With the arrival in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, where he will enjoy a well-deserved rest day, Bruno Santos, a rider supported by Frutas Patrícia Pilar, completed today — in very positive fashion — his participation in the first week of the 2026 Dakar Rally. Today’s leg, contested between Ha’il and Riyadh, was the sixth stage, the longest of this edition, and included a timed special of 326 kilometres.
“Today was a very long day. We set off still in the dark, a little after 4:00 in the morning, with a long liaison to the start of the special. The special was beautiful and interesting, but it was entirely on sand and dunes, and therefore very physically demanding. I caught up with some riders. We were then able to make the most of each other all the way to the finish, which ends up making the riding more fluid. We still had a long liaison after the stage. It was more than 900 km in total, and with this we close out a very tough first week that has already left many riders by the wayside, and others with problems who have dropped a lot in the standings. My strategy worked: to get here without problems and well placed. The bike is also in good shape. I’m happy with this first week. I’m still inside the Top 20 with a bit of breathing room and I hope to keep improving a little more next week. Tomorrow I have the rest day to recover physically. The Dakar is only halfway through and there’s still a lot of racing ahead,” stresses the rider supported by Momento TT, who is contesting the Dakar aboard a Husqvarna 450 Rally, holding eighth place in Rally 2 and a Top 20 position in the overall standings, which he moved into as early as Stage 4.
The Dakar Rally 2026 convoy will overnight in Riyadh and remain in the Saudi capital throughout tomorrow, when competitors will be able to enjoy the rest day and take stock of the first part of the event.
Oficial Press Release
Photo: EdoPhoto
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