The South West Road Races Athea Facebook Page has issued a statement re the plans for their 2026 event…
12th 13th September | Motorcycle Road Racing Returns to Athea
We are excited to announce finally the long awaited return of motorcycle road racing to Athea with the South West Road Races taking place on 12th 13th September.
After far too long away the roads of Athea will once again echo with the sound speed and spectacle that only real road racing can deliver. Two full days of high octane action on fast demanding public roads backed by passionate crowds and an unbeatable atmosphere.
As the dust settles over Riyadh for the traditional mid-point Rest Day, the 2026 Dakar Rally has already lived up to its reputation as the world’s most gruelling race. From the labyrinthine canyons of AlUla to the daunting dunes of the Empty Quarter, the first week has been a masterclass in survival, navigation, and raw speed.
Here is the TBNI.Blog mid-rally report on the state of play as we head into the decisive second week.
Official results and standings are taken from the Dakar website and verified race reporting.
The first half of the 2026 edition has been defined by the razor-thin margins in the Motorbike category and a changing of the guard in the Cars. While the heavy hitters have largely kept their machines in one piece, the “Marathon” stages have already claimed several high-profile victims.
The story of the week is undoubtedly the resurgence of Daniel “Chucky” Sanders. After a victory in 2025, the Australian has shown immense composure, fending off a ferocious four-pronged attack from the Monster Energy Honda HRC squad. In the Car category, the debut of The Dacia Sandriders has turned the leaderboard on its head, with Nasser Al-Attiyah proving that a new manufacturer doesn’t mean a slower pace.
One of the more exciting events in motorsports is coming. The perfect way to bring in the New Year! The 48th Edition of the Dakar is about to start!
The Start Ramp and Prologue will be held on Saturday 3rd January 2026, with Stage 1 taking place on Sunday 4th January 2026.
The Dakar is one of the, if not the, most famous endurance races on the planet and with everything from bikes to trucks taking on one of the toughest navigation rallies ever conceived there is something for every genre of motorsport fan.
This year the route has been described by the Dakar Organisation as :
With the 2026 edition’s route, we are certainly at the highest standards, as the record for kilometres covered in special stages, in the time the rally has been held in Saudi Arabia, will be nearly matched. Drivers and crews will not escape fatigue, and they must also demonstrate their skill in handling all types of sand, and tracks of all kinds. On the other hand, the decision to reduce the number of bivouacs means they will be greeted by support teams that are more often rested and ready to go as soon as they arrive. Along with the variety of challenges, a concern for balance also guided the route’s design. Therefore, the introduction of a new variant of marathon stages, with an overnight stay in a bivouac, required that one be set up in the middle of each week of the race. Similarly, intense stages are followed by opportunities to take a breather on both sides of the rest day, while not striving for absolute symmetry.
YANBU, A REGULAR STOP Dakar competitors became acquainted with Yanbu in the final stretch of the 2021 edition. And it was also near this town that the first Sea Camp was established in 2023, adopting the concept of an XXL bivouac that brought together all the event’s participants in one location in the days leading up to the race. Since then, Yanbu has also hosted the final stage of the 2024 Dakar Rally. It is now the starting point for a vast loop, which will end as it begins: to the sound of the gentle lapping of the Red Sea waves.
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