Chasing Waypoints

The Dakar Rally is over, but the work behind rally raid never stops. In this episode of Chasing Waypoints, Victor Orellana pulls back the curtain on what actually goes into organizing a rally—long before the first rider ever leaves the start line.

From reconnaissance days in the desert to waypoint validation and route safety, this conversation explores the invisible systems that define whether a rally is fair, challenging, and...

Summary

In this episode, Victor Orellana wraps up the thrilling 2026 Dakar Rally, highlighting the intense competition and dramatic moments that defined the event. He reflects on Ricky Brabeck's heartbreaking near-victory, losing the title by just two seconds after a navigational error just kilometers from the finish line. Despite the disappointment, Orellana celebrates the achievements of other competitors, particularly Preston Cam...

The final stage of the Dakar Rally 2026 is here — and with just 105 kilometers left to race, every second matters.

In this episode, Victor Orellana breaks down Stage 13, previewing the decisive battles across Rally GP, Rally 2, Ultimate Class, and SSV, and explaining exactly what it will take for competitors to defend — or steal — a Dakar podium position.

In Rally GP, Ricky Brabec enters the final stage holding the ...

Stage 12 of the Dakar Rally 2026 delivered a high-pressure showdown as the rally heads into its final day, with razor-thin margins, mechanical drama, and championship implications across multiple categories.

In this episode, Victor Orellana breaks down the Stage 12 results, led by another commanding performance from Ricky Brabec, who secured yet another Rally GP stage win aboard his Monster Energy Honda. With just over 100 kilometer...

Stage 12 of the Dakar Rally 2026 represents a critical moment in the rally, where accumulated fatigue, injuries, and pressure collide with demanding terrain and difficult navigation. With overall standings still in play, this stage has the potential to define the final outcome of Dakar 2026.

In this episode, Victor Orellana breaks down the Stage 12 course, highlighting the mix of sand, dirt tracks, and rocky sections that will test ...

In this episode of Chasing Waypoints, Darren Skilton joins Victor Orellana for an in-depth conversation about what it really takes to race the Dakar Rally.

Often called the Everest of off-road racing, Dakar is far more than just speed. Darren breaks down the realities of Dakar participation — from long-term financial planning and physical and mental preparation, to logistics, team structure, and the importance of building a re...

Stage 11 of the Dakar Rally 2026 delivered one of the most meaningful moments of the rally — Skyler Howes secured his first-ever Dakar stage win, clocking the fastest time aboard his Monster Energy Honda.

In this episode, Victor breaks down the Stage 11 results, highlighting Howes’ milestone victory and the razor-thin margins at the front of the Rally GP field. Adrien Van Beveren finished just 21 seconds behind, undersco...

Stage 11 of the Dakar Rally 2026 is a classic late-rally test—long, fast, and mentally demanding—where positioning, visibility, and navigation discipline matter more than outright aggression.

In this episode, Victor Orellana breaks down Stage 11, a day dominated by dirt tracks, dust, rocks, and vegetation, with a long transfer before the racing even begins. Fatigue is real at this point in the rally, and Stage 11 is desi...

Stage 10 of the Dakar Rally 2026 delivered one of the biggest turning points of the rally so far, with dramatic moments in the dunes reshaping both stage results and the overall standings.

In this episode, Victor breaks down everything that happened on Stage 10, from key crashes and recoveries to major shifts at the top of the leaderboard across bikes, vehicles, and Rally 2.

On two wheels, Adrien Van Beveren claimed the Stage 10 vict...

Stage 10 of the Dakar Rally 2026 marks a decisive moment in the rally as competitors push deeper into the marathon phase and begin fighting to lock in podium positions.

In this episode, Victor Orellana breaks down Stage 10, focusing on the route layout, dune-heavy terrain, navigation challenges, and the strategies riders and crews must adopt to survive a long, sandy day.

This stage features a high percentage of dunes, creating a comp...

Stage Nine of the Dakar Rally 2026 marks the first half of the final Marathon Stage, and with it comes a noticeable shift in strategy, pressure, and risk for competitors across all categories.

In this episode, Victor Orellana breaks down the Stage 9 results, including key performances in the bike and car categories, insights into Rally 2 standings, and what the evolving marathon format means for the days ahead.

On two wheels, Tosha S...

As the Dakar Rally 2026 moves into Stage 9, the rally enters the first half of the Marathon Stage—a critical point where strategy, navigation, and discipline begin to outweigh outright speed.

In this episode, Victor Orellana recaps the Stage 8 results and breaks down what to expect from Stage 9, including a detailed look at the course layout, navigation challenges, and how the marathon format can quickly reshape the standings.

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Stage Eight of the Dakar Rally 2026 proved to be a pivotal moment in the rally, tightening the overall standings and reinforcing just how competitive Dakar 2026 has become.

In this episode, Victor Orellana breaks down the Stage 8 results, highlighting key performances across motorcycles, vehicles, and SSVs, along with the growing impact of penalties as the rally moves deeper into its second half.

On the bike side, Luciano Benavides c...

Stage Eight of the Dakar Rally 2026 pushes the field deeper into the second half of the rally, delivering a long and demanding day that places equal emphasis on navigation, tire management, and strategy.

In this Stage 8 briefing, Victor Orellana breaks down a 721-kilometer day, featuring a challenging mix of dirt tracks, sand, and rocky sections that continue to test both riders and machines. With stony terrain already proving tough...

Stage Seven of the Dakar Rally 2026 delivered one of the longest and most demanding result days of the rally, where endurance, navigation, and discipline mattered more than outright speed.

In this episode, we break down the Stage 7 results across motorcycles, cars, and the SSV category, highlighting how a long, attritional stage reshaped gaps and rewarded consistency.

For the bike category, Stage 7 reinforced how tight Dakar 2026 has...

Stage Seven of the Dakar Rally 2026 delivers one of the longest and most demanding days of the rally, pushing competitors deep into the endurance phase as the race builds toward the Marathon Stage.

In this episode, Victor Orellana breaks down Stage 7, a massive 877 km day featuring a challenging mix of terrain: 59% dirt track, 17% sand, and 15% stone track, with zero asphalt once the selective section begins. While the numbers sugge...

On the Rest Day of the Dakar Rally 2026, Chasing Waypoints host Victor Orellana sits down with Scotty Bloom—founder of the Baja Rally and longtime rally journalist—to break down Dakar 2026 so far and explore where rally racing is headed next.

This wide-ranging conversation covers the realities of modern rally racing: pressure on competitors, tire strategy issues, navigation challenges, and how even top riders can be caug...

Stage Six of the Dakar Rally 2026 delivered a different kind of challenge than expected, proving once again that Dakar doesn’t always punish with terrain — sometimes it punishes with penalties and precision.In this episode, we break down the Stage 6 results, focusing on motorcycle and vehicle performance, navigation challenges from the road book, and how speeding penalties played a major role in reshaping the standings....

Command Central on ChasingWaypoints.comhttps://www.chasingwaypoints.com/2026...Stage 6 of the Dakar Rally 2026 is a decisive sand stage, taking competitors from Ha'il to Riyadh on a day where the selective section is 100% sand.After an early start and a long liaison, the route drops into the Qassim region, where riders and drivers enter fast dune systems and sandy tracks that continue all the way to the ASS. The stage blends high-s...