Victorian Daniel Sanders has one hand on the Dakar Rally trophy in Saudi Arabia

Victorian Daniel Sanders has one hand on the Dakar Rally trophy heading into the race’s final stage of riding tonight.

Daniel Sanders had one hand on the Dakar Rally winner’s trophy heading into the race’s penultimate stage on Thursday, as the Victorian looked to secure a historic victory on two wheels.

Sanders started the 12th day of racing yesterday with a 16-minute lead over his rivals.

The course – a 300km route dominated by dunes – was the rally’s final major test.

The final stage on Friday, a 61km ride to the finish line, should be less competitive: racers often opt to preserve their position instead of trying to hunt down those in front – especially if the margin is significant.

It means that, barring any issues on his KTM motorbike or an unexpected challenge, the Yarra Valley racer would be in prime position to become Australia’s second ever Dakar winner – and the first from Victoria.

Daniel Sanders has one hand on the trophy. Picture: Valery HACHE / AFP

Sanders, 30, who has led the general standings since the first stage back on January 3, will be dreaming of the reward for a near-flawless two-week race through some of the world’s toughest terrain.

With a mix of cunning and calculation – but above all speed – he was the fastest of all motorbike riders in five of the race’s 12 stages to last night.

It ranked among the most successful performances in Dakar history, allowing him to build a lead that had never been seriously challenged.

“Bike’s fine and the rider’s good,” he said after extending his lead on Wednesday.

“We’re happy.”

Daniel Sanders on rest day at Dakar.

This year’s race has seen the typically-high attrition rate of Dakar and Sanders’ race has required the focus and luck of a champion-hopeful.

Rivals on motorbikes, as well as others in car and truck categories, have been felled in dramatic daily crashes.

Of Sanders’ 20 opponents in the top motorbike class at the race’s start, only nine remained heading into yesterday.

The approach of the finish line has not allowed racers to relax their focus, though, with the final stages cutting across a vast expanse of Saudi desert known as the Empty Quarter – a barren sand sea in the country’s south which ranks among the world’s inhospitable areas.

There has been some tough terrain to navigate. Picture: KTM

Competitors have been compelled to push for hours through dunes in exhausting conditions that push riders and their machines to the limit.

Aside from some navigational issues Sanders has enjoyed a mostly issue-free Dakar race, mastering conditions that have caught out past champions.

He had earnt a reputation among fans and rivals for his calmness and composure under pressure.

At the finish, racers will have covered nearly 8000km – the equivalent of riding from Sydney to Perth and back.

They will have crossed multiple horizons, through thick sand and between vast canyons, around desert camps and along the outskirts of Saudi Arabia’s vibrant capital Riyadh.

Before flying out in December Sanders, speaking from the garage of his Three Bridges family home, called Dakar “the ultimate adventure”.

“To be on the top step is what I came into rally for,” he said.

Now, just one ride stands between him and achieving his goal – and etching his name into motor racing history.

Originally published as Victorian Daniel Sanders has one hand on the Dakar Rally trophy in Saudi Arabia