The Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team, in partnership with Riders for Health (powered by Two Wheels for Life), celebrated a superb 1-2-3 finish in the motorcycle category on Stage 1 of the 2026 Addax Rally in Morocco, with Kevin Gallas taking victory ahead of Gautier Paulin and Alessandro Botturi.
Sunday’s 25 km prologue in Merzouga saw Botturi and Gallas take a strategic approach, finishing seventh and ninth among the motorcycles, respectively, securing favourable starting positions for Monday’s opening stage. Paulin, meanwhile, suffered an unfortunate technical issue that prevented him from completing the prologue. However, thanks to the team’s hard work, the Frenchman was back in action on Monday and delivered a superb performance to finish second, helping Yamaha secure a clean sweep of the Stage 1 motorcycle podium.
Stage 1 presented a demanding test of speed, navigation and endurance across the sandy tracks, rocky terrain and dry riverbeds of southern Morocco. Recent heavy rain had left parts of the desert heavily rutted, while a complicated roadbook caught out several competitors. In total, the five-stage rally covers approximately 1,600 km of varied terrain, including the spectacular dunes of Erg Chebbi.
Starting ninth among the motorcycles, Gallas quickly settled into a strong rhythm aboard his Ténéré 700 Rally. By the first refuelling point at approximately 115 km, the German had already made significant progress towards the leading group, before a tricky navigation section around the 155 km mark proved decisive. With several riders struggling to find the correct route, Gallas spotted a turn that the others had missed and moved into the lead.
From there, the defending Addax Rally champion produced a superb display of navigation and pace, securing victory in four hours, 34 minutes and 58 seconds, including a two-minute penalty, to take the overall rally lead.
Paulin completed an impressive recovery from his prologue difficulties to finish second among the motorcycles, just six minutes and 54 seconds behind Gallas. Despite a couple of navigation mistakes, the former MXGP star demonstrated excellent pace and continued to gain valuable rally raid experience.
Botturi completed the Yamaha 1-2-3 in third, maintaining a strong rhythm despite some minor navigation issues. The two-time Africa Eco Race (AER) winner’s performance also placed him second in the overall motorcycle classification.
Following Stage 1, Gallas leads the general motorcycle classification with a combined time of four hours, 57 minutes and 17 seconds, holding a 13-minute and two-second advantage over Botturi in second, who has a total time of five hours, 10 minutes and 19 seconds. Paulin sits 23rd overall with a cumulative time of seven hours, 56 minutes and 52 seconds due to his prologue penalty. The team’s performance was also an encouraging indication of the progress made during three days of testing in Erfoud ahead of the event.
Tuesday’s Stage 2 will be the longest of the rally, covering approximately 370 km, with all three Yamaha riders leading the motorcycle field away. Another demanding day of desert navigation awaits, as the team looks to build on its strong start while continuing to gather valuable data and experience ahead of the 2027 AER.
Overall Classification After Stage 1
Kevin Gallas – P1 Overall (4:57:17)
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“It was a great first stage. I started ninth, and the plan was to ride at my own pace and use the advantage of starting further back to catch the leading group. Around kilometre 155, everyone was struggling to find the correct route. I spotted a turn the others had missed and suddenly found myself opening the stage. From there, my navigation was really good, and I felt incredible on the bike. Everything just felt right. To finish with a Yamaha 1-2-3 is amazing for the team, and it shows that all our hard work during testing is paying off. I’m really happy with how things are going and looking forward to the rest of the rally.”
Alessandro Botturi – P2 Overall (5:10:19)
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“I think we achieved the maximum today, finishing first, second and third, which is fantastic for the team. I made a mistake with the navigation and had a few problems with my instruments, but overall I’m happy. I had a good rhythm, the feeling on the bike was positive, and the team has been brilliant as always. We just need to keep going like this.”
Gautier Paulin – P23 Overall (7:56:52)
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“Today was a great day, especially after what happened in the prologue yesterday. The team did an incredible job, and this is exactly why we are here, to prepare ourselves and the bikes for the AER. The roadbook was really tough, and I made a couple of navigation mistakes, but I managed to find my way back on track. The heavy rain has left the desert very rutted, so you have to be careful. I’m really enjoying being back in the desert and riding the Ténéré 700 Rally. Tomorrow is the longest stage, so it will be another great opportunity to learn.”
Marc Bourgeois
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team – Team Manager
“It’s been a very good day for the team. Navigation was difficult, but Kevin did an excellent job finding the correct route and deserves congratulations for his performance. Tomorrow is the longest stage of the rally, so it will be another important test. Our three riders will be opening the route, and it will be a good opportunity for them to work together. We are in a strong position, but this is rally raid, and anything can happen. We need to stay focused on our main objective, which is to complete as many kilometres as possible, gain experience and collect valuable data to prepare for the AER.”
