The Nihuil dunes took center stage during the third stage of Desafío Ruta 40 YPF, on an intense and demanding day that marked the long-awaited return of the competition to San Rafael, Mendoza, after a decade. The competitors faced a challenging course involving both sand and navigation, putting on a first-rate show in one of the most iconic areas of rally raid racing in the country. Tomorrow, the convoy will head back to San Juan to enter the final stretch of the competition, which counts toward the third round of the World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC).
Dunes, snow, fast-paced trails, dry riverbeds, and dramatic twists. The third day of competition in Desafío Ruta 40 YPF had it all. The only thing that didn’t change was the leader in the motorcycle category: Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Rally Factory) won his third consecutive stage and is pulling away, while in the car category, Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC) took the lead. Tomorrow, the race returns to San Juan.
The second day of Desafío Ruta 40 YPF 2026 in Mendoza was a real celebration. Both in the iconic dunes of Nihuil Desert and around the Centro de Congresos y Exposiciones in the city of San Rafael, where, just like yesterday, a crowd gathered to meet their idols and enjoy all the excitement of the race camp.
The competition held its third stage, which started and finished in San Rafael after covering a total of 575 kilometers, 409 of which were timed.
Sanders, Unstoppable. Lategan in the Lead
Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) remains unbeatable in the DR40. The Australian rider had to open the road through the dunes, but that didn’t stop him from claiming victory and finishing 58 seconds ahead of Luciano Benavides (Red Bull KTM Rally Factory), securing a one-two finish for KTM! The Argentinian was faster than the Australian, but Sanders’ 2m50s time bonus allowed him to finish ahead.
Monster Energy Honda rider Tosha Schareina finished 2m37s behind and rounded out the day’s podium. The Spaniard remains in second place, 13m38s behind the leader and 2m20s ahead of Benavides.
Dramatic twists. The Nihuil Dunes took center stage on the day and caused quite a few headaches.
Without a doubt, one of the major highlights of this 13th edition was the run through the Nihuil Dunes, which wreaked havoc in the Ultimate category. Carlos Sainz (Ford Racing), with a broken belt, was forced to retire. In addition, a collision between Lucas Moraes (The Dacia Sandriders) and the race leader, Joao Ferreira (Toyota Gazoo Racing SA), dashed both drivers’ hopes, as it forced both of them to retire.
In contrast, Henk Lategan (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC) had a great day, winning the special stage—for the first time in Desafío Ruta 40—and becoming the new leader in the overall standings on Ultimate.
Voices from the bivouac
Daniel Sanders: “It was a long stage; we knew we were in for a tough challenge today, especially with a new section of dunes in a new country. Every desert is a little different, but this one was really challenging. There was a lot of vegetation in the dunes and some very rugged sections with grass and bushes. It was really hard to navigate there, and actually, it was great because I’d never seen ice in the sand before, and there was a bit of snow there too.
We had a good mix of sand, dunes—both fast and rough sections—and also fast dirt roads, and it was really nice passing through a mountain range that took us quite high up.”
Henk Lategan: “It was a truly challenging stage, a demanding one. The route was winding, with dense vegetation; it was tricky to navigate through, difficult to find our way through the vegetation, and physically very tough. Halfway through the stage, the pace picked up significantly. Then, we got stuck in the dust. There was ice, snow, and sand; the terrain was very high, and the scenery was spectacular. A very comprehensive stage. Fortunately, it was a trouble-free stage.”
Descripción Etapa 4: San Rafael – San Juan (306km de especial y 341 km de enlace)
The fourth day of competition is characterised by constant changes in pace as the route winds through the stunning landscapes of northern Mendoza. Right at the start of the stage, the route climbs to over 3,000 metres above the sea level, in a typical rally section featuring winding roads, hairpin bends and deep precipices.
The mountain tracks gradually give way to dry riverbeds, and the route veers off the beaten track on several occasions, so riders and drivers will need to take every change of direction into account to avoid getting lost and to validate all the waypoints.
Although this stage had to be shortened—due to the condition of the road—it will undoubtedly be a major challenge for the DR40 riders.
Source: Desafio Ruta 40
Photo: Paco foto Agencia
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