Sonora Rally: Schareina has been designated as the present and future of Spain in the Dakar

The relay is here. Mundo Deportivo warned him at the Dammam finish line of the final Dakar Rally 2023. “Tosha Schareina knocks on the door”. The pilot of Valencia shone in his return to the Dakar, in his second participation, after missing the 2022 edition by not arriving in time to register his project. In 2021 he became the second best rookie in motorcycles. He returned in 2023 with a private GasGas with the support of Jorge Martínez Aspar and rose again. The first week was difficult, reduced by tendonitis in the hand from the gas that injured him. And in the second week, he raged despite the ailments and continued to fight inside the Top-10, among all the favorites, with an inferior bike. He deserves an official motorcycle. And for the first time he had, he shone.

The Spaniard must take advantage of any option that comes his way. And the first one is not bad: riding a ‘black leg’ Honda as in the Monster Energy Honda Team, the CRF 450 Rally, in the Sonora Rally of the FIM World Rally Raid. It didn’t wear the official team colors, but the ‘rocket’ was the same as its rivals. It allowed him to fly. Can’t take the pressure. He got it and finished decisively: he finished 2nd overall in the test held this weekend in Mexico, just surpassed by the winner Daniel Sanders. Schareina is a reality.

Tosha’s self-confidence and her desire to show the world her worth was noticed from the beginning. The Valencian started the Sonora Rally with fourth place in the prologue stage and an impressive first victory in the first period he battled behind the Honda. He held his own despite opening the track in stage 2, not only showing the speed of the first day, but also his skill as a navigator. On stage 4, he again came close to victory, falling just 23 seconds behind the stage winner, Price. And on the last day, he continued to push with a good second part of the special that allowed him to confirm a good second place that should serve to open the doors of a project equal to his quality and future to think big in Dakar. 2023.

Joan Barreda’s relay and the aspirations of the Spaniards in Dakar have arrived. Her name is Tosha Schareina. Remember your name.

Sanders won and Price was the W2RC general manager

Daniel Sanders won the Sonora Rally showing tremendous speed and command of the situation, winning four of the five special stages contested. In this way, Sanders gave the victory to the Catalan firm GasGas, owned by the KTM Group.

After Dakar 2022, which he left with a broken elbow after a rest day, the GasGas signing did not reappear until Dakar 2023. Still affected by a broken arm in January, “Chucky” did not go to Abu Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (ADDC). He has now secured his first victory in the FIM World Championship, the third for GasGas after Sunderland’s victories in the 2022 Dakar and the ADDC.

Second in the last stage and overall was a stellar Tosha Schareina, while Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna Factory Racing), who has already made a big leap in level in the last Dakar 2023, was third overall in the Sonora Rally.

KTM veteran Toby Price finished fourth. He gave himself to the maximum after making a navigation error in the first stage with the intention of coming back, but another error in reading the ‘roadbook’ while opening the track in the final stage, when he seemed to take third place overall from to Luciano, relegating him to the final fourth place.

Of course, Price strengthened his lead in the FIM W2RC World Rally Raid Championship with 66 points, 11 more than Luciano Benavides’ 55, with Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Energy Honda) in third place (53 points). Kevin Benavides (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), winner in Dakar but not in Abu Dhabi, finished 12th and is now 4th overall in the World Championship with 43 points. In front of his fans, in Desafio Ruta 40, Benavides will do everything to close the gap to the leader.