THIRD-PLACE RESULT ON RALLYE DU MAROC STAGE TWO FOR DANIEL SANDERS

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Daniel Sanders has stormed to third place on the long, 499-kilometer stage two of the 2024 Rallye du Maroc. Combined with his result from Monday's stage one, the KTM 450 RALLY racer lies second in the provisional overall standings, just 42 seconds behind the leader. Luciano Benavides also enjoyed a strong day in the Moroccan desert, placing fifth on the stage and moving up to third overall with three days left to race.

Full of confidence and carrying his speed from Monday, Sanders was the second rider to enter today's 272-kilometer timed special. Unfazed by the alterations to the stage, implemented due to the rain seen in the region over the past few weeks, Daniel once again delivered a fast yet calculated ride over the mixed terrain of the special.

Making his way to the front of the field by the checkpoint at kilometer 43, Sanders began to clock up the bonus time awarded to the rider opening the stage. In total, he would be awarded one minute and 34 seconds for his hard work – enough to secure the Australian third place on the stage. Daniel's consistency is paying off – with two stages now complete, he lies second overall, less than one minute from the lead, and will have the advantage of chasing down the rally leader on Wednesday's stage three.

Daniel Sanders: "Stage two was a very long one – it was originally stage one but they were reversed due to the rain the other day. I started off second and then caught Ross (Branch) about 20 kilometers in. I opened from there till the refueling at kilometer 210, so that meant navigating on my own all the way through the dunes, which went pretty well, actually. Then Tosha (Schareina) caught me at the refueling and after that, I eased off just a little to make sure I didn't have to open tomorrow. On the whole, the stage went well – got a few changes to make to the bike, and it's going to be another long day tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to it."

Adapting well to his updated KTM 450 RALLY, Benavides delivered another consistent day of rally racing on stage two in Morocco. With so much of the route through today's special damaged due to recent weather, especially in the rougher riverbeds and tracks, Luciano took extra care to concentrate on his road book and avoid making any mistakes. His attention to detail paid off. Securing fifth on today's stage, the Argentinian moves up to third overall in the provisional rally standings.

Luciano Benavides: "I've had a good day here in Morocco – I finished fifth today on what was a really tough stage. The terrain was really broken with a lot of hidden dangers, so I just tried to stay safe over the stage and focus on my navigation. I think my pace and my rhythm are steadily getting closer to the front guys. Today was better than yesterday and I hope we can continue to build and improve as the rally goes on. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it."

Wednesday's stage three of the 2024 Rallye du Maroc will see competitors travel from Zagora to Mengoub. 328 kilometers will be raced against the clock as the event passes its halfway stage.

Provisional Results – 2024 Rallye du Maroc, Stage 2

1. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 3:23:44
2. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 3:25:03 +1:19
3. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 3:25:08 +1:24
4. Pablo Quintanilla (CHL), Honda, 3:26:06 +2:22
5. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 3:26:22 +2:38

Provisional Standings – 2024 Rallye du Maroc (after 2 of 5 stages)

1. Tosha Schareina (ESP), Honda, 5:59:23
2. Daniel Sanders (AUS), KTM, 6:00:05 +0:42
3. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 6:07:16 +7:53
4. Pablo Quintanilla (CHL), Honda, 6:07:46 +8:23
5. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Honda, 6:10:05 +10:42

Photographer – Rally Zone