Isle of Man TT racer forced out of 2026 Dakar Rally with opening stage injury

One-time Isle of Man TT race winner James Hillier has been forced to retire from the 2026 Dakar Rally following a crash on the opening stage of the event.

This year’s edition is Hillier’s third attempt at the Dakar, but it has forced his first retirement from the event. In 2023, his debut year, he crashed and dislocated his shoulder on the sixth stage, but continued and finished the rally; and in 2025 he finished despite breaking his nose on the opening stage.

Beginning this year’s event, Hillier finished 52nd in the Prologue on Saturday, and was 59th in the Stage 1 standings on Sunday.

However, the Stage 1 finish followed a crash at around the 250km mark that resulted in an arm injury for Hillier. It was not discovered until after he had reached the finish of the stage that he had broken his arm, an injury that forced his retirement from the 2026 Dakar.

Hillier’s debut Dakar Rally, in 2023, saw him compete on a GasGas, but the last two years he has ridden a Kove 450 Rally, the production version of which can be bought for £8,500 and weighs in at 155kg. The bike’s single-cylinder 449cc engine produces 42bhp and 26lb-ft of torque.

At the front of the 2026 Dakar’s RallyGP bike category, class rookie Edgar Canet took victory in both the Prologue and Stage 1 to lead after Sunday.

His Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate and 2025 winner Daniel Sanders won Stage 2, though, and leads overall after Monday’s running. Canet now sits 30 seconds off the win, while HRC’s Ricky Brabec is third and 2’18’’ behind Sanders.

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