Ross Branch Places Fourth for Hero MotoSports in Rally Raid Portugal Stage 01
Hero MotoSports team rider Ross Branch finished fourth in Stage 01 of the Rally Raid Portugal 2026, held in wet and slippery conditions.
- 4th
- 1h 32m 01s
- 180 km
What Happened
Hero MotoSports Team Rally completed Stage 01 of the Rally Raid Portugal 2026 with Ross Branch finishing fourth and teammate Nacho Cornejo in 16th place. The stage featured 180 km of timed sections around Grândola, Portugal, with wet, muddy conditions and deep water crossings.
+4m 42sbehind leader
Leader Daniel Sanders completed Stage 01 in 1h 32m 01s.
“It was a good day overall. The stage was demanding—very wet, slippery, and with a few deep water crossings that kept you on your toes—but I really enjoyed the ride. I felt comfortable on the bike, and it’s performing really well, which is encouraging.”
Stage 2 will take competitors across the border into Spain on new tracks in Extremadura, with 377 km of timed sections and 171 km of liaisons. Rally Raid Portugal is the only cross-border event in the W2RC calendar.
Why this matters
The result highlights Hero MotoCorp's strong presence in international rally racing, with the team positioned for the upcoming cross-border stage into Spain.
Terms in This Story
- W2RC
- World Rally-Raid Championship, the global series for cross-country rally racing.
- liaison
- A non-competitive transport section between timed stages in a rally.
- special stage
- A timed competitive section of a rally route.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.