The third stage of the bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal was full of surprises. In the cars, Portuguese driver João Ferreira (Toyota) made a mistake and lost the lead to Brazil’s Lucas Moraes (Toyota). Spain’s Tosha Schareina (Honda) climbed to first place on the bikes, while the Portuguese duo Gonçalo Guerreiro and João Dias are leading the “Spiders” of the Challenger and SSV categories, respectively. Tomorrow (Saturday), the thrills of the “European Dakar” return to Alentejo, with 274 km against the clock.
The third stage was the only one of the event organized by the Automóvel Club de Portugal to be run entirely in Spain’s Extremadura. A demanding 308 km route — the second-longest special of this year’s edition — which brought changes of leader both in the cars and on the bikes.
Brazilian Lucas Moraes (Toyota) was the fastest and took over the overall lead: “It was a great day. I drove a clean stage, saving the tyres despite the difficult route. I’m in the lead and in a good position for the coming days,” said Moraes. Seth Quintero (Toyota Hilux T1+ Evo) set the second-fastest time ahead of Carlos Sainz. The Spanish legend continues to be among the quickest and, despite suffering a puncture today, remains in the fight for victory: “It was another stage of pushing hard. Having to open the road on day two cost me, but I’m happy and will keep giving it everything,” he said.
Nine-time world champion Sébastien Loeb was fourth quickest on the stage: “I liked the route and, finally, managed a stage without problems. It’s a tough rally; things keep happening all the time. Let’s see how it goes until the end,” said the Frenchman.
Portuguese João Ferreira (Toyota Hilux T1+ Evo) was controlling the pace of his rivals, but at km 161 he went off the road, breaking a rim and sparking a fire. As a result, the rally was halted for about an hour. The young driver from Leiria only managed the 52nd time, 1h51s off the pace, and dropped to 32nd overall.
Better luck for Portugal’s Gonçalo Guerreiro (Taurus Evo Max), seventh on the stage and now leading the Challenger category, as well as João Dias (Polaris RZR), first in the SSV class (12th overall). Two excellent performances against high-level international rivals.
Change of leader on the bikes
Once again, the duel between KTM and Honda riders took center stage, but this time the Japanese brand came out on top. Racing on home soil, Spain’s Tosha Schareina (Honda CRF 450 Rally) went flat-out, winning the stage by 2m18s ahead of Daniel Sanders, and is the new leader on two wheels. “It was a good day for me. I pushed to the maximum in the last 100 km, even with very worn tyres. I’ve gained some advantage for tomorrow, where I’ll be opening the road, but the next days will be tough,” he said. This is the first time since Abu Dhabi that Honda has led a World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) event.
Australia’s Daniel Sanders (KTM 450 Rally) finished second on the stage and lost the overall lead: “I survived a very technical stage that required a good strategy. I tried to save the tyres as much as possible in such a tough special and I’m happy to make it to the end. Tomorrow, with new tyres, it will be different,” said the current championship leader. The two riders are separated by just 42 seconds, setting up an exciting battle for tomorrow.
Portugal’s Bruno Santos (Husqvarna FR450 Rally) once again showed his speed against the world’s best. He set the fastest time on the stage, but a one-minute penalty dropped him to second in Rally2 (8th overall). “It was a very technical and fun stage, I really enjoyed it. I hope to be just as fast tomorrow,” he said.
Classification after Stage 3 – Cars
1st Lucas Moraes (Toyota Hilux T1+ Evo), 8h38m07s
2nd Carlos Sainz (Ford Raptor T1+), +4m22s
3rd Henk Lategan (Toyota Hilux T1+ Evo), +9m05s
4th Sébastien Loeb (Dacia Sandrider), +19m32s
5th Christian Baumgart (Toyota Hilux T1+ Evo), +26m54s
6th Francisco Barreto (Toyota Hilux T1+ Evo), +26m54s (best Portuguese)
Classification after Stage 3 – Bikes
1st Tosha Schareina (Honda CRF 450 Rally), 9h11m02s
2nd Daniel Sanders (KTM 450 Rally), +42s
3rd Luciano Benavides (KTM 450 Rally), +9m22s
4th Ricky Brabec (Honda CRF 450 Rally), +9m32s
5th Edgar Canet (KTM 450 Rally), +15m32s (best Rally2)
8th Bruno Santos (Husqvarna FR450 Rally), +21m29s (best Portuguese)
The fourth stage takes place on Saturday, linking Badajoz to Lisbon over 528 km, with 274 km against the clock. The first part is a relatively narrow and rough section still in Spanish territory. Afterwards, the competitors enter Portugal through the regions of Reguengos, Portel, and Évora, on a mix of smooth and rough surfaces. It’s a typically Alentejo route, finishing in Lisbon at Doca de Pedrouços. The bivouac there will be open to the public between 6:00 PM and 11:00 PM.
Click here to follow Stage 4 of the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal
Schedule
September 27 – Stage 4 Badajoz–Lisbon (274 km)
06:00 – Start of 1st Bike from Badajoz Fairgrounds
08:10 – Start of 1st Car from Badajoz Fairgrounds
14:35 – Arrival of 1st Bike at Doca de Pedrouços (estimated)
16:25 – Arrival of 1st Car at Doca de Pedrouços (estimated)
19:00 – W2RC Medal Ceremony at Doca de Pedrouços