Stage 2 of the bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal turned into a brutal showdown for the motorcycle competitors, with riders crossing the finish line on shredded tyres after an unforgiving day in the saddle. KTM remains in front, but Honda continues to threaten.
Daniel Sanders (KTM 450 Rally) and Tosha Schareina (Honda CRF 450 Rally) fought tooth and nail for victory all the way to the final kilometre of the 429 km timed stage. In the end, Sanders emerged fastest — by just four seconds! “It was a very long day. The last 60 km in Spain were extremely slippery. The course was technical and really fun. It’s important to carry a good advantage into tomorrow, which will be just as tough,” said the Australian. Schareina went flat out but still conceded 25s to the overall leader.
Honda teammate Ricky Brabec finished third: “A very long stage, with quite different terrain once we crossed into Spain. The final part was tough because I was out of tyres and had to slow down,” explained the American.
Portugal’s Bruno Santos (Husqvarna FR450 Rally) delivered a superb ride, finishing 7th on the longest stage and climbing to 2nd in the Rally2 category, beating several riders on the more powerful RallyGP machines. “I started well and pushed all the way. The main difficulty was catching another rider’s dust, which cost me time, especially in the slower sections and between the trees,” said Santos. Gonçalo Amaral (Honda CRF 450) also impressed, running 2nd in Rally3 and 16th overall.
The day, however, also brought heavy casualties. World Rally-Raid Champion Ross Branch (Hero 450 Rally) was forced to retire after a dramatic crash, while Adrien Van Beveren (Honda CRF 450 Rally) also withdrew following a violent fall that left him with a shoulder injury. Tobias Ebster (Hero 450 Rally) chose to retire voluntarily.
Photo: ImagensDesportivas.com
Informations source: ACP Motorsport
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