| Joining Botturi and Paulin at the rally will be a number of Ténéré Spirit Experience (TSE) riders who will participate alongside the official team. This includes Nicolas Charlier, the Belgian rider returning as a guest after demonstrating his potential with a sensational performance at the 2025 Africa Eco Race that saw him claim a stage victory.
He will be joined by several TSE riders competing in the Race category, while a number of TSE customers will also take part in the Raid category, where they get to experience all of the adventure and excitement of rally without the pressure of riding against the clock.
The Carta Rallye kicks off on the 14th of April on the east coast of Morocco at Plage Blanche. It then traverses north through the Saharan desert via M’Hamid before finishing on the 20th of April in Merzouga.
Alessandro Botturi
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“After such an epic Africa Eco Race, I cannot wait to go racing again in Morocco. We have been testing with the new Ténéré 700 Rally GYTR, and it has really impressed me. It will also be exciting to race alongside Gautier, as while he is new to rally raid, he is already showing excellent potential. We have been working very hard together for the Carta Rallye, which is a new event for the team, and I am confident that with the new bike, we can achieve a great result.”
Gautier Paulin
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to race at the Carta Rallye on the official Ténéré 700 Rally GYTR race bike! I have been working with the team for the last few weeks, doing roadbook training with the TSE and helping to develop the new race bike. I grew up watching the Dakar as a kid, and it has always been my dream to race in a desert rally raid. I aim to enjoy the experience, as I am still learning, but, as a racer, I want to do my best, although the main goal is not to make any mistakes and improve as a rally rider while also learning and helping to develop the bike. We have some more testing to do in Morocco before we go racing, but I cannot wait!”
Marc Bourgeois
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team – Team Manager
“We are excited to take on the Carta Rallye for the first time as a team with the Ténéré 700 Rally GYTR making its racing debut. It is our first race with the new bike, but it has already shown a lot of promise. We are also welcoming the MXGP legend Gautier Paulin to the team for the first time. He has been training with us for the last few weeks, and while it is his first experience of rally raid, we are excited to see how he gets on racing the official bike. On top of this, Nicolas Charlier returns as a guest of the TSE after his stunning performance at the 2025 Africa Eco Race, as we feel he has a huge amount of potential as a rider, and our aim is to help continue his development. Plus, of course, we will have a number of other TSE customers taking part in both the Race and Raid categories, so it should be an incredible rally.” |
