The Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team, in partnership with Riders for Health (powered by Two Wheels for Life), enjoyed a superb third stage at the 2026 Africa Eco Race, with official riders Gautier Paulin and Alessandro Botturi finishing in fourth and sixth respectively, while Ténéré Spirit Experience rider Kevin Gallas ended the special in second to secure consecutive podiums.
Stage 3 at the Africa Eco Race (AER) saw competitors take on their first full-length special after the cancellation of the first stage and shortening of Stage 2 due to extreme weather. Starting from Tagounite, riders faced a 19 km liaison to the start of the special, then tackled 440 km of soft sand, rocky trails, and the dunes of Chegaga, followed by another 55 km liaison to the bivouac in Assa.
Paulin, who is competing in his first Africa Eco Race on a motorcycle, continued his impressive start to the rally onboard his Ténéré 700 Rally. The former MXGP rider has settled into a good rhythm and, with his navigation skills improving by the km, is showcasing his rally raid potential. He finished the stage in fourth, with a time of five hours, three minutes, and 13 seconds, and is now sixth overall in the general classification, 11 minutes and 50 seconds behind the overall leader.
His teammate Botturi, the winner of Stage 2, produced another solid performance. The 50-year-old Italian led out the stage, which is a significant disadvantage in rally raid. He made one small navigational error at a waypoint that caught out many riders, but recovered superbly to finish the stage in sixth with a time of five hours, seven minutes, and 37 seconds. This means “Bottu” is now fifth overall, nine minutes and five seconds off the leader.
Ténéré Spirit Experience (TSE) rider Gallas, who was the winner of the recent Addax Rally and is competing in just his third rally raid, showcased his potential by finishing in second to secure back-to-back podiums. The German rider finished the stage in five hours, one minute, and 19 seconds, and is second in the general classification, five minutes and four seconds from the top.
Stage 4 sees the scenery shift in the AER, as the rally heads towards the Atlantic. Starting from the bivouac, riders face a 483 km special that ranges across a variety of terrain, which will prove a real test of riding skill, followed by a 5 km liaison to the bivouac in Khnifiss.
Stage 3 Results
General Classification After Stage 3
Gautier Paulin – P6 Overall – 7h34m26s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“Today was an interesting stage. The navigation was tough at the start, so I had to slow down and concentrate to avoid big mistakes. Then I was able to enjoy the stage more as it went on. I am happy with how things are going so far. It has been a baptism of fire with lots of changes to the roadbook, and tricky navigation, but each day I am learning more, and the bike is amazing to ride, so I am looking forward to Stage 4.”
Alessandro Botturi – P5 Overall – 7h31m41s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“A solid stage today. I had to lead out, which is always a huge disadvantage, but I kept a good pace and, apart from one small error, I felt really good. I tried to avoid losing too much time, because there is still a long way to go in this rally, and I am happy with the result. The bike has been perfect, and not missed a beat, and tomorrow I will look to claw back some time to the leaders now that I am not opening the stage.”
Marc Bourgeois
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team – Team Manager
“Stage 3 was the first real special, and a very important one for the rally. The real battle began. As he was leading the rally overnight, Alessandro opened the stage, which is a huge disadvantage, but he did a great job. He made a tiny navigational mistake, but this is rally, and he fought back superbly. Gautier again had an impressive day. He made a few small errors at the start, but his speed is exceptional, so when it comes together, we expect him to really shine. Kevin produced another excellent stage to secure back-to-back podiums. He made no mistakes, which, given his experience level, shows the potential he has. All in all, a good day, considering how tricky the stage was, and we are now focused on Stage 4.”
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