Hero MotoSports Team Rally Begins 2026 Desafío Ruta 40 Campaign with Prologue in Argentina
Hero MotoSports Team Rally completed the opening Prologue stage of the 2026 Desafío Ruta 40 in San Juan, Argentina, with all three riders finishing the short 9 km stage.
- 9 km
- 11th
- 3rd
What Happened
Hero MotoSports Team Rally officially started its 2026 Desafío Ruta 40 campaign with the Prologue stage in San Juan, Argentina. The team riders Ross Branch, Nacho Cornejo, and Michael Docherty completed administrative and technical checks before taking on the 9 km stage, which featured fast riverbed sections, open roads, and technical tracks. The Prologue determines the starting order for Stage 1 and offers an early indication of the terrain and navigation challenges.
- Ross Branch: 11th overall (9th in RallyGP)
- Michael Docherty: 12th overall (3rd in Rally2)
- Nacho Cornejo: 19th overall (12th in RallyGP)
“We are very pleased to officially begin our Desafío Ruta 40 campaign and it is especially exciting to welcome Michael into the Hero MotoSports Team Rally line-up for his first race with the team. Latin America remains a very important region for Hero MotoCorp, and events like this allow us to strengthen our connection with distributors, partners, and motorsport fans across Latin America while comp”
For Hero MotoCorp, Desafío Ruta 40 is an important platform to engage with distributors, partners, and customers across Latin America. The 2026 edition covers five demanding stages across Argentina, with long liaison distances and high-speed special stages. The team manager noted that although the Prologue result was not ideal, each rider is strategically positioned for the stages ahead.
Why this matters
The rally strengthens Hero MotoCorp's brand presence in Latin America and showcases its international motorsport program.
Terms in This Story
- Desafío Ruta 40
- A major rally raid event held in Argentina, part of the World Rally-Raid Championship.
- Prologue
- A short opening stage of a rally that determines the starting order for the first full stage.
- RallyGP
- The top category in rally raid racing for professional riders on high-performance motorcycles.
- Rally2
- A category in rally raid for less experienced riders or production-based motorcycles, often a stepping stone to RallyGP.
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