– All three riders in top-10 of the Rally
Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, continued its strong performance at the Rallye Du Maroc 2025, successfully completing Stage 2 with solid results across categories.
Competing in the premier Rally GP class, Nacho Cornejo delivered an impressive performance, finishing the stage with the 5th fastest time of the day. His teammate Ross Branch followed closely behind in 6th place, maintaining a strong overall form. Tobias Ebster put in another gritty performance, finishing 11th on the Stage, and 3rd in the Rally2 category.
After the end of Stage 2, all three Hero riders are comfortably placed within the top-10 overall ranks of the race – Ross in 4th, Nacho in 8th, and Tobias in 10th. Tobias is also now 3rd overall within the Rally2 class, underlining the team’s consistent form and determination across categories.
Nacho Cornejo made steady progress throughout the day, finding a better rhythm and confidence on his Hero. The Chilean managed the tricky mix of terrain with composure, expressing satisfaction with his improving speed and control. Confident with his momentum, Nacho remains focused on closing the gap against the front-runners in the coming days.
Ross Branch adopted a measured approach today, prioritizing consistency over risk on a fast and rugged course. The Botswanan’s main focus was to bring his Hero safely back to the bivouac from the highly demanding second stage. With his confidence high, Ross now looks forward to push more aggressively in the next stages.
Tobias Ebster endured a very tough days, tackling broken pistes, extreme heat, and dangerous navigation zones. Despite several challenges, the young Austrian showed great determination to finish strong. With 4 stages left in the Rally, Tobias aims to gain the best possible result from the week.
The second stage on Tuesday took competitors on a 397 km loop around Erfoud, including 307 km of timed special. The route plunged deep into the heart of Morocco’s desert, crossing the legendary Merzouga dunes and the smaller Znaigui erg. Riders faced a constantly changing mix of sand, rocks, and hard terrain, combined with complex navigation challenges that tested both skill and endurance.
After arriving from Fez on Monday, the rally caravan is now based in Erfoud, where the next three stages will run in loops around the city – exploring the vast Drâa-Tafilalet region.
Stage 3 will now take competitors on a 326 km loop, of which 323 km will be timed – the longest special of the rally. As the dunes grow taller and the terrain more unpredictable, the challenge promises to intensify.
Ross Branch, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: « That’s the end of stage two – not a great stage, but a good one. I took it a bit easy today, maybe a little too easy, as I did not want to take any risks. Overall, it was a solid day on the bike. The stage was superfast and rough, and I really enjoyed it out there. Happy to bring it home safely on two wheels and looking forward to day three. »
Nacho Cornejo, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: « Stage two was a better day for me. I am improving in both speed and the feeling on the bike, so I am quite happy with the progress. There are still a few small things to work on so we can battle further up front – that is where we want to be. It was a tricky day with a mix of sand, rocks, and tough navigation, but overall, I am happy with how things are evolving. Everyone is pushing hard, and we will keep giving our best. Thanks to everyone for the support. »
Tobias Ebster, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: « Stage two was definitely a tough one. It is super hot out there, and we had a lot of broken pistes with some dangerous navigation. It was not easy today, but I am happy to have reached the finish. We’ve got three more stages to go, so let’s get the ball rolling and aim for a better result tomorrow. »
Provisional Classification of Stage 2 (Overall)
1. Tosha Schareina, Monster Energy Honda HRC, 03h 28m 26s
2. Ricky Brabec, Monster Energy Honda HRC, + 02m 22s
3. Daniel Sanders, Redbull KTM Racing Team, + 03m 45s
5. Nacho Cornejo, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 08m 38s
6. Ross Branch, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 09m 07s
11. Tobias Ebster, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 13m 20s
Provisional Classification after Stage 2 (Overall)
1. Daniel Sanders, Redbull KTM Racing Team, 06h 49m 41s
2. Tosha Schareina, Monster Energy Honda HRC, + 00m 43s
3. Ricky Brabec, Monster Energy Honda HRC, + 04m 15s
4. Ross Branch, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 09m 40s
8. Nacho Cornejo, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 19m 26s
10. Tobias Ebster, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 24m 57s
Provisional Classification of Stage 2 (Rally2)
1. Michael Docherty, BAS World KTM Team, + 03h 38m 50s
2. Konrad Dabrowski, Duust Rally Team, + 02m 34s
3. Tobias Ebster, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 02m 56s
Provisional Classification after Stage 2 (Rally2)
1. Edgar Canet, Redbull KTM Racing Team, 07h 01m 11s
2. Michael Docherty, BAS World KTM Team, + 05m 08s
3. Tobias Ebster, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 13m 27s