Home » Schareina closes 7’31” on Sanders in shortened stage

Schareina closes 7’31” on Sanders in shortened stage

Due to thick fog and minimal wind, the start of today’s penultimate special was delayed by about two hours, resulting in a stage that was quite different from what was expected. What was initially planned to be a monster stage through the Empty Quarter ended up resembling yesterday’s stage after being shortened. Many riders had approached yesterday’s stage tactically, easing off the throttle to avoid opening today’s special. However, with the shortened version of the stage, some may now regret that decision, as valuable minutes were lost.

Tosha Schareina, who lost 10 minutes yesterday, managed to claw back 7.5 minutes from Daniel Sanders, who had an 8-minute cushion going into today. Both riders had anticipated a decisive, long stage where anything could happen, but the shortened route offered limited opportunities to recover time. While Sanders’ lead shrank significantly, he still holds a comfortable margin and remains in a strong position for the overall win.

Tomorrow’s “show loop,” a mere 60 kilometers long, is unlikely to bring any significant changes for those hoping to move up in the standings. For the leading riders aiming for podium finishes, the strategy appears clear: stay focused and finish safely. Sanders maintains a 9-minute lead over Schareina, while Adrien Van Beveren, in third place overall, trails by over 15 minutes.

In the Rally2 category, the time gaps are even more significant. Newly signed factory rider Edgar Canet heads into the final stage with a comfortable lead. The 30-minute gap to second-place Bart van der Velden’s rider Tobias Ebster is unlikely to be closed, while Ebster himself enjoys a buffer of 1 hour and 20 minutes over Honda rider Dumontier in third place.

A bright spot in Rally2 today was the stage win by BAS World KTM Racing rider Mathieu Dovese. This victory marks his second stage win in the Rally2 class, a well-deserved boost for the Frenchman.

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