The Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team, in partnership with Riders for Health (powered by Two Wheels for Life), took the Stage 5 victory at the Africa Eco Race with Ténéré Spirit Experience rider Kevin Gallas winning the special, Alessandro Botturi securing fourth, and Gautier Paulin finishing in ninth.
Stage 5 of the 2026 Africa Eco Race (AER) was the longest of the rally, with the bivouac moving from Khnifiss to Dakhla along the east coast of Morocco. The stage covered 768 km, including 396 km of timed special and 372 km of liaisons, before reaching the official rest day.
It was German rider Gallas, who is competing with the team on a Ténéré 700 Rally as part of the Ténéré Spirit Experience (TSE), that stole the show as he powered to victory in a time of three hours, 19 minutes and 46 seconds to secure his first AER stage win in his debut at the event. This means he is now second in the overall standings, just 20 seconds off the lead, and leads the over 650cc class.
Experienced Italian Botturi fought back superbly from the technical issue on Stage 4 that cost him over an hour to secure fourth, four minutes and 15 seconds behind Gallas, as he attempts to claw back time in the general classification. The fifty-year-old is currently in ninth overall, with a gap of one hour, seven minutes, and 45 seconds to the leader.
Former MXGP rider Paulin, competing in his first AER in the motorcycle category, once again produced a good ride despite a technical issue with his Stella device that prevented him from pushing as much as he wanted, finishing in ninth, 10 minutes and 31 seconds behind Gallas. The Frenchman remains in the victory hunt and reaches the rest day in a superb fifth overall, 11 minutes and 35 seconds from the top of the general classification.
Once again, Ténérés dominated with seven in the top 13, including TSE rider and multiple Dakar finisher António Maio, who produced another great performance to finish the stage in fifth, while Mike Weidemann (11th), Nicolas Charlier (12th) and Bertrand Gavard (13th) completed another impressive day for the twin-cylinder adventure bike.
The team now have a rest day in Dakhla, before the rally resumes on the 1st of February with Stage 6, which sees riders cross the border into Mauritania for the second leg of the rally.
Stage 5 Results
General Classification After Stage 5
Kevin Gallas – P2 Overall – 16h12m16s
Ténéré Spirit Experience
“That was a lot of fun! Honestly, it actually felt kind of easy today. While the navigation was tricky, I didn’t make any mistakes and was able to push as hard as I could with the Ténéré’s extra power while sticking to the speed limit. I feel really good, and winning a stage in my first AER is special. I am also now very close to the leaders, and leading the 650cc class, so while I am happy to have reached the rest day, I am already looking forward to the next stage.”
Gautier Paulin – P5 Overall – 16h23m26s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“Today was a little bit frustrating, as I was feeling really good on the bike, but due to an issue with my Stella GPS device, I could not see the speed I was doing, which is crucial to avoid penalties for going over the rally speed limit, and instead had to look down at the backup speedo, which means I could not look ahead at the same time. This cost me a lot of time, as it meant I could not attack the way I wanted to. Still, having a day like today and finishing in ninth place is not bad, when I am still learning the art of rally raid. We reach the rest day in Dakhla in a good position overall, and I am confident that as I get more and more kilometres under my belt, I will be able to push harder each day. I cannot wait to get to the dunes of Mauritania and kick off the second part of the rally!”
Alessandro Botturi – P9 Overall – 17h18m36s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“Today was a much better day. After losing so much time yesterday, I just wanted to respond with a good, solid stage today. The team worked really hard to identify the issue with the bike overnight, and today it was perfect. I want to thank them for all their hard work. Now we have a day to rest and recover, and despite being an hour behind in the general classification, obviously I will push as hard as I can to try and get back in the victory hunt, but I will also do a job for my teammates and help in their bids to win.”
Marc Bourgeois
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team – Team Manager
“It was good to bounce back today with another stage win, and Kevin did a great job. He is looking very strong on the bike and is in the hunt for victory, so we are proud of his efforts. Alessandro bounced back in his typical way, nothing fazes him and even though it will be tough for him to claw back over an hour, anything is possible in rally. He is also helping our other riders and is showcasing what a superb team spirit we have. Gautier, once again, had another good stage. He was just unlucky; he had an issue with his Stella device, which cost him time, but he did not panic and did his best to limit the damage. The whole team has been working so hard, and now we will enjoy the rest day as much as we can, while also preparing and getting ready for the toughest part of the rally in Mauritania.”
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