The fifth day of the Greece Rally 2026 was, at 80 kilometres, the shortest of the week, but it did produce the first surprise. On the twenty-kilometre SS7 Bosdakas Crossing, Benjamin Harvey-Grounds was 1:11 faster than Stefan Svitko, claiming the first daily win that did not go to the Slovak. That does little to change the overall standings: Svitko still leads by 1 hour and 20 minutes.
For the Dutch riders it was a day of mixed results. Ruben van der Vlis posted the eleventh time of the day and remained sixth overall, while Dennis Schans set the third-fastest time but was given twenty minutes of added time. In the SSVs, Rene and Joyce van Eerd took their second daily win, and in the quad class Roy van Eerd came across the finish first of the two for the first time this week.
Two routes across the Menikio
The stage lay on the Menikio plateau, at around 1,400 to 1,700 metres. The organisers had announced the day in advance as a test of enduro and navigation skills and laid out two courses, each with its own start. The enduro track measured twenty kilometres, the adventure or rally track forty. That second route was intended for the SSVs and the Adventure Tour, but was also open to motorcycle riders who chose it. The final fourteen kilometres and the finish were the same for both groups, so the competitors rode that closing section together.
Memo Tours described the enduro track as manageable over the first three kilometres, after which the course turned into a rocky, technical route where enduro experience counted heavily. The adventure route was described as a fine one. Dennis Schans chose the enduro track and was enthusiastic: “it was like riding in Dwingel, fantastic!” Afterwards the bikes stood clean in the paddock again and the field moved on to the swimming pool of the Elpida Resort.
Harvey-Grounds completed the stage in 35:27, with Svitko following at 1:11. Robert Parry took third at 7:59. Stanislav Pavelka, who retired on the marathon days, set the fourth time.
Twenty extra minutes for Schans
Dennis Schans clocked the third-fastest raw time of the day at 37:20, but the results list him with twenty extra minutes added. That dropped him to 23rd on the day. He is not the only one: Robert Eadie and Matúš Konkoľ were also given exactly twenty minutes, while Mark Hurlston and Zsombor Egly received ten. It was precisely these riders who recorded relatively short running times, and according to his team Schans rode the shorter enduro track. The results offer no explanation, so it is not clear whether this is an adjustment for the route choice or a penalty.
Despite those twenty minutes, Schans climbed to ninth overall, 2:48:53 behind Svitko. He remains comfortably ahead in the M1 class, where Marios Gardelis is second, Frank de Mik third and Nico Dekker fourth. Jaap Martens is fifth in the class.
Van der Vlis set the eleventh time and sits sixth overall, at 2:28:06. He is fifth in the M2 class. His position was strengthened when Alastair Bramwell, who had been seventh, failed to start the stage and was given a penalty time of 2:49:01. Because riders who do not complete a stage are classified behind the finishers under the regulations, the Briton is now 38th. Tapio Aunio also failed to start, as did four riders who had already dropped out of the race earlier.
Robbert Plarina posted the twentieth time, Bert Veenje the 21st and Nico Dekker the 29th. Frank de Mik was 34th, Jaap Martens 37th and Henk Nijmeijer 40th. In the standings De Mik is 21st, Dekker 22nd, Plarina 23rd, Martens 28th, Nijmeijer 35th and Veenje 41st.
Van Eerd fastest, Wouters holds the lead
Rene and Joyce van Eerd (Van Eerd Racing) were the fastest SSV crew of the day at 51:25. Wil Wouters and Niels van Limpt (Memo Tours Team) followed at 2:57, and Kenny de Vries and Jo Lenders (QFF Racing) at 4:13. Kees Box and Kees Box Jr. came in three seconds behind De Vries.
Ruud and Patricia Vollebregt needed 1:26:19 and had a further fifteen minutes added, which put them in fifth place. The Greek crew Varvakis and Kokkinos did not start and were assigned 2:26:19.
In the standings Wouters and Van Limpt lead with 14:31:37. De Vries and Lenders follow at 20:32, Box and Box Jr. at 1:31:21 and the Vollebregts at 2:29:43. Varvakis and Kokkinos and Rene and Joyce van Eerd are classified fifth and sixth.
Quads and Rally Challenge
In the quad class both Van Eerds completed the stage. Roy van Eerd was just slightly faster at 1:17:36 than Kenny van Eerd, who followed at 52 seconds. In the standings Kenny leads with 21:08:57, with Roy at 4:08:23.
In the Rally Challenge the daily win went to Irishman Garrett Cahill in 52:58. Nico Keijzer (Riding Adventures) was second at 6:32, with Adventure Tour rider Alan Stynes finishing behind him. Lars de Backker rode to the fifth time in 1:32:20. Dave Ouwehand did not start the stage and was given a penalty time of 2:32:24. The Rally Challenge still lacks an overall classification.
Looking ahead: two stages around the lakes of Volvi and Koronia
Friday brings another full rally day at 243 kilometres. After a 27-kilometre liaison to Strymoniko, SS8 Volvi begins over 118 kilometres, running through the hills south of Serres towards Lake Volvi. Following a short liaison at Nymfopetra, SS9 Sochos covers 68 kilometres, after which the competitors return to Serres via Skoutari. With 186 kilometres of special stages, it is the toughest day since the marathon.
As Thursday’s winner, Harvey-Grounds may set off first at 9:00, with Svitko a minute later and Parry third. Van der Vlis starts at 9:09:30, Plarina at 9:14:00, Veenje at 9:14:30 and Schans at 9:15:30. Dekker departs at 9:18:30, followed by quad riders Roy and Kenny van Eerd, De Mik at 9:22:00, Martens at 9:23:30 and Nijmeijer at 9:25:00. In the Rally Challenge, Keijzer, De Backker and Ouwehand set off shortly after half past nine. The SSVs begin from 10:00, in the order Van Eerd, Wouters, De Vries, Box and Vollebregt.
Svitko can extend his lead again on Friday, but Thursday showed that Harvey-Grounds can stay with him on the short, technical sections. For the Dutch riders it is mainly about holding position: Van der Vlis has a margin of just over eight minutes on Henrik Rahm, and Schans a little over a minute on Tomáš Racek.
