Gallas Wins Africa Eco Race by 41 Seconds

Kevin Gallas storms past Gautier Paulin in the final kilometres of Stage 11 to win the Africa Eco Race overall by just 41 seconds, securing a historic Yamaha Ténéré 1–2 finish.

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Rally raid rarely delivers a finish this tight. After nearly 6,000 kilometres of dunes, rocks and relentless navigation, the 2026 edition of the Africa Eco Race came down to a handful of seconds — and a last-minute charge that flipped the script in spectacular fashion.

In a tense Stage 11 showdown, Kevin Gallas snatched overall victory from Gautier Paulin by just 41 seconds, sealing a historic 1–2 finish for Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team and the twin-cylinder Yamaha Ténéré 700 Rally.

And honestly? It couldn’t have been written better if this were a movie script.

Paulin entered the final timed special leading the rally by one minute and 25 seconds. On paper, that looked comfortable. In rally raid reality, it’s anything but. Opening the stage meant he had no tracks to follow, no reference points in the sand — just pure navigation pressure across a shortened but tricky 102 km special after a long liaison into Senegal.

He rode brilliantly, too. Clean, precise, fast enough to keep the overall lead intact all the way to the final checkpoint, just 15 km from the finish.

Behind him, Gallas was quietly loading the slingshot.

Starting fourth on the road, the German rider began chipping away at the gap. Ten seconds here. A few more there. Then, in the closing kilometres, he went all-in, unleashing everything the Ténéré had left — all while nursing a broken left hand.

Paulin stopped the clock first in 1h19m35s and could only wait.

Then Gallas appeared on the horizon, absolutely pinned.

When he crossed the line, the numbers told the story: fifth on the stage, but enough time gained to overturn the deficit. After days of racing across Morocco and into Senegal, the entire rally had been decided by just 41 seconds.

That margin is tiny in motocross. Over thousands of kilometres of rally raid? It’s insane.

The pair embraced at the finish, a pure show of respect between two riders who had pushed each other to the absolute limit.

The Yamaha dominance didn’t stop at the top two either. Alessandro Botturi fought back from earlier technical issues to finish seventh overall, while Mike Wiedemann and António Maio slotted into fourth and sixth. By the end of Stage 11, five Ténérés occupied the top seven positions, and Yamaha machines locked out the over-650cc category.

It was less a win and more a statement. Twin-cylinder adventure bikes weren’t just competing, they were controlling the race.

All that remains now is the traditional parade run to Lac Rose, where riders will celebrate one of the closest and most dramatic finishes the event has ever seen.

For Gallas, it’s a fairytale result. First attempt at the Africa Eco Race. Only his third rally raid ever. Victory by seconds.

For Yamaha, it’s history.

And for everyone watching, it’s a reminder of why rally raid hits different because sometimes, after thousands of brutal kilometres, it really does come down to one last push through the sand.