Kevin Gallas has won the Addax Rally 2026 in Morocco, repeating his victory of the previous year. After five stages around Merzouga, the German finished 21 minutes and 45 seconds ahead of his team-mate Alessandro Botturi, according to Motopress. Both ride for the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team on the Yamaha Ténéré 700 Rally.
According to Motopress, Gallas recorded a total time of 24 hours, 21 minutes and 53 seconds, and Botturi 24 hours, 43 minutes and 38 seconds. The Italian was reportedly 19 minutes and 44 seconds ahead of the third-placed rider in the motorcycle classification, whose name is not given in the report. No official results list from the organiser was available for this article; the figures come from Motopress’s reporting.
A tough final day
Gallas went into the fifth and final stage on Friday, 30 October 2026, with a lead of 20 minutes and 8 seconds. According to Motopress, a minor problem near the first fuel stop cost him time, and in trying to make it up he made navigation errors. Over the last 120 kilometres he found his rhythm again and won the motorcycle stage in 4 hours, 12 minutes and 59 seconds.
It was his third stage win, after victories on the first two stages. According to Motopress, Gallas had held the overall lead since the first competitive day. Botturi was second on the final stage, 1 minute and 37 seconds behind Gallas.
Paulin without an overall result
Gautier Paulin, the team’s third rider, does not appear in the overall classification. He had skipped the third stage to have a technical problem fixed that had arisen towards the end of the second day. The Frenchman rode again on the last two stages and finished the final stage ninth among the motorcycles in 4 hours, 51 minutes and 50 seconds. Over the course of the rally he took three second places on stages, according to Motopress.
The start had already been bumpy for Paulin: he was unable to finish the 25-kilometre prologue on Sunday, 25 October because of a technical failure. He still took second place on the first stage behind Gallas, with Botturi third to complete a Yamaha one-two-three on the day, as Motopress reported on the first stage.
Route around Merzouga
According to the team’s preview, published by Total Motorcycle, the rally, with a fixed bivouac in Merzouga, consisted of a prologue and scrutineering on 25 October and five stages from 26 to 30 October. Around 1,600 kilometres were scheduled in total, through the dunes of the Erg Chebbi, over sand tracks and rocky sections. The sources give no breakdown into special stages and liaison sections. The second stage was the longest at around 370 kilometres.
Dress rehearsal for the Africa Eco Race
For Yamaha, the Addax Rally served mainly as a test ahead of the Africa Eco Race 2027, which according to Motopress takes place in January. The team of Marc Bourgeois said it was working on the suspension, navigation and engine tuning of the Ténéré 700 Rally; before the start it had completed three test days in Erfoud. In the preview, the team stressed that collecting data and development work took priority over the result.
Gallas had already won the Addax Rally in 2025, after a duel with Botturi, who dropped out on the last stage with a technical problem. At the Africa Eco Race 2026, Gallas beat Paulin by 41 seconds after almost 6,000 kilometres. Botturi has won the Africa Eco Race twice.
Sources and photo credits
- Motopress: „Addax Rally 2026: Gallas vince, doppietta Yamaha“, 31.10.2026
- Motopress: „Addax Rally 2026, Yamaha domina la prima tappa“, 27.10.2026
- Total Motorcycle: „Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team Ready for Addax Rally“, 24.10.2026
- Photo 1: Yamaha Ténéré 700 Rally on a dune crest at the Addax Rally 2026; photographer not named; original source: Motopress, published 31.10.2026
- Photo 2: Riders of the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team in the dunes at the Addax Rally 2026; photographer not named; original source: Motopress, published 27.10.2026