The Desafío Ruta 40 YPF 2026 caravan returned to San Juan after the fourth stage, which ran from San Rafael (Mendoza) to San Juan. Daniel Sanders retains the lead in the bikes category, but the car category remains wide open, with just 7 seconds separating Seth Quintero from Nasser Al Attiyah. Tomorrow will bring the race’s decisive moment and the podium ceremony in San Juan’s Plaza 25 de Mayo starting at 5 p.m.
The 13th edition of the Desafío Ruta 40 YPF is in its final stretch. But that doesn’t mean anything is decided yet. In the motorcycle category, Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) added some suspense to his dominance by losing several minutes after a navigation error. In the cars category, the race lead changed hands for the fourth time, and now it is Seth Quintero (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC) who is in the lead ahead of Nasser Al Attiyah (The Dacia Sandriders).
Today’s stage covered a total of 647 kilometers, 306 of which were timed. The day began very early at the San Rafael Convention and Exhibition Center and ended at the San Juan Villicum Circuit, after more than 8 hours of racing in the foothills.
Schareina Puts Pressure on Sanders, and Quintero Wins by a Hair
Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy Honda HRC) broke Sanders’ dominance and won the fourth stage of the race ahead of her teammates Ricky Brabec (+1’18”) and Skyler Howes (+3’10”).
Daniel Sanders, who opened the stage, made a navigation error around kilometer 39. The overall leader lost 9 minutes. However, he was able to make up time to cross the finish line 6 minutes and 2 seconds behind the winner.
The Australian remains at the top of the overall standings, followed by Schareina, but the new third-place rider in the competition is now Ricky Brabec, pushing Argentine Luciano Benavides (Red Bull KTM Factory) out of the final podium spot.
In the cars category, Carlos Sainz -Daniel Oliveras (Ford Racing) bounced back from yesterday’s retirement and secured their first stage victory with the Blue Oval brand, finishing ahead of Eryk Goczal-Szymon Gospodarczyk (Energylandia Rally Team, 30 seconds behind). This was also the first victory for the American manufacturer’s factory team in the Desafío Ruta 40 YPF.
In the overall standings, Seth Quintero-Andrew Short (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC) climbed to the top of the leaderboard, becoming the fourth different overall leader in as many stages. On the eve of the final day of competition, the gap between the leader and his closest challengers, Nasser Al Attiyah-Fabian Lurquin (The Dacia Sandriders), is just 7 seconds. In third place, Henk Lategan-Brett Cummings (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC) remain in contention, 1m53 behind.
Voices from the Bivouac
Tosha Schareina: “I’m happy, but the truth is that after the first 100 km there were a lot of rocks, a lot of rough terrain, and I think I made a few mistakes. There was also a very dusty section, but I managed to get ahead and led from the refueling stop to the finish. It’s a shame there wasn’t a bonus because I led for a good part of the stage. It’s incredible to see all the Argentine fans cheering us on. We really appreciate that, and every time we come to Argentina, that’s what we want.”
Daniel Sanders: “Unfortunately, the road book was wrong for me at km 30 , when I was high at the monolith, I took the road on the left, it was the wrong one and had to go back and lost a couple of minutes. Then I got the next one on the left and that was the correct one. After that first mistake I lost the mindset. And I made another mistake and had to go back another 4 km. I was also stuck in the dust. Not an awesome day, but still fun.”
Carlos Sainz: “This is our first victory together with Dani, after yesterday’s disappointment of having to retire. Being the first ones on the track tomorrow is a good way to continue our process of getting to know each other as well as possible as we prepare for the Dakar. Dani and I work well together, which is why we wanted to come here to rack up some miles. The people here are always so welcoming.”
Seth Quintero: “It’s just 1 day, 7 seconds. We are in a good starting order. For sure, it won’t be easy with Nasser behind us.”
Stage 5 description: San Juan – San Juan ( 320km selective section and 232km road section)
The final stage of the 2026 Desafío Ruta 40 YPF will be no walk in the park, but a 320-kilometre stage that will decide the winners of this year’s event. The speed section begins near the imposing Cuesta del Viento, skirting a stretch of water along a winding, bumpy track that winds its way through a landscape of colourful mountains and sandy ground, typical of the region. They will then go through high-altitude trails, small streams and several spots where navigation will be crucial.
Towards the end, the race enters the classic ‘open desert’ of San Juan province, combining tracks with sparse vegetation and dry riverbeds that will force riders and drivers to stay focused and maintain constant attention on the roads and trails to avoid losing their way. Nothing will be decided until the very last kilometre.
Prize-Giving Ceremony
This Friday will see the race’s grand finale and the podium ceremony. The event will take place at Plaza 25 de Mayo. A press conference with the competition’s winners will be held at 4:30 p.m., while the awards ceremony for the winners of the 13th edition of the Desafío Ruta 40 YPF will begin at 5:00 p.m.
Source: Desafio Ruta 40
Photo: Paco Foto Agencia
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