The BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal bikes race will feature the Honda, Hero and Sherco factory teams, whose stars join the best Portuguese riders for a competition that promises to be spectacular!
Led by former Portuguese star Ruben Faria, Monster Energy Honda has in its ranks several candidates for victory in Portugal and Spain. First of all, the double Dakar winner, the American Ricky Brabec, but also the former Cross-Country World Rally Champion Pablo Quintanilla and the Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren, who made the podium at the last Dakar (3rd place). The official Honda team will also include Chilean José Ignacio Cornejo (6th in the Dakar), American Skyler Howes and Spaniard Tosha Schareina.
Despite the power of the HRC team, it is Hero Motorsport that arrives in Portugal in the lead of the World Rally-Raid Championship, both in riders and constructors rankings. Ross Branch, from Botswana, came close to winning the Dakar (2nd place) and moved to the front of the World Championship in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, so he's naturally motivated for the ACP event.
The German-Portuguese Sebastian Bühler is another of the Indian brand's bets in the premier class, RallyGP, and could take advantage of his knowledge of the terrain to enter the fight for the top spots.
The official Sherco team is also bringing Spain's Lorenzo Santolino and India's Harith Noah to Portugal, two more names to watch out for in the only European round of the World Championship.
And, despite the quality of the peloton, it will be interesting to see what the best Portuguese riders can do among the world's Rally-Raid elite.