The Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team, in partnership with Riders for Health (powered by Two Wheels for Life), celebrated a superb overall one-two finish at the 2026 Addax Rally in Morocco, as Kevin Gallas successfully defended his 2025 title ahead of teammate Alessandro Botturi. The German also claimed victory on Friday’s fifth and final stage, with Botturi finishing second among the motorcycles, while Gautier Paulin completed the stage to round off a successful week of racing and development.
The five-stage rally covered approximately 1,600 km of demanding competition around Merzouga, with sandy tracks, rocky terrain and the dunes of Erg Chebbi providing a stern test for riders and their Ténéré 700 Rally machines. As well as competing for victory, the event offered the team an important opportunity to refine its preparations for the 2027 Africa Eco Race (AER).
Gallas entered the final stage with a commanding overall advantage of 20 minutes and eight seconds, although his path to victory was not entirely straightforward. A minor issue around the first refuelling stop cost him time before the mechanics resolved the problem. In his efforts to recover, the German made a few navigation mistakes, but quickly regained his composure and settled into a strong rhythm.
Over the final 120 km, Gallas recovered valuable time to finish fastest among the motorcycles in four hours, 12 minutes and 59 seconds. It was his third stage victory of the rally, following wins on the opening two stages, capping a dominant week in which he had led the overall standings since Stage 1.
Botturi also delivered a strong finish to the event, completing Stage 5 just one minute and 37 seconds behind Gallas in four hours, 14 minutes and 36 seconds. The two-time AER winner’s runner-up finish on the day confirmed his second place in the general classification, completing an impressive team result after five physically demanding stages.
Paulin completed the final stage in ninth place among the motorcycles, recording a time of four hours, 51 minutes and 50 seconds. The Frenchman had returned for the final two stages after a technical issue towards the end of Stage 2 prompted the team to sit him out of Stage 3 for repairs and further testing. Although missing that stage meant he was no longer classified overall, Paulin recorded three second-place stage finishes during the event and made an important contribution to the team’s development programme.
After five stages, Gallas was crowned the 2026 Addax Rally champion with a combined time of 24 hours, 21 minutes and 53 seconds, securing back-to-back victories at the event. Botturi completed the rally in second place with a total time of 24 hours, 43 minutes and 38 seconds, just 21 minutes and 45 seconds behind his teammate and with a 19-minute and 44-second advantage over third.
The result marks another significant achievement for Yamaha following its historic overall one-two at the 2026 AER, where Gallas claimed victory ahead of Paulin. Having combined competitive success with extensive testing across the challenging Moroccan terrain, the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team can now turn its full attention to the 2027 AER, armed with valuable experience and data from all three riders and the entire crew.
Stage 5 Results
Overall Classification
Kevin Gallas – P1 Overall (24:21:53)
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“The final day was really interesting. We had a small issue around the first refuelling stop that cost me some time, but the mechanics were able to fix it. Afterwards, I rushed the navigation a little and made some mistakes, so I told myself to calm down and focus. The last 120 km went really smoothly, and I managed to recover enough time to win the stage, which didn’t look likely earlier in the day. I’m really happy to defend my title and to have Alessandro finish second overall. It’s a fantastic one-two for Yamaha. The whole week has been an excellent test, and we’ve learned so much together as riders and as a team. We’ve found some really good settings and made important progress ahead of the AER. Now I’m looking forward to January.”
Alessandro Botturi – P2 Overall (24:43:38)
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“I’m really happy with the result and proud of what we’ve achieved as a team. Congratulations to Kevin on another great victory, and thank you to everyone who has worked so hard throughout the rally. It has been a physically demanding event, with some very challenging terrain, but that’s exactly the kind of preparation we need ahead of the AER. To finish with a one-two is a fantastic result for Yamaha, and we’ve gained a lot of valuable experience that will help us for our next big challenge in January.”
Gautier Paulin – NC
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“It’s been a great week working with the roadbook and the whole team. The desert was really rough and demanding for the bikes, but we’ve been able to validate a lot of important things with the crew. The mechanics have worked incredibly hard behind the scenes, so a big thank you to all of them. Kevin’s victory is fantastic for Yamaha, and I’ve really enjoyed spending time riding with Alessandro. Every kilometre I do in the desert teaches me something new, and I feel we’ve taken a big step forward this week.”
Marc Bourgeois
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team – Team Manager
“It has been an excellent event for the team. We came here to train, test the bikes and refine our setups ahead of the AER, and we’ve achieved everything we wanted to. The terrain and navigation were very demanding, which allowed us to learn a great deal about both the bikes and the riders. Of course, to finish with Kevin winning overall and Alessandro second is a fantastic result, and I’m really proud of everyone involved. A special thank you to Gautier for all the work he has done with our development programme, and to the mechanics, staff and riders for their commitment throughout the rally. We’ve seen the potential of the bikes and the team, and now our focus turns to being fully prepared for the Africa Eco Race.”
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