The Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team, in partnership with Riders for Health (powered by Two Wheels for Life), maintained its 100% podium record at the 2026 Carta Rallye in Morocco after Gautier Paulin finished third on Stage 6. Kevin Gallas was fifth, with Alessandro Botturi in sixth, which means the trio head into the final day second, third, and fourth in the general classification.
Stage 6 saw the rally move from Icht to M’Hamid and featured 318 km of special, 23 km of liaison, and a 152 km transfer, for a total of 494 km. As the penultimate stage of the rally, it proved to be one of the toughest yet, with demanding terrain and tricky navigation creating a real test for both rider and machine.
Paulin delivered another superb performance on his Ténéré 700 Rally to finish third on Stage 6 in five hours, 48 minutes and eight seconds, just three minutes and 40 seconds from the fastest time. After already claiming stage victories on Stages 2 and 4, the Frenchman once again showed the pace of the Ténéré 700 Rally as it continued to take the fight to the 450cc single-cylinder prototype machines. The result keeps him third overall in the general classification, 29 minutes and 55 seconds from the lead, with one stage remaining.
Gallas also produced another excellent ride, finishing fifth on Stage 6 with a time of five hours, 49 minutes and 57 seconds. Following his Stage 3 victory, his podium on Stage 4, and second place on Stage 5, the German continued his impressive run with another strong result on the Ténéré 700 Rally. That leaves him second overall heading into the final stage, 20 minutes and 59 seconds from the lead, and in a strong position as the rally reaches its conclusion.
Botturi completed another solid day in sixth with a time of five hours, 50 minutes and 32 seconds. After the setbacks from penalties earlier in the rally, the experienced Italian has continued to focus on delivering the best possible result while also helping to develop the Ténéré 700 Rally in rally raid conditions. He now sits fourth overall in the general classification, 50 minutes and 58 seconds from the lead.
With one final push to come on Stage 7, the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team continues to dominate the Over 450cc class. Through six stages, the team has locked out the podium in the category every single day, underlining the consistency and competitiveness of the Ténéré 700 Rally throughout the event.
Stage 7 sees the rally remain in M’Hamid for the final stage and features 107 km of special and 14 km of liaison, for a total of 121 km.
Carta Rallye General Classification After Stage 6
Gautier Paulin – P3 – 24h33m14s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“It was another strong day for me. The stage was tough, the navigation tricky in places, and it was a real test for both the rider and the bike, but I felt good on the Ténéré 700 Rally and kept pushing all day. To finish on the podium again is a positive result, and now the focus is on the final stage and finishing the rally strongly.”
Kevin Gallas – P2 – 24h24m18s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
Stage 6 was a proper one. I started second, and we had two separate parts to the day: a shorter stage in the morning, a long transfer, and another long stage in the afternoon. In the morning, I made a few small navigation mistakes and got caught, and with the dust, it was not easy to stay close, so I wasn’t happy with that part. But in the afternoon, the pace got really high; it was very technical and physically demanding for both the bike and the rider, so I was really happy with how the day went. We are still very close in performance to the 450 factory bikes, and I gave it my all until the end. It was a very physical day, but I am really happy, and it is looking good for tomorrow. Just one more stage to enjoy now, and I am ready for the final day.”
Alessandro Botturi – P4 – 24h54m17s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“It was another solid day for me, and I rode at my rhythm. I am fourth in the general classification and sixth on the stage, so I am still close to the others, and I am happy. It was a difficult and very physical stage, but the important thing was to keep going and bring home another solid result.”
Marc Bourgeois
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team – Team Manager
“It was a hard day. The track was difficult for both the bike and the riders, and for the first time, I could see that the riders were a little tired. From the perspective of testing and development, it was a very important day because we are in racing conditions and still pushing hard, which helps us understand where we can improve. Even Alessandro, with all his experience, made some navigation mistakes, and that shows how tricky the navigation was, especially in the sections where there was a lot of information to process in the roadbook. In the second part, many riders made mistakes in different places, so it was a useful day for developing navigation skills. From my side, it was a positive day, because even if we lost some time, it is important for preparing the fut
