Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, crossed the halfway mark of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2025, by completing the 3rd Stage.
Team Hero’s sole rider left in the race, Nacho Cornejo crossed the finish line of Stage 3 with the 7th fastest time. Keeping up with his consistent performance since the start of the race, the Chilean finds himself at the 5th overall position in the rally – a mere 6 minutes behind the leader.
Stage 3 was the first of the Marathon days, where the entire set of competitors (FIM & FIA) will spend the night away from their assistance teams, and prepare their vehicles themselves for the next Stage. A brand new route in ADDC, this 388 km journey from Mezaira’a took the riders to the Al Qua’a region that lies south-east of the country along the Oman border. The scenic route – of which 237 kms made the timed special – was made up of 80% sand and dunes, featuring numerous broken dunes and steep downhills.
Having finished 2nd in the previous stage, Nacho was only the second rider to start Stage 3. The morning hours were quite windy, and track visibility tended to be minimal – requiring the competitors to tread very cautiously. Despite the daunting task of opening the Stage, a confident Cornejo managed to pull it through well without losing much time, and crossed the finish just 5 minutes from the top. His bike too, performed well, and the absence of any maintenance requirements is a big breather for Nacho, even as he gets ready for the next Stage.
Camping overnight in the Al Qua’a region – « the darkest spot in UAE », famous for stargazing – the competitors will spend time together, but away from their assistance teams. Set amidst the enormous star shaped red-sand dunes of the region, the Marathon bivouac will offer exquisite views of millions of stars lighting up the night sky. Moving on from there, the competitors will return to the Mezaira’a bivouac on a long 394 km route on Stage 4, of which 300 km will be timed.
Nacho Cornejo: « I’ve arrived well in the marathon bivouac in the middle of the desert. It was very windy in the morning, and the tracks were not so visible. But overall it was a good day – I pushed as hard as I could, but also keeping it safe. The bike is in great condition, and I’m prepared to get back to the fight tomorrow. The time gaps are very tight in the overall ranks, everyone is pushing hard, and I hope to do my best in the last two stages. »
Provisional Rankings – Stage 3:
1. Tosha Schareina, Monster Energy Honda Team, 3h 10m 04s
2. Luciano Benavides, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, + 02m 15s
3. Ricky Brabec, Monster Energy Honda Team, + 02m 30s
4. Adrien Van Beveren, Monster Energy Honda Team, + 03m 12s
5. Skyler Howes, Monster Energy Honda Team, + 03m 34s
6. Daniel Sanders, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, + 04m 02s
7. Nacho Cornejo, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 05m 05s…
Provisional Overall Standings after Stage 3:
1. Tosha Schareina, Monster Energy Honda Team, 9h 21m 49s
2. Daniel Sanders, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, + 01m 19s
3. Luciano Benavides, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, + 01m 57s
4. Ricky Brabec, Monster Energy Honda Team, + 02m 47s
5. Nacho Cornejo, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 06m 04s…