The second stage of the Morocco Desert Challenge 2026 turned into a Dutch show of force. Mitchel van den Brink was once again untouchable in the car category, while Kay Huzink dominated the trucks. The 299-kilometre stage from Foum Zguid to M’Hamid offered a varied route featuring sandy tracks, a crossing of Lac Iriki, and the first dunes of Erg Chegaga.
Mitchel van den Brink fastest of all once again
Just as in the prologue, Mitchel van den Brink (MP Rallysport, Toyota Hilux T1+, #301) was by far the fastest competitor in the entire field during stage 2. He and navigator Bart van Heun finished in 3 hours, 42 minutes and 0 seconds — a lead of nearly 15 minutes over second-placed Ronald van Loon. Belgian Vincent Thijs came third, more than 22 minutes back.
The stage was a varied test of 311 kilometres from Foum Zguid to M’Hamid. Mitchel described it as a beautiful stage featuring dunes, gravel and sandy tracks. “Bart did an absolutely top job. We had to open with navigation. We overtook all the bikes that had started ahead of us and then rode at the very front. At that point you see no tracks anymore and navigation becomes crucial.”
Despite everything going smoothly, the duo did lose five minutes when something came loose — though it could be repaired on the spot. “We’re extremely happy. Despite the five-minute time loss, we had a comfortable lead. We’re in a good rhythm and the result so far is great,” said Mitchel.
Ronald van Loon and Erik Lemmen (Oase Motorsport, #306) finished second in 3:56:53, a strong recovery after their navigation error in the prologue. Rients Hofstra and Evert Boersma (#312, Red-Lined Europe) came fifth in 4:13:21. Gert-Jan van der Valk and Branco de Lange (#307) finished seventh in 4:18:43.
Kay Huzink wins trucks stage and takes the lead
In the trucks, Kay Huzink (De Rooy FPT, Iveco Powerstar, #501) together with Corné Blok and Mark Salomons won the stage in 4:16:24. Martin van den Brink, who had been five seconds faster in the prologue, finished second today, roughly seven minutes behind Huzink. Martin completed the stage alongside his daughter Siënna and cousin Hans van den Brink in 4:23:16. Pedro De Uriarte, Eduardo Vanzzini and Max van Grol (#505, De Rooy FPT) came third in 4:30:45. Marnix Leeuw, Marije van Ettekoven and Bart Gloudemans (#506, Rijschool Fury) finished fourth in 4:47:24.
Gert Huzink takes the lead in the standings
In the SSV category, Portuguese driver Paulo Rodrigues with Fausto Mota (#204) again claimed the stage win in 4:09:05. Gert Huzink and Hugo Kupper (QFF Racing, #203) finished second in 4:12:54, putting them in a strong position in the overall standings. Willem Meijer and Rudolf Meijer (QFF Racing, #206) took third in 4:15:29. Janus van Kasteren and Marcel Snijders (#205, Renders Racing) came fourth in 4:21:09. Frederik Meijer and Floor Meijer (#239) finished sixth in 4:36:46. Bas Buijnsters and Pieter Herijgens (#243) crossed the finish line ninth in 4:43:50, Marcel van Berlo and Olaf Harmsen (#235) tenth in 4:46:11. Michiel Becx and Sander Van Barschot (#208, Shiver Offroad) came eleventh in 4:48:16.
Briton David McBride takes stage win among the bikes
In the motorcycle category, Briton David McBride (#104) won the stage in 4:40:20. Wouter de Graaff (Desert Vikings, Husqvarna, #121) once again rode to an impressive third place in 4:51:38. Bart van Olst (#122, Desert Vikings) finished tenth in 5:23:30. Dennis Verswijver (#124) came eighth in 5:13:22.
Thewessen continues regardless
André Thewessen and Arjan van Tiel (ATS Rally, #219), who retired in the prologue following a crash, reported that they worked on the car until 3:30 in the morning to repair the damage. The entire front suspension had to be replaced. In stage 2, they took it steady and finished in fifteenth place. Navigator Arjan van Tiel wrote: “Today went great, finished P15.” Due to the time penalties incurred, the duo is no longer a factor in the overall standings, but the team is determined to complete the rally at a safe pace.
Tomorrow: another day around M’Hamid
Stage 3 remains based at the M’Hamid bivouac and covers 286 kilometres of special stage. The organisers promise a day full of sand, both fast and technical. In the morning, competitors face a second crossing of Erg Chegaga, followed by spectacular desert landscapes with vegetation in the afternoon. Navigation will once again play a key role. For the overall leaders, the task is to consolidate their built-up advantage without taking unnecessary risks in the treacherous dune sand.
