Reigning Dakar Rally and World Rally-Raid Champion, Daniel Sanders, has crashed on stage 10, resulting in a suspected broken collarbone and sternum. Gritting his teeth to finish the stage, the Australian goes out of contention for the Tuareg Trophy.

The Dakar-winning trophy will go to a fresh rider in 2026 after race leader and reigning champion, Daniel Sanders, has crashed heavily on stage 10 of the race.

The Red Bull KTM rider was in a lead group of riders tackling soft, sand dunes when he hit the ground hard breaking a collarbone and an already injured sternum.

“At 140ks I went over the top of a dune and it was pretty scary, I almost landed on Tosha. We all missed it.” Explained Chucky at the finish. “I knew the collarbone was broken and also the sternum, I had no power in the upper part of my body and it wasn’t nice at all ,especially in the dunes.”

Respect to Ricky Brabec

When Sanders crashed, he was riding with Honda factory rider Tosha Schareina, BAS KTM rider Michael Docherty and two-time Dakar champion and chief rival for victory in 2026, Ricky Brabec.

At the point of the crash the Honda rider Brabec stopped to check Chucky was ok and picked his KTM up for him. Huge kudos to the American for helping his main rival to the Dakar title without a blink. Ricky was later awarded the time back.

 

“I’m not pulling out now unless someone tells me to or they pull me out of the race.”

“Unfortunately, we’ve let the rally go now.” Adds Sanders who will be assessed by medics and his team tonight as to whether it is safe to continue. “We’ll re-evaluate the injuries with the team and the situation and see if it is safe to continue, I guess.

“I want to continue, I wouldn’t have finished today if I didn’t want to continue and finish the rally. But, it is what it is. I’ve let the team down and myself down but we’re still surviving. It’s a big disappointment but we’re not quitters.”  

Asked how much it hurts to ride, Chucky said, “I can’t lift my arm up at all. It’s not nice when the bone’s snapped and poking in in the skin. I just focus on the riding. Yeah, it’s a lot of pain but it makes you stronger. Mum and dad didn’t raise me a quitter so I’m not pulling out now unless someone tells me to or they pull me out of the race.

“I don’t know if it not safe to continue. I just did 150ks or something with it like this. I think it’s all rocks from now so I can just stand up and cruise along.”

Stand up and cruise along on a rally bike, at the Dakar, with a broken collarbone and sternum…

 

Photo Credit: Edo Photo