Kevin Gallas winner of Africa Eco Race 2026: Yamaha’s crowning achievement
13 February 2026
Intense is the word to describe these two weeks of competition in the Africa Eco Race. Two weeks where the suspense was absolute until the final release.
The Africa Eco Race 2026 got off to a great start with a victory for Alessandro Botturi and a third-place finish for Kevin Gallas as early as the second stage (Stage 1 having been cancelled). This sets the tone: our Ténéré 700 riders are right in the mix, even against the many 450cc bikes entered this year.
The turning point of the race for Yamaha...
Kevin Gallas finished second on Stage 3, but on Stage 4, a technical problem struck Alessandro Botturi. He lost an hour, which dashed his chances of victory… However, all is not lost! Thanks to a true team strategy, Alessandro Botturi will do everything he can to support our young riders.
Kevin Gallas, consistent in his performance, won the 5th stage. The 6th stage was won by Gautier Paulin, with Alessandro Botturi taking second place. On the 7th stage, it was another victory for Kevin Gallas. Nothing seems to stop him, not even the dunes of Mauritania, and this is only his 3rd rally-raid!
Then Gautier Paulin won the 8th stage, followed by the 10th… In the overall standings, only 1 min 25 s now separate Gautier Paulin and Kevin Gallas, with a comfortable 22-minute lead over third place, held by Lepan’s KTM 450.
The finale at Lac Rose
In the Africa Eco Race, although there are 12 stages, only 11 count toward the overall standings. It is Stage 11 that seals the winner’s fate, with Stage 12 only serving for the start from the beach of the legendary Lac Rose and the finish at the podium.
A Stage 11 where everyone held their breath… and in the end, Kevin Gallas won with just a 41-second lead over Gautier Paulin!
A historic result for Yamaha
Not only did Yamaha win the Africa Eco Race on the Ténéré 700, but it also took second place on the podium! An incredible performance from our riders and machines.
The team’s success didn’t stop there:
5 Ténérés in the top 7 overall.
A clean sweep of the podium in the Over 650cc category: Kevin Gallas, Gautier Paulin, and Mike Wiedemann.
The Ténéré Spirit Experience riders, Mike Wiedemann and António Maio, delivered solid performances. Wiedemann secured three stage podiums to finish 4th overall, while Maio added two podiums and finished 6th.
The dominance of the Ténéré 700
In total, the Ténéré bikes claimed 6 stage wins and added 11 more podium finishes. Stage 10, one of the most demanding of the rally, saw Ténérés take all of the top 5 spots.
Finally, 7 machines finished in the top 9 of the Over 650cc category, including Nicolas Charlier (8th) and Bertrand Gavard (9th).
The Africa Eco Race 2026 will be remembered as an edition dominated by the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team and its adventure twin-cylinder, victorious in one of the most demanding rally-raids in the world.
Next up: The team will be back in action at the Carta Rallye in Morocco, from April 18 to 24, 2026.
