On a less than happy day for the bp Ultimate Adventure Team, the riders faced the eighth stage of the 2026 Dakar Rally, held around Wadi ad-Dawasir, on a particularly demanding journey that included a 236-kilometer link and a selective 481-kilometer sector, the longest in this edition of the race.
Martim Ventura, official HRC Honda rider, achieved an excellent second place in the Rally 2 category, finishing just 15 seconds behind the category winner, and is still 10th in the overall classification. With this result, the young Portuguese rider moves up to 5th place among Rally 2 riders and 14th overall, continuing to improve his ranking.
"Today was tough. We did the longest special stage of the entire Dakar, which was 481 km. I tried to keep up a strong pace throughout the course. At the beginning, I lost a bit of time getting into the rhythm, but at the end of the stage, I tried to push harder. I lost about 15 seconds to the Rally 2 category leader, but I'm happy with my performance. Tomorrow is a marathon stage and we have to be extra careful because these stages have proven to be tough on both the machines and the physical condition," revealed the young driver from the bp Ultimate Adventure Team.
In the SSV category, the day was unfortunately marked by the withdrawal of Gonçalo Guerreiro, official Polaris driver, navigated by Maykel Justo. The young driver from the bp Ultimate Adventure Team suffered an accident during the special stage, on a particularly tough day. The driver was in second place after 45 km, but at km 50 he suffered an accident and had to be transported by helicopter to the camp due to a broken arm.
The 9th stage of the 2026 Dakar will connect Wadi ad-Dawasir to Bisha, with a timed special stage of 410 kilometers. This day marks the beginning of the second marathon stage of the Dakar Rally and will be a true test of physical, mental, and mechanical endurance for drivers and machines. On this first day, the routes will be rocky and treacherous at times, culminating in a spectacular dune crossing. As in the first week of the race, this marathon will take place on separate routes for the FIM and FIA categories.
Source: Official Press Release
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