------------------------------------------------------
In the bikes, Bruno Santos (Husqvarna FE450), Micael Simão (Gas Gas EC 500F) and André Sérgio (Beta 480 Race) fought closely for the win throughout the 287 timed kilometres. Bruno Santos was the fastest early on, but in the final kilometres, Micael Simão took the lead, won the stage, and was crowned absolute national cross-country champion. “The bike is incredible, but it was hard to manage the pace because the goal was to finish and secure the title. It’s going to be an amazing feeling to have the number one plate next year. We have the best Baja championship in Europe, and after this title, my plan is to compete in rally-raid next year and race the Dakar in 2027,” he said.
Over the combined two stages, André Sérgio (Beta 480 Race) was the provisional winner of the bp Ultimate Baja Portalegre 500, but a penalty dropped him to fourth place. “I missed a braking point, went straight, and hit a tree — even so, it was the race of my life,” explained the rider, who received a 3m26s penalty for exceeding the liaison time limit imposed by the organisers.
As a result, Bruno Santos moved up to second place. “I had great fun. The beginning was tough, but I adapted and managed to keep a fast pace,” he said. Bernardo Megre completed the podium.
Tomás Paulo (Yamaha YFZ450R) took victory among the quads, while José Hélio (Can Am Maverick R) won the SSV category under the Portuguese Motorcycling Federation.
In the Baja Promotion & Hobby class, competitors faced a 166 km selective sector. Fábio Matos (Yamaha YZ450F) won among the bikes, Rúben Rodrigues (Yamaha YFZ 450) triumphed in the quads (3rd overall), and Victor Lopes (Segway Villain SX10) was the best SSV (4th overall).
Source: ACP Motorsport
Photos: ImagensDesportivas.pt
Disclaimer:
As a service to the sport we all love and follow, Rally-Raid Network posts numerous media releases from a wide variety of sources on our website. Due to the large number, and some times short time available, it is nearly impossible to review each public release. These articles are written by reporters or press officers who work for various organizers, teams, drivers, riders, and other parties, and they do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rally-Raid Network.
