After a few complicated days for both young riders from the bp Ultimate Adventure Team, the particularly demanding leg contested between Ha’il and Riyadh — Stage 6 of the 2026 Dakar Rally — saw both Martim Ventura and Gonçalo Guerreiro climb back towards the top positions.
Following what was the longest stage of this 48th edition of the event, with competitors tackling 331 timed kilometers on a selective section run entirely on sand, plus a further 589 liaison kilometers, Martim Ventura moved up to seventh in Rally2 and Gonçalo Guerreiro is now fifth in the SSV category. Both will have the chance to improve these standings in the second half of the rally, which now pauses for a rest day in the Saudi capital.
In Rally2, Martim Ventura, an official HRC Honda rider, once again showed consistency and competitiveness by finishing the stage fifth among the class contenders. This result allowed the bp Ultimate Adventure Team rider to climb to seventh in the category’s overall standings.
In SSV, Gonçalo Guerreiro — an official Polaris rider, navigated by Maykel Justo — completed the special in fourth place, just 3m34s behind the day’s category winner. With this result, the young bp Ultimate Adventure Team rider moved up to fifth overall in SSV, staying in the fight for the top spots.
Tomorrow, the Dakar caravan observes the rest day in Riyadh — an important moment for riders’ physical recovery and for a thorough overhaul of the machines before the start of the second half of the event. After the break, competitors will still have seven more days of tough racing to face before reaching the final finish line.
Official Press Release
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