The hopes of back-to-back Dakar wins for Yarra Ranges rally-raid champion Daniel “Chucky” Sanders were crushed after a dangerous crash left him with major injuries.
Racing from the Bivouac Refuge to Bisha in stage 10 of the 2026 Dakar Rally, Sanders hit the sand hard as he soared over a huge dune, breaking his sternum and collarbone.
Despite the injury, he’s vowed to finish the race, telling the ABC that his parents “didn’t raise no quitter”.
“Mum and Dad didn’t raise no quitter, so I’m not pulling out now until someone else tells me to pull out, or they drag me out of the race. I’m not stopping.”
Sanders crashed 138 kilometres into stage 10 and rival Ricky Brabec was at his side, helping the Three Bridges local back onto his Red Bull KTM to finish the stage.
The crash saw Sanders fall from first place overall to fourth and trails leader Brabec by 17 minutes.
