Alessandro Botturi claims Stage 2 victory for Yamaha after weather delays disrupt the Africa Eco Race, while debutant Gautier Paulin impresses with a top-six finish and multiple Ténérés land in the top ten.
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After days of brutal weather delays, the 2026 Africa Eco Race finally came alive and Alessandro Botturi wasted zero time making a statement.
Torrential rain, fierce winds and even snowfall across Tangier and the Atlas Mountains forced organisers to cancel the Prologue, Official Start and Stage 1 on safety grounds, leaving competitors facing an exhausting 800 km liaison through snow-covered terrain just to reach the first bivouac in Bousaid.
So when Stage 2 finally went green, it wasn’t just a start, it was more like a release.
And Botturi grabbed it with both hands.
Veteran control in chaos
With route damage forcing organisers to cut nearly 200 km from the special, Stage 2 still delivered everything rally raid is known for fast rocky pistes, soft dunes in Merzouga, and constant last-minute changes to the roadbook that turned navigation into a minefield.
Starting second on the road behind last year’s rival, Botturi immediately hunted him down. Leaning on years of rally experience and the proven reliability of the Ténéré 700 Rally, the Italian rode a calculated but aggressive stage to clock 2h 24m 04s, securing victory and opening up a 2m 10s lead in the overall standings.
It was classic Botturi: calm, precise, ruthless.
Paulin impresses on two wheels debut
While Botturi delivered experience, Gautier Paulin delivered promise.
The former MXGP star, and 2024 Africa Eco Race car winner, is still learning the art of rally raid navigation on a bike. Yet in his first-ever motorcycle special at AER, he rode smart and steady to finish sixth overall, just over seven minutes off his teammate.
Not bad for someone still figuring out roadbooks.
Ténéré strength on full display
It wasn’t just a one-two story either.
The Ténéré platform showed serious depth, with Kevin Gallas taking third and five more Yamaha machines landing inside the top ten. Ténéré Spirit Experience riders Mike Wiedemann (7th) and Antonio Maio (10th) capped off a hugely positive day for the blue squad.
Team manager Marc Bourgeois couldn’t hide his satisfaction:
Eyes on Stage 3
If Stage 2 was the warm-up, Stage 3 is the first real test.
A 440 km special across the brutal Chegaga dunes, the vast Lake Iriki plains and high-speed rocky trails awaits, followed by another liaison to Assa. Over 500 km total, pure rally raid punishment.
Momentum is with Yamaha.
Now they just have to survive what Africa throws at them next.
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