The second stage of the 2025 Carta Rally took competitors from Icht to the southern desert village of Mhamid. With a special stage of 390 kilometers — part of a nearly 500-kilometer rally day — participants faced an extremely fast course with only minor navigation challenges. However, dangers still lurked: several motorcyclists and service teams encountered flooded riverbeds along the way, making the stage technically and physically demanding despite the high pace.
Gallas shines in the bike category
In the motorcycle category, it was Kevin Gallas who surprisingly took the stage win. The German rider, participating as a guest through the Yamaha Ténéré Spirit Experience, clocked a time of 2:57:52. He impressively held off former MXGP star Gautier Paulin, who finished second in 3:00:06. Third place went to Martim Ventura with a time of 3:03:38. Benjamin Melot secured fourth place in 3:06:14, while Nicolas Charlier rounded out the top five with a time of 3:11:39.
A notable name outside the top five was Alessandro Botturi. The Italian, who finished a strong third in Stage 1, received a 1 hour and 15 minutes time penalty today, dropping him to 28th place. John Comoglio and Chris Jautard were also penalized 15 minutes each, placing them 22nd and 24th respectively. On the upside, Gautier Paulin once again delivered a solid performance and further strengthened his position in the standings.
Vitse and Delfino dominate in the car category
In the car category (including SSVs), it was once again a victory for Simon Vitse and his co-driver Max Delfino. Driving their Optimus, they completed the stage in 2:29:37 — nearly fifteen minutes ahead of Delencre/Lurquin, who finished second in 2:46:33. Third place went to Lacam and Delfino with a time of 2:51:00. Honvault and Braulle took fourth place, also in an SSV, finishing in 2:57:05. Hamsas and Duramé rounded out the top five with a buggy time of 2:59:26.
There were also notable changes in this category. The Cambier/Brousse team, who were fast in the opening stage, recorded a DNF today. Zingraf/Bersey, also near the top of the standings early on, failed to finish as well and were given the maximum penalty time. Meanwhile, Goncalves/Magalhaes delivered a strong time of 3:06:30, securing a spot within the top 15.
Loop stage around Mhamid and additional night stage for cars
Tomorrow’s third stage will feature a loop around Mhamid, covering 183 kilometers. Competitors can expect a lightning-fast course over gravel plateaus, a tough dune section, and a mix of technical navigation, fesh-fesh, and vegetation-rich tracks. For the cars and SSVs, it will be an extra long day, as they will face an additional 50-kilometer night stage around Mhamid later in the evening.
