The Monster Energy Honda HRC Rally 2 riders faced a full day of intense competition in Spain during stage three, marking the halfway point of the second round of the World Rally-Raid Championship.
Stretching just over 500 km, the stage took riders deep into the Extremadura region, where they battled unpredictable weather, fast technical tracks and challenging mountainous roads. With 296 km against the clock, the stage presented a true test of skill, stamina, and strategy.
After losing time yesterday due to a malfunction with his road book tablet, Martim Ventura began stage three trailing Rally 2 leader Bruno Santos by 8’46”. Determined to close the gap, Ventura pushed hard from the start and by the 81 km mark, he was the third fastest rider overall on his Honda CRF450 RX RALLY , just behind Santos. His relentless pace saw him briefly seize the Rally 2 stage lead by a mere three seconds. The mountainous section slowed him slightly and by the finish, the gap had widened to nearly four minutes. Still, Ventura claimed second on the stage and maintained his overall second position, now 12’40” behind Santos.
For Preston Campbell, competing in only his fourth World Rally-Raid Championship round, the focus has been on gaining experience across the rally’s varied terrain. A few small mistakes just before refuelling disrupted his momentum, but he found his rhythm in the latter part of the stage to finish seventh, 11’40” off the leader. He remains seventh overall and is determined to deliver strong stage results as the penultimate day of racing approaches.
Portugal awaits as tomorrow’s fourth stage promises to be the longest of the event, covering nearly 650 km. Riders will leave Badajoz and head south across the border to the Algarve’s inland city of Loulé, setting the stage for another epic day of competition.
Ruben Faria – General Manager : « Martim did a really strong job in the first part of the stage, holding third place overall with a solid and consistent pace. He was riding very well and showing good speed, but in the final section he lost some time due to the slippery conditions, choosing to stay safe and avoid any unnecessary risks. In the end, he finished second on the stage and now sits second overall. Tomorrow we head into Portugal where he has a good opportunity to deliver another strong performance.
« Preston made a couple of small mistakes during the stage which affected his final result, finishing seventh on the day and seventh overall. For the American riders, this type of terrain is not so familiar and rallies like this can be quite tricky for them. However, for now everything is under control and he is continuing to learn and adapt well. »
Martim Ventura #84 – Stage: 2nd Overall: 2nd : « It went good as I went a little better at the end even though I lost some time. I tried to be smooth, but here if you go smooth you get passed pretty quickly. I had a good pace at the start of the day so I thought ‘OK let’s go well to the end’ but then I went just a little too slow in the corners and if you are not attacking then, well, this is a World Championship and I’m learning all the time. »
Preston Campbell #85 – Stage: 7th Overall: 7th : « It was a long day today. I started off good with a good feeling on the bike here in Spain, but in the middle I made some mistakes and lost some time. I had to regroup for the second half after the refuelling and found my flow again towards the end, so it was a good day all in all. »
Rally 2 Result – Stage 3
1. Santos Bruno (POR) – BS Frutas Patricia Pilar, 02:38:54
2. Ventura Martim (POR) – Honda HRC, + 03:54
3. Theric Neels (FRA) – Kove Factory Racing, + 05:21
4. Simão Micael (POR) – Xraids Experience, + 07:20
5. Pellicer Alfredo (SPA) – Xraids Experience, + 07:35
6. Mulec Toni (SLO) – BAS World KTM Racing Team, + 08:12
7. Campbell Preston (USA) – Honda HRC, + 11:40
8. Knuiman Jeremy (NDL) – Xraids Experience, + 12:16
9. Zoldos Thomas (FRA) – Aub’Moto, + 17:20
10. Escofet Marti (SPA) – Joyride Race Service, + 23:31
Rider Standings
Rally 2 Provisional Standings After Stage 3
1. Santos Bruno (POR) – BS Frutas Patricia Pilar, 07:13:21
2. Ventura Martim (POR) – Honda HRC, + 12:40
3. Theric Neels (FRA) – Kove Factory Racing, + 14:46
4. Mulec Toni (SLO) – BAS World KTM Racing Team, + 21:07
5. Pellicer Alfredo (SPA) – Xraids Experience, + 21:20
6. Simão Micael (POR) – Xraids Experience, + 24:16
7. Campbell Preston (USA) – Honda HRC, + 24:36
8. Knuiman Jeremy (NDL) – Xraids Experience, + 41:26
9. Zoldos Thomas (FRA) – Aub’Moto, + 01:00:10
10. Escofet Marti (SPA) – Joyride Race Service, + 01:01:31