Daniel Sanders of KTM secured victory at Rally-Raid Portugal, the third edition of the event spanning 2,201 kilometers including 1,269 kilometers of timed specials. Honda's Tosha Schareina finished second after a close battle amid torrential rains and varied terrain. KTM's Luciano Benavides placed ninth but extended his lead in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) standings.
The Rally-Raid Portugal challenged riders with fast forest sections, open sandy tracks extending into Spain, and heavy rains that turned parts of the six-day course into muddy obstacles. Sanders emerged on top, marking a strong return following his crash at this year's Dakar Rally, where he suffered a broken collarbone and sternum but still completed the race outside podium contention. Entering Dakar as the favorite after his 2025 title and dominant W2RC season, Sanders expressed relief at reclaiming form. “I’m super happy to get the win here in Portugal,” he said. “Tosha was pushing me the whole way in what was a really tough race with slippery, demanding conditions. It feels great to return to winning form after the injury at Dakar. Delivering this result here at Rally-Raid Portugal was important, not just for my confidence, but for the whole team. Although I was able to complete the Dakar, we lost a fair few points, so to get things back on track here, gives us a big boost as we fight for back-to-back championships, which is the ultimate goal this season.” Schareina took second for Honda, while teammate Adrien Van Beveren claimed third, a solid result for the more experienced rider. Benavides, despite his lower finish, gathered enough points to hold the W2RC lead. He reflected on the difficulties: “For sure, it was not the race I was hoping for here in Portugal, but to be honest, I didn’t expect to come here and win. Dakar was such an incredible moment, and I went through so many emotions and a lot of physical strain too. I struggled to find a good feeling in the wet conditions here and that knocked my confidence a little, but I knew if I kept pushing and finished in one piece, I would be able to keep the lead of the championship, which is super important for me. The season is very long, and you have to perform in all sorts of different terrain to succeed. Now, I have time to recover and then start to prepare for the next race, which is my home race in Argentina and probably my favorite after the Dakar. I’m really looking forward to it.” The next W2RC round is set for May 24-29 in Argentina, as reported by Adventure Rider.
