The town of Grândola, in the district of Setúbal, will once again be the operational base of the bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal. It’s there that both the Prologue and the official start ceremony will take place, marking the beginning of an adventure that crosses the regions of Alentejo, Ribatejo and Spanish Extremadura.
In total, competitors will cover 2,160 km, of which 1,405 km will be timed. After the “warm-up” of the Prologue, the drivers face five stages, each with very different characteristics and terrain. In that sense, the event is a true challenge for both car and bike competitors.
From September 19, the teams will begin setting up in the bivouac and service park located at the Parque de Feiras e Exposições in Grândola. This is where the technical and administrative checks will take place on September 21 and 22, followed by the general briefing the next day. On Tuesday, the competition begins with a spectacular 5 km Prologue, starting and finishing right next to the Parque de Feiras e Exposições. The results of this show stage will determine the starting order for Stage 1. Later in the afternoon, the official start ceremony will be held, open to the public.
The first stage of the bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal will be held on September 24, with 300 km of timed sections. The start differs slightly from last year’s route, heading further south towards Beja, a region that offers excellent conditions. It’s an open stage, with fast and good-quality terrain, ending near Grândola, with the final 30 km run entirely on sand.
Stage 2, held on September 25, begins in Portugal and finishes in Spain. It is the longest stage, with 430 km of timed sections. The first two selective sectors are in Portugal, in the areas of Ponte de Sor and Mação. The first part features wide tracks with many eucalyptus and pine forests, with sandy terrain around Ponte de Sor and a tougher, mountainous surface around Mação. The stage then finishes in Spain, on flat ground leading into Badajoz.
On September 26, competitors face Stage 3, entirely in Spain. It’s a spectacular 300 km stage, very fast with good terrain, including sandy sections reminiscent of rally raids held on other continents.
Stage 4 brings the competitors back to Portugal on September 27. The first part of Saturday’s stage is relatively narrow and rough, still in Spanish territory. After crossing into Portugal, the route passes through Reguengos, Portel and Évora, mixing fast-flowing terrain with tougher surfaces. It’s a typically Alentejo stage, finishing in Lisbon.
The big decisions of the bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal are set for Sunday, September 28, with a 110 km stage starting and finishing in Lisbon, right next to the Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument. The final stage will once again take competitors through forested areas, full of eucalyptus trees, in the regions of Coruche and Salvaterra de Magos. The selective sector ends at the iconic Casa Cadaval.
The bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal will pass through the municipalities of Abrantes, Almeirim, Beja, Coruche, Évora, Ferreira do Alentejo, Grândola, Mação, Mourão, Ponte de Sor, Portel, Reguengos de Monsaraz and Salvaterra de Magos, as well as the city of Badajoz, which will host the event for two days.