2025 South African Safari Rally Marathon Stage: Hero MotoSports battle on as Branch gets podium, Ebster and Nacho hold steady

Hero MotoSports experienced the highs and lows of rally raid racing during the gruelling two-day Marathon Stage (Stages 2 and 3) of the 2025 South African Safari Rally. After a dramatic mechanical setback in Stage 2 halted Ross Branch’s rally-leading run, the 2024 World Rally Raid Champion roared back to life in Stage 3 with a vengeance. Teammate Nacho Cornejo maintained a consistent pace through both stages, while Rally2 contender Tobias Ebster kept Hero’s podium aspirations alive with a resilient performance under marathon conditions.

Stage 2

Stage 2 was the rally’s longest special at 356km, and was the first half of the marathon stage. With no mechanical support allowed overnight at the bivouac in Stella, riders had to rely solely on their own tools and wit.

Ross Branch, opening the stage after his Stage 1 victory, got off to a promising start. But disaster struck just 14km into the timed special as a mechanical issue brought him to a halt. Despite valiant efforts to repair the issue roadside, Branch lost over 1 hour and 25 minutes by the 51km mark. He did, however, manage to limp his bike into the bivouac, keeping his rally journey alive.

Meanwhile, Nacho Cornejo kept his composure and avoided trouble on the rough savannah terrain. The Chilean delivered a consistent ride that placed him fifth overall at the end of Stage 2, within range of the factory Hondas and Red Bull KTMs.

In the Rally2 class, Tobias Ebster battled through technical gremlins of his own and rugged terrain to secure second place overall, trailing leader Red Bull KTM’s Edgar Canet by just under 12 minutes.

Stage 3

Stage 3 saw Ross Branch back in full attack mode. Starting from 16th, the Hero rider had clear lines to follow from those ahead and was the man to watch from the first time check itself. By the km 155 mark, Branch had clocked the fastest time, leading Red Bull KTM’s Daniel Sanders by 7 seconds. Though he eventually dropped back slightly by the 178km mark, Branch stayed in the fight for the stage win until the very end, ultimately finishing a close third behind Sanders and his teammate Luciano Benavides – an impressive recovery after the previous day’s setback. He now sits 13th in the overall standings.

Jose Ignacio “Nacho” Cornejo continued his methodical charge through the field, limiting risks on a demanding course and standing sixth overall after Stage 3. With two stages remaining, Cornejo remains Hero MotoSports' best bet for a RallyGP podium.

Rally2 contestant Tobias Ebster, meanwhile, fought through a tablet display issue that hampered his navigation for much of the stage. Despite the challenge, the Austrian delivered a controlled ride and stayed within podium range. Organisers applied a time correction, which sees him currently second overall in Rally2 and inside the top 10 overall among all motorcycle competitors.

What’s next

The marathon stage may have derailed Ross Branch’s overall rally ambitions, but it also showed his tenacity and pace. For Nacho Cornejo and Tobias Ebster, consistency and resilience remain the name of the game as Hero MotoSports keeps the pressure on the frontrunners in both RallyGP and Rally2. With two more challenging stages to go in the 2025 South African Safari Rally, the Indian outfit still has everything to play for.