Ferreira wins stage as Loeb holds the lead
Schareina keeps his bearings and takes victory
Stage 4 marked the return to Portugal. Crews left Badajoz heading for Loulé, with a demanding 317-kilometre selective section reshuffling the standings. João Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro (Toyota) were the big winners of the day. The Portuguese duo climbed to third place overall in the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal. Finishing second on the stage, just 18 seconds behind Ferreira, Sébastien Loeb and Édouard Boulanger (Dacia) consolidated their overall lead, while Guy Botterill and Oriol Mena (Toyota) came in third, 1m18s back, after leading much of the selective section. In the bikes category, Tosha Schareina (Honda) took the win, with Daniel Sanders (KTM) maintaining the overall lead, while Portugal’s Bruno Santos (Husqvarna) lost positions after a crash left him without navigation equipment.
At the end of the stage, Ferreira was pleased with his performance but uncertain about the overall outcome: “We won the stage and scored points for the championship. The race only ends tomorrow and I don’t know where we stand overall. We still have the Algarve stage, so we’ll see,” he said. Looking ahead to the final day, Ferreira promised to push: “We’ve raced in tomorrow’s area before, but I don’t know what kind of tracks we’ll face. We’ll try to attack and take points from the stage.”
Overall leader Sébastien Loeb was also satisfied with his performance: “It was difficult, with a lot of mud on the tracks and plenty of water, but I had a very good stage. I tried to push and do the best possible job. As I don’t have the times, I don’t know where Quintero is, but we’ll see,” concluded the Frenchman.
Alexandre Pinto and Bernardo Oliveira (Taurus) secured another stage win in the Challenger category—finishing eighth overall—ahead of Charles Munster/Xavier Panseri (KTM) and teammates Pedro Gonçalves and Hugo Magalhães (Taurus). In SSV, Luís Cidade and Valter Cardoso (Can-Am) lived up to the saying “third time’s the charm,” claiming their third stage win of the rally. The Portuguese duo led a strong national contingent that continues to dominate the category, followed by João Monteiro and Nuno Morais (Can-Am), and Miguel Barbosa and Joel Lutas (Polaris), who move into the category lead. It was a day to forget for Luís Portela Morais and David Megre (Polaris), who were forced to retire from the lead due to electrical issues.
In the Stock class, Sara Price and Sean Berriman (Defender) repeated their victory, while Stéphane Peterhansel and Michael Metge (Defender) remain in the lead despite losing more than three minutes to Rokas Baciuska (Defender), who sits second.
Navigation troubles hit top contenders
In the bike category, Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) and Edgar Canet (KTM) struggled with navigation and lost time. Bruno Santos (Husqvarna) was unable to avoid a crash at kilometre 61—which caused him to lose his navigation device—and was also ruled out of contention for the stage win.
Without losing his bearings, Tosha Schareina (Honda) attacked from the start. The Spaniard reduced the gap to Daniel Sanders (KTM), who lost 1m29s by the end of the timed section but still retained the overall lead. Van Beveren was the best of those affected by issues, finishing just 2m13s behind the stage winner.
After the finish, Sanders admitted the time loss: “It was another wet day. Towards the end I made some mistakes, missed a few waypoints and had to go back to find them. I lost some time, which Tosha probably took advantage of, so I had to push in the last 100 kilometres to avoid losing more,” he said. Looking ahead to the final day, Sanders was somewhat relieved not to be opening the stage: “It’s good not to have to open the stage in an area that’s new to me. With the rain, it’s easier to see the lines and understand if the rider ahead is losing traction. That helps gauge corner speed and builds confidence. I’ll give it everything tomorrow—I’m really excited. I’m sure it will go down to the final kilometre, and I’m ready.”
After securing his second stage win of this edition, Tosha Schareina explained his approach: “Today was a day to attack, and it wasn’t easy. I opened the stage and it was very slippery. My goal was to gain as much time as possible. I managed almost a minute and a half. Tomorrow will be flat out and then we’ll see what happens,” said the Honda rider.
Today’s result virtually rules Bruno Santos out of the overall podium fight, but it is still enough to keep him in the Rally2 lead, ahead of Martim Ventura (Honda)—who won the stage—and Neels Theric (Kove). In the Rally3 category, Gonçalo Amaral (Honda) took the stage win ahead of Murun Purevdorj (KTM) and his brother Salvador Amaral (Honda). In the Quads, Adomas Gancierius (CFMoto) won the stage and strengthened his overall lead.
Final stage in the Algarve set for a thrilling finish
The 101-kilometre stage in the Algarve promises challenging tracks and potential changes in the standings. Spectators will have access to several viewing zones to follow the action live. The first bike is scheduled to start at 7:30, with the first car at 9:55. The final arrivals at the end of the last selective section are expected at 12:00 for bikes and 13:50 for cars. Once the competitive action concludes, the podium ceremony will take place at Vilamoura Marina from 13:00 onwards.
Source: ACP Motorsport
Photos: Rally-Raid Network / ImagensDesportivas.pt
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