The Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team has dominated the opening stage of the 2026 Addax Rally in Morocco, with defending champion Kevin Gallas claiming victory ahead of former MXGP rider Gautier Paulin and two-time Africa Eco Race winner Alessandro Botturi.
The five-stage event covers approximately 1600km of southern Morocco, taking competitors across sand, rocky tracks, dry riverbeds and the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Heavy rain before the event had left sections of the course heavily rutted, while difficult navigation caught out several riders.
Gallas started Monday’s opening stage ninth among the motorcycles after adopting a conservative approach to Sunday’s 25km prologue. By the first refuelling point at approximately 115km, the German had closed on the leaders before making his decisive move during a complicated navigation section around the 155km mark.
While several competitors missed a turn, Gallas identified the correct route and moved into the lead. He went on to win the stage in 4h34m58s, including a two-minute penalty, finishing 6m54s ahead of Paulin.
Paulin’s second-place finish was particularly impressive after a technical problem prevented him from completing Sunday’s prologue. The Frenchman recovered to finish runner-up on Stage 1 despite making several navigation mistakes.
Botturi completed Yamaha’s podium lockout in third, securing second place in the overall motorcycle classification behind Gallas.
Following the opening stage, Gallas leads the rally with a combined time of 4h57m17s, holding a 13m02s advantage over Botturi. Paulin sits 23rd overall due to the penalty incurred during the prologue.
All three riders are competing aboard Yamaha’s Ténéré 700 Rally, with the event providing further preparation for the 2027 Africa Eco Race.
Tuesday’s second stage will be the longest of the rally at approximately 370km, with the Yamaha trio leading the motorcycle field into another demanding day of desert racing.
