Brit Sam Sunderland Third On Stage Two in Morocco

Goncalves fought back to win stage two and take control of the race lead as Brit Sam Sunderland grabs third in Morrocco.

Moving away from the deep sand dunes of stage one into rocky trails, stage two of the OiLibya Rally of Morrocco promised – and delivered – something different.

Navigation on high mountain tracks tested riders and it was Paulo Goncalves that found the best way home to win the stage. Bettering championship rival Marc Coma by two minutes – who ended the stage in second – moves him into the lead of the rally.

But while the fight between Goncalves and Coma was expected, catching everyone else off guard was the solid performance by Brit Sam Sunderland for third.

The Dubai based Brit has been knocking on the door of top result for a while now and stage two in Morocco was finally his time to get the job done.

“I’m really happy with the result,” told the Team HRC rider. “My day went well and I enjoyed the stage. I only made one small mistake before the refuelling point that cost me a little bit of time. After that I got it together, began to push on and it turned out perfect.”

Sunderland’s third place jumps him from seventh to fifth in the overall standings.

Results – Stage 2:

1. Paulo Goncalves (PRT, Honda) 2:50:22 hrs

2. Marc Coma (ESP, KTM) +00:02:00

3. Sam Sunderland (GBR, Honda) +00:02:09

4. Francisco Lopez (CHL, KTM) +00:02:51

5. Joan Barreda (ESP, Honda) +00:03:45

Overall Standings after Stage 2:

1. Paulo Goncalves (PRT, Honda) 5:19:30 hrs

2. Joan Barreda (ESP, Honda) +00:00:17

3. Marc Coma (ESP, KTM) +00:01:41

4. Chaleco Lopez (CHL, KTM) +00:08:40

5. Sam Sunderland (GBR, Honda) +00:09:50