Young Spanish rider Edgar Canet continued his impressive form at the Dakar Rally by winning Stage 1, strengthening his overall lead in his first appearance at the top level. Riding for KTM, Canet followed up his prologue victory with another strong and confident performance.
Although Ross Branch set the fastest time over the 305 km stage, a six-minute speeding penalty dropped him out of the win. The stage podium remained the same as the prologue but with bigger gaps, as Canet finished ahead of Daniel Sanders and Ricky Brabec, both former Dakar winners.
In the Rally2 category, KTM rider Michael Docherty claimed his 11th class victory. He beat rookie Martim Ventura, who led much of the stage on his Honda but lost time in the final section and finished 1 minute 28 seconds behind.