. In motorcycles, Edgar Canet took the victory after Ross Branch's penalty, leading overall by 1:05 over Daniel Sanders and 1:37 ahead of Ricky Brabec. Schareina was fourth, 2:12 back, Adrien Van Beveren eighth at 5:52 off, and Lorenzo Santolino lost time in falls.

Stage 2 on Monday, from Yanbu to Alula with 400km timed, saw Canet open track for nearly 100km and suffer a minor fall, handing the bike lead to Sanders; Canet fell to second, 30 seconds behind. De Mévius and Baumel placed 12th, dropping to third overall, 1:09 off Al-Attiyah, who led after Seth Quintero's stage win. Gutiérrez was ninth on the day, 15th general at 10:34 back. Schareina took fifth to hold fourth, 4:41 adrift. Van Beveren crashed heavily, slipping to 10th at 14:09 off. Santolino retired at km 313 after bike damage.

Stage 3 on Tuesday, an Alula loop with 421km timed and 315km liaison, delivered mixed fortunes. Schareina won despite a heavy fall, surging to third overall, 1:13 behind new bike leader Sanders. Canet lost navigation references in rocky terrain, eased off for safety, finished seventh at 11:44 back, and dropped to fourth, 8:46 off the pace. Van Beveren was eighth on stage, holding eighth general at 23:26 behind. De Mévius and Baumel punctured a wheel, losing over two hours and 20 minutes to winner Mitch Guthrie, who took the car lead; they plummeted to 60th overall, with Mévius stating the rally was effectively over. Gutiérrez advanced to fifth on stage and seventh general, 5:59 back.

Thursday's marathon Stage 4, a 417km timed loop in Alula, saw Schareina open track for half the special yet claim victory, seizing the outright bike lead—tied with Brabec on overall time. Canet placed eighth, losing 3:49 to stay fourth, now 11:22 behind. Van Beveren was ninth on stage and general, 27:24 adrift. Gutiérrez finished 19th, dropping to 10th at 25:18 back. De Mévius and Baumel faced fresh mechanical failures that stopped them multiple times but pressed on to finish.

Stage 5 awaits.