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Dakar 2026 Field Set: Yacopini Withdraws, Peterhansel Back in Stock-Class Land Rover

Set to start January 3 in Saudi Arabia, the 8,000 km rally features a 20-strong Argentine contingent across categories.

Overview

  • The 48th Dakar Rally runs January 3–17 with start and finish in Yanbu on a route of about 8,000 km, including roughly 4,800 km of timed stages.
  • Argentina’s delegation totals 20 entrants spread across motos, autos, Challenger, Side by Side, Dakar Classic and the Mission 1000 electric class.
  • Argentina’s leading Ultimate-category driver Juan Cruz Yacopini will not compete after a recent diving accident that caused spinal injuries.
  • Fourteen-time winner Stéphane Peterhansel returns in a Land Rover Defender entered in the new Stock (production) autos class.
  • The motorcycle field lists 148 riders, with Argentina represented by Luciano Benavides, Juan Santiago Rostan and Leonardo Cola, while Kevin Benavides moves to cars in the Challenger category.