Edge-of-the-seat action sees Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Daniel Sanders beat Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy Honda HRC) by four seconds after intense 655 kilometre stage two of the 2025 BP Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal.

RallyGP: Sanders Beats Schareina by a nose

Riders who can win a stage after opening the road from beginning to end are few and far between. Daniel Sanders, who had already pulled it off in the 2023 Sonora Rally and the 2025 South African Safari Rally, did it again on stage two despite, or maybe becasue of, the best efforts of Tosha Schareina.

The gap between the two men peaked at a meagre 36 seconds (km 105) and had dwindled to a razor-thin 4 seconds by the time "Chucky" and his rival crossed the finish line. The Australian's third consecutive win is one of the closest in the history of the W2RC. Ricky Brabec placed a second Honda on the stage podium, 2′10″ from the leader.

Sanders increased his overall lead to 1′36″ over Schareina, with Brabec over 7 minutes adrift. The American overtook his teammate Adrian Van Beveren and Ross Branch (Hero MotoSports), who both crashed out after departing Grândola.

The Frenchman had not failed to finish a rally raid since the 2021 Dakar, nor had he had a DNF with HRC yet. AVB mis-read the trail, out-braked himself and crashed down a steep bank beating himself up but was by his own account pretty lucky. Props to Edgar Canet and Luciano Benavides for stoppign to help.

Meanwhile, the reigning world champion from Botswana continues to struggle in his title defence season, having crashed out of the Dakar, sat out the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and finished eighth in South Africa.

Rally2: Canet takes home win

Last season, Edgar Canet came up short in the stage to Spain, so he was determined to set the record straight this time round. Mission accomplished: he beat Michael Docherty (BAS World KTM) by 1′58″ and Bruno Santos (BS Frutas Patrícia Pilar) by 2′51″.

The rookie Preston Campbell (Honda HRC) placed his CRF in fourth and continued his progression. Canet increased his overall lead to 4′58″ over Santos and 5′22″ over Docherty. The championship leader, Tobias Ebster (Hero MotoSports), had to quit the special due to a damaged oil cooler and is no longer in contention.

Rally3: ¡Uno, Zol-Dos, Tres!

Thomas Zoldos could not have dreamt of a better W2RC debut. Undefeated since the start, the Frenchman pressed his advantage with another dominant triumph over Gonçalo Amaral (Wingsport), his third success of the week.

The Portuguese driver saw his deficit to the leader balloon from 1′26″ to 8′54″. Carlo Cabini (RS Moto) rounded out the podium at 41′28″. Mechanical gremlins knocked Salvador Amaral (Wingsport) out of contention for the win in Badajoz, where he had prevailed in 2024.

26 September: stage 3 — Badajoz–Badajoz (511 km / 308 km special)

Rally Raid Portugal Stage 2 results:

Photo credit: A.S.O. | Edo Photo | DPPI