Morocco, Stage 2: KTM star Sanders steps up a gear – ZX Moto strikes back

The second stage of the 2026 Rallye du Maroc took the competitors along a challenging route comprising a 123-kilometre link section split into two parts and a 300-kilometre special stage. The start and finish were in Zagora. Among other things, the competitors faced dunes, stony sections, riverbeds and technically demanding sections.

As the winner of the first stage, Honda rider Ricky Brabec opened the day’s racing. After around 90 kilometres, Daniel Sanders (KTM), who had started in second place, caught up with him. The Australian had set off three minutes later and had consequently made up time on the American. Both riders then completed a large part of the special stage together. Sanders won the stage in a time of 3:35:14 hours. Brabec crossed the finish line 3:04 minutes behind. Third place went to KTM junior Edgar Canet. Time bonuses for clearing the route were taken into account.

In the overall standings, Sanders leads after two stages with a total time of 6:26:32 hours. Brabec is 2:54 minutes behind. Edgar Canet currently occupies third place, 4:07 minutes behind.

In sixth place, Rally2 ace Michael Docherty brought the best-placed Hero home, 6:30 minutes behind. The South African is the figurehead of the German-Indian team in Morocco, following Ross Branch’s absence due to a training injury.

In seventh place – fifth in the GP classification – Skyler Howes of rally newcomers ZX Moto put in an impressive performance. On Monday, the Texan was given too little fuel during a refuelling stop and ran out 10 km from the finish. Due to the time lost, Howes is no longer in contention in the overall standings.

Kove – the second Chinese manufacturer – is competing in the Morocco Rally solely in the Rally2 category and finished eleventh with Neels Theric.

Austrian Tobias Ebster, representing ZX Moto in the Rally2 classification, finished 23rd, 26 minutes behind.