The second stage of the 2025 Tuareg Rallye took participants from Erfoud to Mhamid, crossing the mighty sands of Erg Ouzina. The 350-kilometer stage (including liaisons) offered a mix of dunes, fast plains, and a surprisingly green off-road section at the end — “like something out of a movie,” as one participant put it.
The route proved to be both technically and physically demanding, especially due to the heavy rains in the days leading up to the stage. Mud puddles and water-filled pits made the lower dunes particularly treacherous, causing many vehicles to get stuck.
Tough conditions, late finishers
Because of the prior rainfall, the low dunes turned into a minefield of hidden mud traps and waterholes. Many competitors got bogged down — including Team Broomans, who had taken the win on Day 1 but were now dealt a heavy blow.
The second stage was beautiful, with a fun dune crossing, but we got stuck in hidden mud pools. That caused us to arrive late and miss the restart for the second section. We weren’t allowed to continue, which means a lot of penalty time — a shame for the standings.
Olthof wins in the bikes category
The Dutch highlight came from Ian Olthof, who took first place in the motorcycle class with a time of 2:59:16.
Had a really good day with lots of dunes followed by fast tracks. Yesterday I finished 4th, today I came in first!
Wouter de Graaff (3:01:07) also had a strong stage, finishing as the second-best Dutch rider, right behind Olthof.
Van Pelt charges ahead, but bike breaks down
Robert van Pelt rode from P30 all the way to third at the finish — an impressive comeback — but was struck by bad luck afterward:
Ran out of fuel just 3 km before the tank stop. And then: engine seized during the liaison. Luckily, Memo Tours is providing me with a new engine, so I’ll be back at the start tomorrow!
He still managed to finish in 3:29:42, marking a solid day despite the setbacks.
Other Dutch Performances in the Motorcycle Class:
• Martijn van der Laan – 4:17:23
• Bart van Olst – 3:31:12
• Robert van Olst – 4:13:52
• Guillaume Martens – 4:24:59
• Richard Wijntjes – 4:39:40
• Jan van den Hout – 4:06:33
• Lennart Eikelboom – 4:05:51
• Jan van Veen – 9:35:35
On four wheels
In the SSVs, the Keppens / Keppens duo held their own with a time of 3:25:58, placing them 4th overall in the general classification. Lolkema / Peters had a tough day, arriving after more than seven hours.
Team van der Valk finished in 8:45:39, maintaining their position in the rankings despite the challenges in the 4×4 Expert class.
Mistakes among the front-runners
There were errors even among the top competitors: German rider Maxi Schek, number 110, crashed hard after a jump over a series of bumps but was able to continue on his own.
Stage 3: Erg Chegaga Up Next
Wednesday’s stage is a loop around Mhamid, featuring the iconic Erg Chegaga as its highlight. Heavy dunes, lots of sand, and a true test for both man and machine.
