The Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team, in partnership with Riders for Health (powered by Two Wheels for Life), suffered from mixed fortunes in the treacherous conditions on Stage 2 at the Carta Rallye in Morocco. It was a Yamaha one-two as Gautier Paulin secured second behind Ténéré Spirit Experience rider Kevin Gallas, while his teammate Alessandro Botturi finished the special in third before being served with one hour and 15 minutes of penalties for missing waypoints that dropped him down to 28th.
After a strong start to proceedings on the opening stage, with Botturi and Paulin finishing in third and fourth, respectively, a few surprises were in store on day two. The route consisted of a 4 km liaison from Icht to the start of a 390 km special, featuring a 93 km transfer, before a short 6km liaison to the bivouac in M’Hamid.
Starting with fast, open trails, the stage became trickier as it ventured into the Saharan dunes, but the toughest part was still to come as the competitors made their way towards Oued Draa. Typically a dry riverbed, heavy rain had made conditions extremely treacherous, with several riders caught off-guard as water levels at some points reached as high as one metre, which ultimately led to the stage being brought to a premature end.
It may have only been the second stage of Paulin’s fledgling rally career, but already the legendary motocross rider has showcased his potential. After a superb start on the opening day, which helped secure a one-two finish in the “Over 450cc” class with his teammate Botturi, he delivered another impressive performance on Stage 2. The Frenchman brought his Ténéré 700 Rally, also making its racing debut at the event, home in an outstanding second place, securing his maiden stage podium in a time of three hours and six seconds, and moving into the lead of the general classification with a three-second advantage.
For his teammate Botturi, it was a frustrating day. The experienced Italian was one of the riders leading out the stage, but he encountered navigational issues due to the special’s tricky nature, which caused him to miss five waypoints. As a result, despite crossing the line in third and completing what would have been a stage podium lockout for the Ténéré, he had 75 minutes added to his time, which demoted him to 28th for the day and 11th overall.
Despite Botturi’s setback, it was a successful day for the team. Ténéré Spirit Experience (TSE) rider Kevin Gallas won the stage in sensational fashion. The German, who previously impressed while racing with TSE, demonstrated his growth and showcased the capabilities of the standard Ténéré by claiming the stage victory with a margin of two minutes and 14 seconds, moving up to fifth overall. TSE rider Nicolas Charlier also delivered a strong performance, finishing in fifth place and securing a podium lockout for Yamaha in the “Over 450cc” category for the second consecutive day, to cement fifth place in the general classification
Next up for the team is Stage 3, a loop stage that includes 10km of liaisons to and from the bivouac in M’Hamid. It features a 183 km special that involves several riverbed crossings, which could complicate matters further if conditions remain wet, along with more of the infamous soft sand and dunes that make the Saharan desert so challenging.
Carta Rallye – Stage 2 Results
Carte Rallye – General Classification After Stage 2
Gautier Paulin – P1 Overall – 6h48m03s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“Today was awesome! I was having a lot of fun before the refuelling point, riding on my own and not making any mistakes. The Ténéré 700 Rally was again amazing, we didn’t change anything with the setup. The suspension, chassis and engine were superb; the bike never missed a beat. We are still working on our fuelling strategy, and I am still learning the digital roadbook navigation, and I am slightly annoyed as after the refuelling, I made a mistake, but the same one that nearly everyone made, and we managed to recover and put the hammer down before we got stuck in the wet conditions. This is where it got really tricky, so we had to find a new route, but then they cancelled the rest of the stage, which was a shame as we were making up time. I am delighted with how things are going so far, and leading my first rally raid is a great experience, but there is still a long way to go.”
Alessandro Botturi – P28 – 8h01m29s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“Today was tough, as the conditions made navigation very tricky. I am disappointed that I missed five waypoints, which resulted in a large penalty, effectively eliminating my chances for victory. While this stage was frustrating for me, I am delighted for Gautier and Kevin, who both secured podium spots and demonstrated the capabilities of the new Ténéré 700 Rally. It was a great day for the team. Obviously, right now I am not happy, but I will come back fighting, and there are still five more stages to go.”
Marc Bourgeois
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team – Team Manager
“It was a very tough day today for navigation, especially for those who were opening the track, like Alessandro, but this is rally. The new Ténéré 700 Rally was once again perfect, and Gautier did an amazing job. Additionally, Kevin secured an impressive stage win, and Nicolas finished in the top five, which shows how well we are working as a team. It’s great to see the next generation of young rally raid talent emerging through the Ténéré Spirit Experience. For Botturi, today was difficult to accept, but he will use all of his experience to come back fighting on Stage 3, and we will continue to push as hard as we can as a team.”
