Rally newcomer Daniel Sanders has demonstrated that he is a force to be reckoned with in the 2021 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship after taking three stage victories on his way to finishing fourth outright in Russia’s Silk Way Rally.

After overcoming some minor issues in stage one, Sanders impressively bounced back to win more stages than any other rider during the event, piloting his GasGas RC 450F to victories in stages two, four and five.

Sanders ultimately finished just 53 seconds shy of an overall podium and, with outright pace up his sleeve, Sanders will be looking to iron out some navigation issues to ensure he can come out guns-blazing to challenge event winner and championship leader Matthias Walkner later in the season.

“I pushed really hard today to try and get onto the overall podium, but it wasn’t quite enough,” Sanders explained. “I left everything out there and did everything I could to make time up on the riders ahead, but it was a short stage and there wasn’t much to separate us all today.

“I learned a lot this week, I felt great on the bike, and I know I have the speed so it’s all positive. When we get home from here my main focus will be on improving my navigation as this is where I feel I’m lacking a little bit. But overall, a pretty decent week for me and the team.”

Sanders and the GasGas Factory Racing team will now enjoy an extended rest period before beginning preparation for the Rallye du Maroc in Morocco scheduled for 18-23 October, round three of the 2021 season. The rookie has now climbed to third in the point-standings.