Hero MotoSports Rally team battles through rally raid Portugal, grabs key points

Hero MotoSports Team Rally wrapped up a tough but promising run at the Ultimate BP Rally Raid Portugal, Round 2 of the 2026 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship. Spanning Portugal and Spain, this beast of a rally threw everything at the riders, over 2,200 km total, with more than 1,200 km of high-stakes timed stages. It's the only European stop on the calendar and the sole cross-border event, mixing rocky mountains, deep water crossings, and coastal twists.

Ross Branch from Botswana powered through all five brutal stages to snag 7th overall. He wasn't always comfortable on these twisty European tracks, far from the wide-open deserts he's used to, but stayed steady, clocking the 13th fastest time in the epic final stage. That Sunday loop around Loulé in Portugal's sunny Algarve was a 291 km thriller: 101 km of timed action split into a long 98 km special and a quick 2 km spectator sprint near the stadium. Ross had a heart-stopping off-track moment in the mountains but bounced back to cross the line safely. Teammate Nacho Cornejo flashed serious speed early on, but a mechanical glitch from a deep water dunk in Stage 2 forced him out. Still, the team grabbed valuable points, Ross now sits 8th in the championship with 23 points, Nacho, 9th with 14.

In Stage 05, Daniel Sanders of the Redbull KTM Racing Team secured the win with a time of 01h 04m 30s, followed closely by Monster Energy Honda HRC’s Tosha Schareina (+10s) and Adrien Van Beveren (+2m 01s), while Ross Branch finished 13th (+5m 10s). These results propelled Sanders to the top of the overall provisional rankings with a total time of 11h 03m 53s, holding a 1m 56s lead over Schareina and an 8m 25s cushion over Van Beveren, with Branch currently sitting in 7th place overall. In the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship standings after two rounds, Luciano Benavides maintains the lead with 48 points, but Schareina (44 points) and Sanders (42 points) are closing in, while Hero MotoSports teammates Branch and Nacho Cornejo hold the 8th and 9th spots with 23 and 14 points, respectively.

Team boss Wolfgang Fischer called it a solid week: "Ross shook off a late scare and got his rhythm back post-Dakar. The bike's improving, even if Europe isn't our playground. Gutted for Nacho, but sunshine at the end felt good. Argentina's deserts are calling!"

Ross echoed that vibe: "Fun race, tough terrain – not my favorite, but I stayed safe, scored points, and loved the team's killer bike. Can't wait for Argentina's sands."

Now next, eyes on Round 3: Desafio Ruta 40 in Argentina, May 24-29 of the World Rally Raid Championship 2026