BP Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal: Sanders Opens with Prologue Win

Video highlights and results from the 2025 BP Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal where Red Bull KTM’s Daniel Sanders made the perfect start with the prologue win in Grândola, round four of the FIM Rally-Raid World Championship (W2RC).

A short but technical five-kilometre stage around the host town mixed soft sand, pockets of fesh-fesh and slippery hard-pack turns to catch riders out. Sanders kept it clean to bag his 20th career special win, edging out the Honda factory pairing of Tosha Schareina (+10s) and Adrien Van Beveren (+13s). Hero’s Ross Branch matched Van Beveren’s time, with Monster Energy Honda’s Skyler Howes trailing the RallyGP field.

KTM locked out the top three overall with Edgar Canet, just two seconds back and fastest Rally2 rider, and BAS World KTM’s Michael Docherty, seven seconds down. Sanders, who already holds wins at Dakar and the South African Safari Rally this season, needs only a final podium in Portugal to secure the RallyGP title with a round to spare.

Day one’s starting order sees Branch open the piste, with Schareina, Sanders and Canet right behind, all looking to avoid the worst of the dust.

History was also made in Rally3 as Frenchman Thomas Zoldos claimed victory on his Beta at the first attempt, finishing six seconds clear of Gonçalo Amaral and 14 ahead of Salvador Amaral to become the 110th W2RC stage winner.

BP Ultimate Rally Portugal Prologue Results:

BP Ultimate Rally Portugal schedule:

24 September: stage 1 — Grândola–Grândola (425 km total / 302 km special / 123 km liaison)

25 September: stage 2 — Grândola–Badajoz (655 km / 429 km / 226 km)

26 September: stage 3 — Badajoz–Badajoz (511 km / 308 km / 203 km)

27 September: stage 4 — Badajoz–Lisbon (528 km / 274 km / 254 km)

28 September: stage 5 — Lisbon–Lisbon (287 km / 103 km / 184 km)

Photo credit: A.S.O.