Cornejo (Hero) and Van Beveren (Honda) go 2-3 at Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge’s Stage 2

With an inverted starting order for Monday’s Stage 2 of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, Round 2 of the 2025 FIM World Rally Raid Championship, Monster Energy’s top racers – Tosha Schareina and Ricky Brabec from the Honda HRC Rally team – were forced to start 1^st and 2^nd in the stage, resulting in 6^th (Brabec) and 7^th (Schareina) place Stage 2 results, and knocking them out of the No. 1 (Schareina) and No. 2 (Brabec) overall positions through the Prologue and two (of five) stages of the ADDC.

The ”yo-yo effect,” as it’s called, now gives Schareina, who won the Prologue and Stage 1, a decided starting advantage for Tuesday’s Stage 3 and, ideally, the all-important final Stage 5. And Brabec is in a similar situation, having placed 3^rd in the Prologue and 2^nd on Stage 1.

“For Tosha and Ricky, they’re in a great position for tomorrow (Stage 3). Sixth and seventh off the line to begin the Marathon Stage,” explained Monster Energy’s Joe Parsons. “They’re only two minutes off the overall lead. It’s going to be difficult for the guys up front (including KTM’s Daniel Sanders, the Stage 2 winner) to gain any time, and it’s going to allow our two boys to probably catch the group (up front) before the end of the day.”

Keeping in the hunt for the overall lead, now held by Sanders, were Jose “Nacho” Cornejo (Hero Motosports, fueled by Monster Energy) and the 2023 ADDC winner, Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally), both of whom were on the Stage 2 podium in 2^nd and 3^rd positions, respectively.

Cornejo was especially on point all day, bringing his Monster Energy M-claw shod Hero 450 Rally home with a time of 3:05:34.

“Not so bad. I had a pretty solid day,” said Cornejo, who moved up to 5^th position (from 7^th) in the overall ADDC standings through the Prologue and two (of five) stages. “Felt good on the bike. Enjoyed the riding a lot. I think I had a good result, getting more and more comfortable on my Hero bike. So I’m really happy.”

And while there was cause for podium rejoice in the Hero paddock, there was also sorrow as the defending WRRC champion, Ross Branch, suffered a catastrophic mechanical (clutch) failure and was forced to leave the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge with a DNF.

For Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally’s Van Beveren, back on the familiar podium position put a smile on his face at the end of Stage 2 as he crept closer to a top five position (6^th following Stage 2). 

“Today was better than yesterday, really fast at the beginning,” he said. “Second part was really tough, but I like this terrain. It was quite cloudy, so the visibility was different, but the same for everybody. I’m happy I gave my best and this is how we race.”

Rounding out the top ten for Monster Energy at Stage 2 in Abu Dhabi was Skyler Howes (Honda HRC Rally) in a solid 5^th position.

Stage 2 Notes:

• “A bit of both. Some sections were quite soft, the others quite hard, and easier to flow. But the change of consistency was a bit sketchy, but it is fun.” – Cornejo when asked about the consistency of the sand on the much cooler day racing in the Empty Quarter desert on Monday.
• Also, the overcast sky made for some flat light conditions, which Cornejo added: “It makes you lose some confidence. You don’t see some cuts (aka ruts) until you are right in front of them. And they can kick the bike sideways. So that can make it a bit more dangerous.”
• Along the Stage 2 route on Monday racers, over the course of 302 kilometers, encountered some epic vistas as they traversed the Liwa Oasis, including a picturesque ancestral fort. Along with the aforementioned (and plentiful) sand sections, some transitional gravel sections provided a break as they reached the dunes near the Saudi Arabian border.
• A Monster Energy ‘high five’ to the good folks at ADNOC Distribution, which provides the fuel for the entire Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge field, including the pursuit helicopters which film the action and pluck injured and/or marooned racers from the Empty Quarter desert.
• As mentioned earlier, with Prologue and Stage 1 winner Schareina (Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally) having to be the first bike out to open today’s Stage 2, racers behind him had the advantage of using his tracks in the sand for quick navigation reference. This was an extra advantage with the overcast Stage 2 sky given the flat light conditions.
• Added Emirates Motor Sports Organization (EMSO) President H.E. Khalid Ben Sulayem at the close of Stage 2: “A second day of tough terrain and challenging conditions. And once again we have seen some spectacular racing action. Tomorrow’s Stage 3 kicks off one of the most dauting phases of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge as competitors make their way to remote Al Qua’a.”
• A “stargazers paradise,” Al Qua’a is where the racers will camp overnight, in tents, in an area locals dubbed the “Milky Way Spot.” Problems with your bike? Better know how to fix it at Al Qua’a as mechanics aren’t allowed through Wednesday’s Al Dhafrah Fort Stage 4.
• “I just did a front flip at a road crossing a ways back. It was funny, actually. Tosha did the same thing.” Brabec on a potentially disastrous situation that turned into a lighthearted moment in the soft sands of Stage 2.

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Stage 2 results

2^nd – Cornejo (Hero, Monster Energy), 3:05:34

3^rd – Van Beveren (Monster Energy/Honda), 3:06:42

5^th – Howes (Monster Energy/Honda), 3:08:47

7^th – Schareina (Monster Energy/Honda), 3:10:52

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge overall standings top five (Prologue through Stage 1)

3^rd – Schareina (Monster Energy/Honda), 06:11:45

4^th – Brabec (Monster Energy/Honda), 06:12:02

5^th – Cornejo (Hero/Monster Energy), 06:12:44

Monster Energy WRRC Motorcycle Standings (after Round 1, Dakar)

Place/Name/Team

2^nd – Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy/Honda)              

3^rd – Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Energy/Honda)                     

5^th – Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy/Honda)

6^th – Skyler Howes (Monster Energy/Honda)

7^th – Jose “Nacho” Cornejo (Hero/Monster Energy)

Up next…

Tuesday’s Stage No. 3 of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship’s Abu Dhabi Challenge is a Marathon Stage, running some 388 km (237 Special, 151 Liaison) from Meezeer’ah to Marathon Camps, where racers will spend the night in a makeshift camp before the start of Stage 4. For more information, including “Live” timing and scoring, visit www.worldrallyraidchampionship.com