Dakar Champion Daniel Sanders delivered a dominant performance on Stage 2 of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, navigating a looping course around Mezaira’a—gateway to the vast Rub’ al Khali, or Empty Quarter.
Leading the special from start to finish, Sanders secured a commanding victory, finishing 3 minutes and 59 seconds ahead of Nacho Cornejo, with Adrien Van Beveren more than five minutes back in third. Overnight leader Tosha Schareina, who opened the stage, faced the toughest conditions as the first rider on track. The Spaniard ultimately finished seventh, dropping to third overall behind new rally leader Sanders and Red Bull KTM Factory teammate Luciano Benavides.
“Winner! Today was a great day,” Sanders said. “We made up for a lot of lost time from yesterday, which now puts me in first overall. Tomorrow I lead out, so I’ll have to focus hard on navigation. Let’s go!”
Stage 2 took riders deep into the Liwa Province—a classic Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge landscape dominated by sand and dunes. The 300km loop around Mezaira’a crossed dried-up lake beds, fast dirt tracks, and some of the tallest dunes in the region, taking competitors near the Saudi Arabian border.
While Sanders cruised to victory, others encountered setbacks. Defending FIM World Rally-Raid Champion Ross Branch ran into trouble just 107km into the stage when his Hero 450 Rally suffered a clutch issue. Despite his efforts to fix the problem, he had to ride cautiously to the finish, crossing the line in fifth. However, due to RallyGP regulations, which do not allow competitors in his class to continue after outside mechanical assistance, Branch will be unable to start Stage 3. The Botswanan had been recovering from Dakar injuries and had taken a steady approach to the race, sitting inside the top five overall before the setback.
Cornejo Moves Up with Strong Stage 2 Performance
Nacho Cornejo delivered one of his best performances since joining Hero Motorsports, finishing second on the stage and climbing to fifth in the overall standings. With just 3 minutes and 42 seconds separating the top five, the battle at the front remains intense.
“It was a good stage, and I’m happy with my result,” Cornejo said. “We adjusted the suspension a bit differently today, and it worked out well. Unfortunately, my teammate Ross won’t be able to continue, which is tough, but I hope to keep fighting and keep the Hero flag flying. The overall rankings are really tight, but we’ll give our best every day. Thanks to everyone for the support!”
Van Beveren Fights Back into Contention
Adrien Van Beveren rebounded from a slow start to the rally, capitalizing on clear tracks ahead to push through his favoured dune sections and post the third-fastest time of the day. The 2023 winner is now firmly back in the mix.
“Today was better than yesterday,” Van Beveren said. “I started with good tracks to follow, and while I didn’t feel super fast early on with all the chotts and fewer dunes, the second half of the stage suited me better. The cloudy weather made visibility different, but it was the same for everyone. I’m happy with how I rode today.”
Benavides Climbs to Second Overall
Luciano Benavides continued his strong run, finishing fourth on the stage and moving into second overall—just 2 minutes and 25 seconds behind teammate Sanders.
Howes Gains Ground with Setup Changes
Fifth-placed Skyler Howes made key adjustments to his setup overnight, allowing him to maintain a strong pace through both the dunes and dry lake beds.
“Stage 2 was much better for me,” Howes explained. “We made another adjustment to the bike yesterday, and I felt much more confident. I really felt like I was riding like myself again. I made a couple of mistakes, but if I can clean those up, I’ll be in a good spot. The route today was really fun—the fast lake beds early on, followed by flowing dunes after refuelling. I’m really enjoying this rally.”
Brabec and Schareina Tackle the Challenge of Opening the Stage
After catching up to Schareina on the special, Ricky Brabec focused on minimizing time loss and avoiding risks in the mountainous dunes. Though he finished just ahead of Schareina, his strong ride kept him within striking distance of the overall podium, just three minutes off the lead.
“Stage 2 was good,” Brabec said. “I knew it would be a big challenge after yesterday’s result, as I started second on the road. Tosha opened nearly the entire stage, and I caught him briefly, but he did an amazing job. We both pushed without making mistakes and tried not to lose too much time. Navigation was tricky at points, but I’m happy with how we managed it.”
Schareina spent over 150km opening the stage solo before Brabec caught up, making for a challenging day at the front. The first half of the stage featured smaller dunes, making navigation slightly easier, but after refueling, the course became significantly more technical.
“I’m exhausted after opening the stage today,” Schareina admitted. “Around the 150km mark, Ricky caught me, and we pushed together until the finish. We knew we’d lose some time, but I think we did a good job. Now, we focus on tomorrow.”
Next Up: The Marathon Stage
One of the toughest parts of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge awaits in Stage 3—a 338km marathon stage that will take riders from Mezaira’a to the remote bivouac at Al Qua’a. With no team assistance allowed overnight, riders must rely on their own skills and equipment to manage any mechanical issues before tackling Stage 4. The vast dunes will push competitors to their limits before they reach the isolated stop for the night.
| 2025 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Stage 2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Rider | Team | Class | Gap | |
| 1 | D. Sanders (AUS) | #4 – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | GP | 03:01:35 | |
| 2 | J. Cornejo Florimo (CHI) | #11 – Hero Motosports Team Rally | GP | 03:05:34 (+03:59) | |
| 3 | A. Van Beveren (FRA) | #42 – Monster Energy Honda HRC | GP | 03:06:42 (+05:07) | |
| 4 | L. Benavides (ARG) | #77 – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | GP | 03:07:12 (+05:37) | |
| 5 | S. Howes (USA) | #10 – Monster Energy Honda HRC | GP | 03:08:47 (+07:12) | |
| 6 | R. Brabec (USA) | #9 – Monster Energy Honda HRC | GP | 03:09:02 (+07:27, -00:10) | |
| 7 | T. Schareina (ESP) | #68 – Monster Energy Honda HRC | GP | 03:10:52 (+09:17, -01:18) | |
| 8 | M. Docherty (RSA) | #22 – SRG Motorsports | R2 | 03:15:43 (+14:08) | |
| 9 | T. Ebster (AUT) | #96 – SRG Motorsports | R2 | 03:19:20 (+17:45) | |
| 10 | K. Dabrowski (POL) | #26 – Duust Rally Team | R2 | 03:20:58 (+19:23) | |
| 11 | R. Barbosa (CHI) | #41 – Xraids Experience | R2 | 03:30:00 (+28:25) | |
| 12 | M. Ventura (POR) | #34 – Old Friends Rally Team | R2 | 03:32:33 (+30:58) | |
| 13 | A. Korlaet (CHI) | #39 – Xraids Experience | R2 | 03:35:43 (+34:08) | |
| 14 | K. Erdenebileg (MGL) | #52 – HT Rally Raid | R2 | 03:53:11 (+51:36) | |
| 15 | A. Kanopkinas (LTU) | #103 – CFMoto Thunder Racing | Q | 04:06:25 (+01:04:50) | |
| 16 | M. Loj (POL) | #115 – Poland National Team | Q | 04:06:43 (+01:05:08) | |
| 17 | E. Sokolovskij (LTU) | #53 – AG Dakar School | R2 | 04:10:06 (+01:08:31) | |
| 18 | H. Alali (UAE) | #57 – Desert Spirit | R2 | 04:13:16 (+01:11:41) | |
| 19 | T. Childs (GBR) | #88 – Vendetta Racing | R2 | 04:14:12 (+01:12:37) | |
| 20 | M. Hertlein (GER) | #51 – HT Rally Raid | R2 | 04:22:10 (+01:20:35) | |
| 2025 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Overall After Stage 2 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Rider | Team | Category | Time | Gap | Bonus |
| 1 | D. Sanders (Aus) | #4 – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | GP | 06:09:02 | – | – |
| 2 | L. Benavides (Arg) | #77 – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | GP | 06:11:27 | +02:25 | +01:18 |
| 3 | T. Schareina (Esp) | #68 – Monster Energy Honda HRC | GP | 06:11:45 | +02:43 | – |
| 4 | R. Brabec (Usa) | #9 – Monster Energy Honda HRC | GP | 06:12:02 | +03:00 | -00:10 |
| 5 | J. Cornejo Florimo (Chi) | #11 – Hero Motorsports Team Rally | GP | 06:12:44 | +03:42 | – |
| 6 | A. Van Beveren (Fra) | #42 – Monster Energy Honda HRC | GP | 06:15:36 | +06:34 | -00:58 |
| 7 | S. Howes (Usa) | #10 – Monster Energy Honda HRC | GP | 06:18:16 | +09:14 | – |
| 8 | M. Docherty (Rsa) | #22 – SRG Motorsports | R2 | 06:21:40 | +12:38 | -00:47 |
| 9 | K. Dabrowski (Pol) | #26 – Duust Rally Team | R2 | 06:37:31 | +28:29 | -00:38 |
| 10 | R. Barbosa (Chi) | #41 – Xraids Experience | R2 | 06:47:15 | +38:13 | +03:00 |
| 11 | T. Ebster (Aut) | #96 – SRG Motorsports | R2 | 06:50:59 | +41:57 | +15:00 |
| 12 | A. Korlaet (Chi) | #39 – Xraids Experience | R2 | 06:56:32 | +47:30 | – |
| 13 | M. Ventura (Por) | #34 – Old Friends Rally Team | R2 | 06:58:46 | +49:44 | – |
| 14 | K. Erdenebileg (Mgl) | #52 – HT Rally Raid | R2 | 07:38:45 | +01:29:43 | – |
| 15 | A. Kanopkinas (Ltu) | #103 – Cfmoto Thunder Racing | Q | 08:11:23 | +02:02:21 | – |
| 16 | H. Alali (Uae) | #57 – Desert Spirit | R2 | 08:11:45 | +02:02:43 | – |
| 17 | M. Loj (Pol) | #115 – Poland National Team | Q | 08:14:56 | +02:05:54 | – |
| 18 | T. Childs (Gbr) | #88 – Vendetta Racing | R2 | 08:18:13 | +02:09:11 | – |
| 19 | M. Hertlein (Ger) | #51 – HT Rally Raid | R2 | 08:37:25 | +02:28:23 | – |
| 20 | G. Martinez (Fra) | #110 – Cfmoto Thunder Racing | Q | 08:40:09 | +02:31:07 | – |
