The only special stage of the Rally-Raid Portugal held on Spanish soil delivered the best performance so far for the EBRO Audax Motorsport team, which climbed as high as 14th place midway through the stage before setbacks affected the final result.
Sanz and Gerini completed the 296 kilometres against the clock in 29th place overall after losing significant time due to two punctures.
Laia Sanz:
“We haven’t managed to complete a clean stage yet, but the overall feeling is positive. The pace was good and we were riding well until we had a puncture.”
The third stage marked more than just the midpoint of the Rally-Raid Portugal, as it was also the only special stage held entirely on Spanish soil. It also represented the first day of positive sensations for Laia Sanz in the second round of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). The Barcelona-born driver and her co-driver Maurizio Gerini ran inside the Top 15, but two punctures — one of them with added complications — dropped them down to 29th overall (scratch) and 15th in the Ultimate category. In the general standings, they now sit 45th overall and 20th in class.
After overcoming the issues from the first two days, EBRO Audax Motorsport delivered its best performance so far on Friday, even if the final result did not reflect it. The conditions were far from ideal, but Sanz and Gerini managed to overcome the challenges and shine in front of the local fans from the early stages.
One of the main drawbacks was their starting position, down in 39th, which meant dealing with significant traffic ahead. Even so, the duo made the most of every opportunity on the Extremadura tracks — a stage featuring 296 km against the clock and 206 km of liaison — to overtake several competitors. Fortunately, the day began with rain, eliminating dust and allowing the Spanish-Italian pair to push harder. Before reaching the halfway point, they were running in 14th place, just over three minutes behind the leader. However, heavy rainfall soon intensified, turning the tracks into a skating rink.
“At the start of the stage, the grip was very good thanks to the damp ground. Then it started pouring and everything changed. In the mountain sections it was extremely slippery, and since we started further back, we encountered even more water than the front runners. Even so, we managed to keep a good pace and overtake several cars,” explained Laia Sanz.
At kilometre 142, the muddy terrain caused the EBRO s800 XRR to slide into a bank, resulting in a tyre debeading. The replacement process was complicated by an issue with the spare wheel mount, costing them significant time and around fifteen positions. It wasn’t their only setback: with 30 kilometres to go, they suffered another puncture, preventing any recovery.
At the Badajoz bivouac, the EBRO Audax Motorsport driver assessed her day:
“We still haven’t managed to complete a clean stage, but the overall feeling is positive. The pace was good and we were riding well until the puncture, which cost us quite a few minutes. It wasn’t an easy day, but the feeling with the EBRO is good. It’s working better every day and we feel more comfortable, so we need to take that and keep working.”
On Saturday, the Rally-Raid Portugal leaves Badajoz and heads back into Portugal, towards Loulé, in the heart of the Algarve. Ahead lies the longest day of the rally, with a total of 637 kilometres, including 315 km of special stage.
Source: EBRO Audax Motorsport
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