After an exciting prologue and a grueling first stage, the rally caravan headed deeper into the South African interior on Wednesday for a 623-kilometer marathon leg to the bivouac at Stella. Under marathon stage rules, service crews were not allowed access, meaning competitors had to handle all repairs themselves upon arrival.
The tough conditions proved a recipe for drama, errors, and surprises — though the prologue winners managed to stay on top. Guy Botterill (Toyota) and Daniel Sanders (KTM) each secured their second stage win of the rally.
South African celebration for Toyota
Toyota Gazoo Racing dominated on home soil. Guy Botterill, alongside co-driver Dan Murphy, set the fastest time of 03:12:36. Teammate Saood Variawa followed just 55 seconds behind but received a 2-minute time penalty, increasing the gap. Guillaume de Mévius (Mini) was fastest on raw pace but also incurred a penalty, pushing him down to third place.
The top five was completed by rising factory driver Seth Quintero and fan favorite Brian Baragwanath, driving for Toyota and Century Racing respectively.
It was a mixed day for the Dutch crews. Rik van den Brink and Gydo Heimans finished a respectable 28th overall, with Dave and Tessa Klaassen clocking the 29th fastest time. Rients Hofstra, with co-driver Wade Harris, was hit with a 33-minute penalty that dropped them to 41st place. In the SSV class, Wouter Rosegaar and British driver Richard Aczel crossed the line in 37th.
Top 5 Cars – Stage 2
- Guy Botterill (RSA, Toyota) – 03:12:36
- Saood Variawa (RSA, Toyota) – +2:55 (incl. 2-min penalty)
- Guillaume de Mévius (BEL, Mini) – +01:48 (incl. 2-min penalty)
- Seth Quintero (USA, Toyota) – +04:55
- Brian Baragwanath (RSA, Century) – +05:33
Sanders takes over, Branch falls back
In the bike category, Daniel Sanders proved his form with a stage win in 03:40:30, allowing him to take over the overall lead from Ross Branch. His KTM teammate Luciano Benavides followed 32 seconds behind. Honda riders Ricky Brabec and Adrien Van Beveren rounded out the top four.
Defending champion Ross Branch suffered a disastrous day: mechanical issues cost him over an hour, making a podium finish unlikely.
Edgar Canet delivered a standout performance, finishing sixth overall and winning the Rally2 category. This strengthened his lead in the standings. Despite physical setbacks and a minor error, Michael Docherty came second in Rally2, followed by Tobias Ebster. Dutch rider Ian Olthof completed the stage in 04:41:07, placing 12th in Rally2. He summed up his day bluntly: “A real grind today! Arrived at the marathon bivouac. It was a long and cold day — I was fighting for a top-10 spot until the very last hour, and then I hit the wall…”
Top 5 Bikes – Stage 2
- Daniel Sanders (AUS, KTM) – 03:40:30
- Luciano Benavides (ARG, KTM) – +00:32
- Ricky Brabec (USA, Honda) – +04:46
- Adrien Van Beveren (FRA, Honda) – +04:52
- Skyler Howes (USA, Honda) – +06:28
Challenger & SSV: Cavigliasso and Pinto take stage wins
In the Challenger class, Nicolás Cavigliasso claimed the stage victory, ahead of Dania Akeel and Khalifa Al Attiyah. His teammate David Zille retained the overall lead, but the gap has narrowed to just 5 seconds.
In the SSV category, Alexandre Pinto (Old Friends Rally) bounced back to take the stage win. Mário Franco, yesterday’s winner, was handed a time penalty and dropped to second. Wouter Rosegaar and Richard Aczel finished 37th, arriving 47 minutes after the leader.
Looking ahead: return to Sun City
Tomorrow brings the second half of the marathon stage. Competitors will return to the bivouac in Sun City after a 518-kilometer route, including a 246-kilometer special stage. With no assistance allowed again, reliability and self-reliance will once more be tested to the limit.
