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Collage of logos of rally events from Sandalion to Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

Rally Events

Published by Thomas Menzel on 11. October 2026

Seven rally events are on the calendar between mid-October and the end of November: Sandalion, 1000 Dunas, Fenix, Addax, Qatar, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. They range from navigation classes of varying difficulty to the W2RC finale. German participation also takes different forms: announced race starts, on-site support and documented participation in the previous year.

The dates at a glance

Event Dates 2026 Duration and format Sporting status
Sandalion Rally 13–17 October 5 racing days; scrutineering from 12 October Finale of the FIM Europe Tout Terrain Rally Cup
1000 Dunas 17–24 October 8 calendar days, 6 stages Standalone navigation raid
Fenix Rally 23–31 October 9 calendar days; prologue and 7 stages announced Standalone RBI event
Addax Rally 25–30 October 6 calendar days; PRO and ELITE distances Standalone rally with class rankings
Qatar International Baja 28–31 October 4 calendar days; prologue and 2 race stages FIM Bajas World Cup, FIA World Baja Cup and FIA Middle East Baja Cup
Dubai International Baja 5–8 November 4 calendar days; detailed supplementary regulations still to come FIA Baja finale; penultimate round of the FIM Bajas
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 22–27 November 6 days; FIM prologue followed by a week of stages Finale of the FIA/FIM W2RC

The time windows overlap: Fenix runs at the same time as Addax and Qatar. The following details on the riding profile describe published categories, terrain and stage formats. There is no common difficulty rating across the seven organisers.

Sandalion Rally: European Cup finale around Olbia

The Moto Club Insolita Sardegna is organising the Sandalion from 13 to 17 October in northern Sardinia. The base is the paddock at the Olbia Arena. The rally is the final round of the FIM Europe Tout Terrain Rally Cup. The first administrative and technical checks take place as early as 12 October.

The programme lists a total of 1,190 kilometres, of which 594 kilometres are selective sections. On Thursday there is also the night-time show stage “Luna Nera”. The same day is designated as a marathon stage. The riding profile is therefore defined by five days of roadbook competition, long daily distances and an additional run in darkness. No beginners’ class is listed in the European Cup programme that was reviewed.

German participation: When accessed, the public rider list contained 39 profiles for 2026. None is marked as German nationality. This is the published entry status, not a statement about later additions. Programme · Rider list.

1000 Dunas: Six stages between Fès and Erg Chebbi

1000 Dunas begins on 17 October with checks in Fès, Morocco. The six stages from 18 to 23 October lead via a marathon station into the dunes of the Erg Chebbi near Merzouga and back to Fès. The journey home is on 24 October. Sporting direction of the 1000 Dunas organising team lies with Miguel Puertas.

The organiser explicitly distinguishes the riding level: Dakar and Rally: high; Hard Adventure and Adventure: medium to high; Rocket and Classics: entry level. These ratings apply to the respective categories. 1000 Dunas is a standalone navigation raid; no status as a W2RC or Bajas World Cup round is listed for 2026.

Motorcycle transport from European collection points to Fès is offered as an additional service. This allows riders to travel by air; the transport is not included in the entry fee. Participants from Germany confirmed by name for 2026 are not documented in the publications reviewed. Programme and categories · Organisation.

Fenix Rally: Tunisian dunes and an announced start by Justin Gerlach

RBI Sport is staging the Fenix in Tunisia from 23 to 31 October. The announced route leads from Djerba via Douz to Monastir. The organiser’s dossier lists a prologue, seven stages and three bivouacs. Fenix is a standalone rally, not a round of the W2RC or the FIM Bajas World Cup.

For motorcycles, the profile includes soft sand, dunes, open fast sections and navigation with the digital IRIS roadbook. A paper roadbook is not provided for in the concept as presented. The Discovery category must not be read as an entry-level class for motorcycles: it is expressly intended for SSVs and cars. Motorcycles compete in the Cross-Country competition.

The German Dakar rider Justin Gerlach announced in an interview with 131 Off-Road on 19 July that he would use the Fenix to test his KTM 450 Rally and his preparation for a Dakar start without his own service team. This documents his plans but does not replace a final entry list. Organiser’s dossier 2026 · Interview with Gerlach.

Addax Rally: Fixed base in Merzouga, varying stage lengths

The Addax, organised by A.F. Sports Events S.L., takes place from 25 to 30 October in southern Morocco. Headquarters and service park are at the Nasser Palace Hotel in Merzouga. Sand stages, rocky tracks and the dunes of the Erg Chebbi shape the route. The event has its own class rankings; no inclusion in the W2RC or the Bajas World Cup has been announced.

For combustion-engine motorcycles, the organisers give roughly 300 kilometres per stage in PRO and 400 kilometres in ELITE. PRO here denotes the shorter distance. There are classes up to 450 cubic centimetres, over 450 cubic centimetres, and for maxi trail bikes and twin-cylinder machines. “Malles Moto” without mechanical assistance is restricted to Race 1 in ELITE.

Mike Wiedemann offers support for 2026 through Wiedemann Experience, including two days of roadbook training. His offer is aimed at experienced off-road riders; racing experience is not required. A race start of his own is therefore not confirmed. There was a documented German success in 2025: Kevin Gallas won the overall classification, Wiedemann the final stage. It does not follow that both riders will take part again. Organiser information · Wiedemann offer · Team report on the 2025 edition.

Qatar International Baja: World Cup round with entry deadline on 14 October

The Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation, QMMF, is organising the Baja from 28 to 31 October, based at the Lusail International Circuit. It counts towards the FIM Bajas World Cup as well as the FIA World Baja Cup and FIA Middle East Baja Cup. The event is not part of the W2RC.

 

For motorcycles, the approved supplementary regulations give 547.95 kilometres of selective route including the prologue. After the prologue on 29 October, two race stages follow. The terrain extends across northern and central Qatar to the dunes near Sealine in the south-east. According to the regulations, 80 per cent is gravel or unpaved tracks and 17 per cent is dunes. The profile thus combines high Baja speed, roadbook navigation and sand sections in a compact race format.

The entry deadline is 14 October at 5 pm local time, equivalent to 4 pm in Germany. The entry list is due to be published on 21 October; German motorcycle starters have not yet been confirmed by name. A shared free transport of equipment between the two events was announced for participants in Qatar and Dubai. It is subject to conditions and available capacity. FIM regulations · QMMF on transport and services.

Dubai International Baja: FIA finale, one round before the end for the FIM

The Emirates Motorsports Organization, EMSO, is staging the Dubai International Baja from 5 to 8 November. The desert event in the Emirate of Dubai concludes the FIA World Baja Cup and FIA Middle East Baja Cup. In the FIM Bajas World Cup, however, it is the penultimate round: the postponed finale in Castelo Branco follows from 13 to 15 November.

The published organiser’s report on the 2025 edition describes the closely spaced dunes of Al Qudra as technically and physically demanding. It shows the Baja’s character to date but does not document an identical route for 2026. The current regulations page still lists the supplementary regulations as forthcoming. Exact distances and a final route description therefore remain open.

German connection: Co-driver Timo Gottschalk was part of the winning crew in 2019, as his official W2RC profile states. No start in November 2026 can be inferred from this. No German motorcycle starter confirmed by name has yet been documented in the sources reviewed. Organiser · Regulations status · FIM calendar change.

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge: W2RC finale with new main bivouac

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is scheduled from 22 to 27 November as the finale of the FIA/FIM World Rally-Raid Championship. The organiser is EMSO in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. For the first time, both start and finish are in Al Ain. The main bivouac moves to Madinat Zayed in Al Dhafra.

 

The FIM field begins with a prologue on 22 November. The rally then heads west into the desert and returns to Al Ain on the final racing day. The riding profile is a multi-day desert rally at world championship level with roadbook navigation and consecutive long racing days. The organisers have announced a heavily revised route but have not yet published a complete course.

Justin Gerlach took part in 2025 without his own service team and spoke about it in an interview with 131 Off-Road. A start in 2026 is therefore not confirmed. The official entry list for November still says “Coming soon”. Organiser’s announcement of 28 September · Entry list status.

Sources and image credits

All seven images in the article are original logos from the respective organisers’ websites, not generated logos. The designer of the logos and the publication date are not stated there. Accessed: 10 October 2026.

Published inAllgemein