The 483 km special, the longest stage of the rally so far, presented a challenging mix of terrains, including sand, rocks, and strong winds and dust in the final 50 km. Despite the harsh conditions, Theric maintained smooth and composed handling throughout, a testament to the KOVE 450 Rally Ex's resilience and performance on rough terrain.

A Major Victory on Stage 8

On Jan 12, #66 Neels Theric rode the KOVE 450RALLY EX to another R2 stage victory. That makes it three Rally2 stage wins for KOVE at Dakar 2026. Neels said he felt great on the bike and honestly enjoyed the ride. Staying that smooth and composed out there says a lot about how the 450 Rally Ex handles the rough stuff.

Tough Conditions Take Their Toll

The rally, which started with 115 motorcycle riders (100 in Rally2 and 15 in GP), has already seen 18 retirements following SS8. The SS4–SS5 Marathon stage proved particularly brutal, with 9 retirements across the two days.