The 2026 Africa Eco Race will go down in history after a dominant performance from the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team, in partnership with Riders for Health (powered by Two Wheels for Life). In a dramatic showdown on Stage 11, which went right to the final few kilometres, it was Ténéré Spirit Experience (TSE) rider Kevin Gallas who emerged victorious over Gautier Paulin by a margin of just 41 seconds, with Yamaha securing a 1-2 in the general classification. Fellow TSE riders Mike Wiedemann and António Maio were fourth and sixth overall, respectively, while Alessandro Botturi finished in seventh to ensure five Ténérés in the top seven as the twin-cylinder adventure bike dominated the event.
Rally raid doesn’t get much closer than this, as the 2026 Africa Eco Race (AER) came right down to the wire, with the epic duel between Gallas and Paulin only decided at the finish line of Stage 11. The tension in the air was palpable as riders lined up for the final timed special of the rally, with Saturday’s Stage 12 a parade along the shores of Lac Rose, and not counting towards the general classification. Paulin led the rally by one minute and 25 seconds after the tenth stage, but this meant the former MXGP rider would be opening the stage, which is a significant disadvantage, as you do not have any other riders to follow, while Gallas started from fourth.
Standing between them and glory was a long 343 km liaison as the bivouac left Ouad Naga and Morocco behind, crossing into Senegal. Then they faced a shortened 102 km special stage, racing across soft sand and fast trails to the final bivouac in Mpal.
Paulin, despite this being the 35-year-old’s first Africa Eco Race in the motorcycle class, showed superb navigational skills opening the stage, and was still leading the general classification by over a minute when they reached the final checkpoint, 15 km from the finish. Gallas, a former Junior World SuperEnduro World Champion competing in only his third rally raid, had made up 10 seconds by that point, but it was from there that the German TSE rider really unleashed the power of the Ténéré 700 Rally.
Paulin was the first to reach the finish in one hour, 19 minutes, and 35 seconds, which was good enough for ninth on the stage, and then the anxious wait began. With the clock ticking down, Gallas, who was also nursing a broken left hand, appeared in the distance, and as he powered to the final stop line of the rally, it became apparent he had closed the gap. Incredibly, he had not only clawed back the time deficit over Paulin but also managed to open a gap, and when the official timings came in, he was fifth on the stage and had won the 2026 AER by just 41 seconds, after almost 6000 km of racing.
It was an incredible end to a dramatic rally, and the duo embraced, showing the superb spirit that rally raid is famous for, after rewriting the history books by securing not only the Ténéré’s first-ever AER victory, but a historic 1-2 for the Yamaha twin-cylinder adventure bike.
The dominance of the Ténéré did not end there either; Italian rider Alessandro Botturi secured fourth on the stage, ensuring he finished the race in seventh overall. The 50-year-old, who missed out on the 2025 AER victory in equally dramatic fashion after some netting got caught up in his wheels in the final few km, had fought back superbly after losing over an hour with a technical issue on Stage 4. The problem took him out of the victory hunt, but he continued to push, once again displaying his incredible never-give-up attitude while also drawing on all his experience to help his teammates.
Wiedemann and Maio finished the stage in sixth and eighth, respectively, to end a superb rally for both riders. Their efforts, along with TSE teammates Nicolas Charlier (12th overall) and Bertrand Gavard (13th overall), meant that not only were Ténérés the dominant force in the overall general classification, but also completed a lockout of the Over 650cc podium, with, incredibly, seven Yamahas in the top nine.
As the dust settles on a superb victory battle, all that is left now is for riders to complete the 203 km liaison to Dakar for Stage 12, where they will take part in the traditional 22km race along the beach, which features a motocross-style start, before ending the rally on the shores of Lac Rose with the official closing ceremony.
Stage 11 Results
General Classification After Stage 11
Kevin Gallas – P1 Overall – 39h24m05s
Ténéré Spirit Experience
“Honestly, I am lost for words. It has not quite sunk in yet, but wow, we did it! I cannot believe I have won the AER on my first attempt; it seems crazy. This was only my third rally raid, so it feels really good. The battle with Gautier was incredible. What a legend he is, and I can’t believe I was racing against him like this. Honestly, I had no idea what the result would be. I just pushed as hard as I could with my bad hand, so to secure this result for the team and Yamaha is amazing. I want to thank everyone involved in this project. The bike has been amazing, and the support of the team and everyone at Yamaha has been incredible. I think when we reach Lac Rose, it will settle in, and the emotions will hit, so before then, I will just try and enjoy the moment.”
Gautier Paulin – P2 Overall – 39h24m46s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“Bravo, Kevin. This whole race has been an incredible experience for me. My first AER on a motorbike, after I won the 2024 edition in the car category, and wow, it did not disappoint. I want to congratulate Kevin and the whole team for such an amazing performance. What a battle! To even be fighting for the win when I have not had much rally raid experience was incredible. The bike has been amazing, and I have had so much fun. Securing a 1-2 for Yamaha is something I am very proud of. It has been a long and tough rally, but also a really enjoyable event. I have made friends for life. Now I am looking forward to arriving at the legendary Lac Rose to cap off an incredible race.”
Alessandro Botturi – P7 Overall – 41h10m57s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“First of all, I want to congratulate Kevin and Gautier on a superb battle for victory. I have been involved with this project from the start in 2022, and I came so close to winning the race on the Ténéré last year, so to see the bike finally on the top step of the podium and securing its and the team’s place in history is amazing, and makes me very proud. Obviously, my chance for victory went after the issue on Stage 4. Still, I have really enjoyed the rally and have been able to not only fight my way back up the general classification but also support my teammates. This is very important in rally raid, and the feeling in the team this whole rally, with 15 riders in total, has been incredible. Thank you to them and everyone at Yamaha. Now it is time to reach the legendary Lac Rose, and bring this edition of the AER to a fitting end.”
Marc Bourgeois
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team – Team Manager
“What a finish. Honestly, both riders deserved to win, and it could not have been any closer. Chapeau, Kevin. To make up the time like that in the final few kilometres, even with a damaged hand, was incredible, and what an effort from Gautier. They are both new to rally raid, and yet have shown their amazing potential during this rally. Alessandro was incredible all rally; he was in with a chance of winning himself, but after his issue, while he was fighting back every day, his help and advice to the team were essential to this success. Mike, António, Nicolas, and Bertrand, along with all the TSE riders, also did us proud, and to see five Ténérés in the top seven is incredible, given that we are racing against rivals on single-cylinder 450cc machines. What a journey, what a race. Thank you to every single person in the team for making this possible. Now let’s get to Lac Rose so the celebrations can begin.”
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