Last updated on 28. October 2026
Series: Fenix Rally – The doorway to Sahara
Jeremy Knuiman won Leg 4 of the Fenix Rally around Douz and, according to the provisional classification, leads the Enduro class overall. Riding a KTM, the Dutchman took 3:32:13 hours. Justin Gerlach (JG Racing, KTM) finished 4 minutes and 46 seconds later. In the overall standings, Knuiman is 1 minute and 30 seconds ahead of Gerlach. The previous day, Gerlach had still led the overall classification by 3 minutes and 16 seconds, as the added stage times in the list show. The start list and the results list date Leg 4 to 27 October 2026. The list is marked as provisional.
Douz-Douz: technical start, then open tracks
Leg 4 was a loop starting and finishing in Douz, with a total distance of 305 kilometres. According to the organiser’s Competitor Briefing, 23.63 kilometres were the liaison to the start, 270.05 kilometres the special stage and 11.32 kilometres the return to Douz.
According to the briefing, the first part was very technical, with repeated crossings, rough sections and closely spaced hazards. Between kilometres 27 and 69, the organiser demanded the highest roadbook discipline and controlled speed.
Two neutralisations interrupted the timed section. The first began at kilometre 74.09 and lasted 50 minutes. At kilometre 87.53 there was a remote service with refuelling. The second neutralisation began at kilometre 200.27, lasted 45 minutes and was located near Douz. According to the briefing, the motorcycles have a range of 150 kilometres plus a 10 per cent reserve, so the fuel stop had to be planned in.
After the service, the route became more open, with fast desert tracks and CAP navigation, meaning riding on a compass heading. In the middle section, there were passages through villages, public roads and zones with speed limits. At kilometre 181.51, a two-second compulsory stop was scheduled.
Gerlach: “It was an insanely fast day.”
Gerlach summed up the day briefly in an audio statement (translated from German): “It was an insanely fast day.” The start took him through mountains, riverbeds and stony sections with many crossings, holes and washouts. “But that was really very, very good Dakar training,” the rider said. After that, it was “basically just wide open and always at the speed limit of 130”, on slippery, gravelly and twisting tracks where he found a good rhythm.
The day was not entirely free of problems. “At the end of the stage I felt a bit of vibration in the chassis, it felt strange.” At the afternoon service, he changed the oil and air filter, had the wheels changed and checked the engine mounts. Something had come loose there, which he has now tightened.
For the next day, which he describes as very sandy with many dunes, he had fresh tyres fitted. A new Mepho tyre went on the front because the old one had a clear cut, and a Mepho H400 Sand on the rear. He also changed the fuel distribution: he left the front tank almost empty and filled mainly the rear one. By his account, there are around 13 litres at the rear and 6 litres at the front as a reserve. That is supposed to be enough for the just under 120 kilometres to the refuel. “I also learned from my mistake on the second day,” Gerlach said, adding that he hopes to sink in less in the dunes.
Stage result Enduro (provisional)
Behind the leading pair, the rest of the field lost considerable time. Daan Veenendaal (GasGas) was third, 18 minutes and 11 seconds behind. Florian Willer (KTM) finished fourth, 19 minutes and 45 seconds behind, and Richard Wijntjes (Husqvarna) fifth, 25 minutes and 14 seconds behind.
- 1. Jeremy Knuiman (NLD, KTM): 3:32:13
- 2. Justin Gerlach (DEU, KTM), gap (h:min:sec): +0:04:46
- 3. Daan Veenendaal (NLD, GasGas): +0:18:11
- 4. Florian Willer (DEU, KTM): +0:19:45
- 5. Richard Wijntjes (NLD, Husqvarna): +0:25:14
Gaspard Delsart (FRA, KTM), fourth overall after Leg 4, took 5:06:27 hours and lost 1 hour, 34 minutes and 14 seconds to Knuiman. The list shows a penalty of 2 minutes and 30 seconds for him, but does not give the reason.
The penalty column shows a total of 13 minutes and 30 seconds for Knuiman and none for Gerlach. The list does not make clear which stages the penalties relate to or whether the times already include them.
Overall standings after Leg 4 (Enduro, provisional)
- 1. Jeremy Knuiman (NLD, KTM): 20:35:41
- 2. Justin Gerlach (DEU, KTM), gap (h:min:sec): +0:01:30
- 3. Daan Veenendaal (NLD, GasGas): +0:48:18
- 4. Gaspard Delsart (FRA, KTM): +3:01:31
- 5. Richard Wijntjes (NLD, Husqvarna): +4:10:58
- 6. Melek Abdelkafi (TUN, KTM): +4:15:47
- 7. Abdelkader Mebarki (DZA, KTM): +4:33:31
- 8. Marian Augustyn (POL, Fantic): +4:49:40
- 9. Pascal de Baar (NLD, KTM): +4:53:41
- 10. Sara Jugla (FRA, Kove): +5:02:20
Veenendaal is therefore 48 minutes and 18 seconds behind Knuiman and 46 minutes and 48 seconds behind Gerlach. The provisional classification lists 16 Enduro riders.
Quads
In the quad category, Adam Krysiak (Polaris) won the stage in 3:43:43 hours, 19 minutes and 47 seconds ahead of Karol Slugocki. Krysiak leads the overall standings by 1 hour, 29 minutes and 37 seconds.
German-speaking starters
Florian Willer finished Leg 4 in fourth place. Overall, he is 12th, 5 hours, 42 minutes and 3 seconds behind. According to RallyTracks.nl, on Leg 2 he was given the maximum time and received a 27-minute and 40-second penalty for speeding and six missed waypoints.
The Austrian Georg Reinprecht (Beta) finished Leg 4 in tenth place, 50 minutes and 3 seconds behind Knuiman. Overall, he is 16th. For Leg 3, the results list shows a value of 28:40:00 for him, without explanation.
Sources and image credits
- Fenix Rally Tunisia 2026 + L’Oasis Original Classic: Competitor Briefing Leg 4, Douz Loop (organiser’s PDF)
- Geotraq, timekeeping Fenix Rally 2026: start list Leg 4, dated 27 October 2026, and provisional classification after Leg 4, printed 28 October 2026
- Justin Gerlach: audio statement on Leg 4 (editorial recording, consent given)
- RallyTracks.nl: Knuiman wins Fenix Rally dune stage, Thijs and Van Tiel extend their lead, 27 October 2026 (background on Leg 2)