Ténéré Spirit Experience rider Kevin Gallas produced a stunning performance to emerge victorious from the final day showdown at the Addax Rally with the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team’s Alessandro Botturi, as the Italian suffered heartbreak when a technical issue ended his stage early and denied him the chance to fight for the win.
Stage 5 of the 2025 Addax Rally featured a 283 km timed special that would see the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team’s Botturi, in partnership with Riders for Health (powered by Two Wheels for Life), and Ténéré Spirit Experience (TSE) rider Gallas face off against each other for the win. Heading from Merzouga to Merzane over dunes, oueds, rocky tracks, and dusty trails, the scene was set for an epic showdown with only one minute and five seconds separating the duo, and with them both enjoying a fifty-minute advantage over the next rider.
Botturi led off and set a strong pace, with Gallas starting in second, three minutes behind. The German planned to try to catch the Italian on his Ténéré 700 Rally and stay with him for the rest of the stage to manage his lead. He knew if he did this, he would win.
Botturi, on the other hand, needed to claw back time, and they both arrived at the refuelling point with hardly anything to separate them. Sadly, this was where the brilliant battle would end. Botturi had noticed a technical issue with his bike, and because the team were treating this race as a test, they did not want to damage it further. He was forced to stop and could not complete the stage.
Gallas then rode with fellow TSE rider Mike Weidemann for the rest of the stage to bring it home, as he completed the timed special in second, with Weidemann securing the stage victory. This meant Gallas took the overall win, a feat all the more impressive given it was only his second desert rally.
After 1,468 km over some of the harshest terrain known to man, Gallas had set a time of 25 hours, 17 minutes, and 53 seconds to clinch a dominant victory by a margin of one hour, 42 minutes and 46 seconds in the end. Botturi, after incurring penalties for stopping on the final stage, ended the rally in 11th overall, while Weidemann, who sadly failed to finish Stage 2 and therefore also suffered from a raft of penalties, was 13th. His TSE teammate Bertrand Gavard finished in 23rd after the French rider was also awarded the maximum time penalty for failing to finish Stage 4.
It was a superb Addax Rally for Yamaha, not only securing the overall victory, but with a Ténéré winning four out of the five stages, and locking out four of the top five places in the Race 3 category for twin-cylinder bikes.
The Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team now turn its focus to the main event of their season, the 2026 Africa Eco Race, which takes place January 24-February 7, where they will race over 6,000 km from Tangiers, Morocco, to Dakar, Senegal, following the old Dakar Rally routes, in the ultimate test of man and machine.
Addax Rally – Stage 5 Results
Addax Rally – Final General Classification Race 3 Category
Addax Rally – Final General Classification
Kevin Gallas – P1 Overall – 25h17m53s
Ténéré Spirit Experience Rider
“This feeling is incredible! I feel so sorry for Alessandro, as we have enjoyed a superb battle over the last five days, and he did not deserve to end like this. He led out today’s stage, and I started second, three minutes behind, so I planned to catch him and stay with him, then try to manage the race. I knew if I did this, I would win. I had a great feeling with the bike, and despite a few mistakes, everything was going to plan. When we reached the refuelling point, I saw that Alessandro was just one minute ahead of me, but had an issue and could not continue. From there on, I decided to ride with Mike, as I was going for the overall victory, and he was pushing for the stage win. We worked well together, and even though we had some issues with the roadbook and got a bit lost, Mike managed to find the waypoint, and we got into a nice rhythm, taking turns leading, and I just enjoyed the last km. I want to thank Yamaha and the TSE for such an incredible five days. The bike was amazing the whole rally, and for my second desert rally, given that I am still learning, it was an amazing experience. I feel I have made a big step in the right direction. I am thrilled and can’t wait for my next race.”
Alessandro Botturi – P11 Overall – 44h16m59s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“Unfortunately, today did not go as planned. I was pushing hard on the bike and felt good, but then I had a technical issue. Since we are just using this rally as a test before the AER, we decided it was better not to continue and risk damaging the bike. I am obviously disappointed, as it has been an excellent race-long battle between me and Kevin. He has ridden superbly and really deserves the victory. And I would like to congratulate him on his win. The last five days have been great to give us a chance to develop and evaluate the bike in similar conditions that we will face during the AER, and we will now continue this work to put us in the best position possible to fight for the win next year.”
Marc Bourgeois
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team – Team Manager
“The last day featured a shorter stage, and it was all set for an epic showdown between Alessandro and Kevin. Kevin had just over a minute’s advantage, heading into the stage. Alessandro opened, with Kevin behind, and it looked like it would come down to an intense battle over the last 100 km, but, sadly, due to a technical issue, Alessandro had to stop, and we decided it was better not to continue. Congratulations to Kevin, he is a young and talented rider and is gaining more and more experience in rally raid, and he has been impressive. I would also like to mention Mike, as he made it a double Yamaha victory today by taking the stage win, and he has been superb all rally. For the team and Alessandro, this was another important test before the AER, and we will continue to work hard developing the bike over the winter. We are already looking forward to our next test.”
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