Gallas Storms to Stage 3 Victory at Carta Rallye
The Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team, in partnership with Riders for Health (powered by Two Wheels for Life), secured a second successive stage victory at the 2026 Carta Rallye in Morocco, with Kevin Gallas storming to the win on Stage 3. Gautier Paulin continued his impressive form in fourth, with Alessandro Botturi fifth, as the trio once again completed a lockout of the Over 450cc podium.
Stage 3 saw the rally remain in Laâyoune for a loop stage featuring 290 km of special stages, split into sections of 110 km, 64 km, and 116 km, alongside 48 km of liaisons and a 10 km transfer, for a total of 346 km. It proved another demanding day in the Moroccan desert, but the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team once again showed strong pace throughout.
Gallas delivered an outstanding ride on his Ténéré 700 Rally to take the Stage 3 victory in 4 hours, 7 minutes and 43 seconds, once again meaning the twin-cylinder adventure bike beat out its rivals on lighter 450cc single-cylinder prototype machines. After a frustrating opening two days, the German rider looked much more comfortable on the bike and was able to push with confidence, despite still having to manage issues with the navigation system. Spending much of the day riding and navigating alone, he produced a superb performance to secure the team’s second consecutive stage win and move up to third overall in the general classification, 13 minutes and four seconds from the lead.
Paulin also enjoyed another strong day after claiming victory on the second stage, finishing fourth on Stage 3 with a time of four hours, 14 minutes and 22 seconds. Opening the road early on, the Frenchman once again showed strong pace and continued to enjoy his return to the desert in only his third rally raid. He now sits fourth overall after three days, 15 minutes and 15 seconds from the lead.
Botturi completed another solid day in fifth with a time of 4 hours, 17 minutes and 37 seconds. A three-minute penalty for a navigational error meant he ended the stage 9 minutes and 54 seconds from the win. Still, the experienced Italian once again kept a strong rhythm on his Ténéré 700 Rally. He now lies sixth overall, 33 minutes and 22 seconds behind the leader.
Stage 4 sees the bivouac move from Laâyoune and return to Tan-Tan Plage and features 216 km of special, split into sections of 88 km and 128 km, alongside 64 km of Liaison A, a 72 km transfer, and 34 km of Liaison B, for a total of 386 km.
Carta Rallye Stage 3 Results
Carta Rally General Classification After Stage 3
Kevin Gallas – P3 – 10h08m52s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“It was a much better stage today, at least from a riding point of view. I felt a lot better on the bike; we changed some settings, and that worked well. I still had some issues with the tablet, so I had to use the Stella for navigation, but I managed to pass everyone and spent most of the day riding and navigating alone. It was a really difficult stage, but I enjoyed it a lot. To come away with the stage win is a great feeling. We have made some small technical changes to help with the navigation for tomorrow, so I am looking forward to opening the stage.”
Gautier Paulin – P4 – 10h11m03s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“It was a nice stage, and I had a lot of fun. Opening the road at the start of the day was not easy, especially in the soft dunes, but the bike worked really well, and the roadbook was very good. The landscapes were amazing, and there were so many different sections, making it a really enjoyable day. It was dusty in places, but overall it was another fun stage.”
Alessandro Botturi – P6 – 10h29m10s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“It was a good stage today. I started eighth and finished fifth, so I am happy. I had a good rhythm and did not want to take too many risks, but it was another positive day as we continue to develop the bike and the electronic roadbook system. The important thing is to keep building the kilometres and keep going.”
Marc Bourgeois
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team – Team Manager
“It was a very good day for Kevin. He produced a really strong stage and took the win, even if we still need to make some more adjustments with the electronic tablet. This is a new system, and we need to keep learning and improving as we go. Gautier also had another good day and gained more valuable experience opening the stage and riding in these conditions. Alessandro had a solid day as well. Overall, we are continuing to learn, collect information, and build step by step, so it was another positive day for the team.”
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