What started as one of the most thrilling motorcycle duels of the rally summer ended in both heartbreak and triumph. The fifth and final stage of the 2025 Addax Rally delivered a spectacular showdown between Kevin Gallas and Alessandro Botturi. It was a battle that deserved no loser, yet fate chose one: 28-year-old Gallas made history by claiming his first overall win in a desert rally, while Botturi was forced to retire early due to a technical issue.
All or nothing in the Sahara
The final 284-kilometre special from Merzouga to Merzane promised a showdown like no other. Gallas entered the day with just one minute and five seconds over Botturi. With both riders holding more than fifty minutes over the rest of the field, the duel was set to be decided solely between the two.
Botturi opened the stage and immediately pushed the pace. Gallas, starting three minutes behind, stuck to his plan: catch up with the Italian, shadow him, and protect his lead. At the first checkpoint, the gap was minimal. The fight was fierce and wide open until Botturi’s bike began to show signs of trouble.
End of the road for Botturi
At the refueling point, it became clear something was wrong with Botturi’s Ténéré 700 Rally. With Yamaha using this rally as a testbed for the upcoming Africa Eco Race, the team chose not to take risks. The 50-year-old Italian was forced to retire, a bitter blow after five days of top-level performance.
“I felt great, was pushing hard, but I didn’t want to risk damaging the engine further. It was a fantastic battle with Kevin. He fully deserves this win,” Botturi stated. Due to his withdrawal and a penalty, he dropped to 11th place overall.
Gallas keeps composure and takes gold
With Botturi out, Gallas remained composed. He linked up with TSE teammate Mike Wiedemann on the stage and together they made their way to the finish. They took turns leading, navigated tricky sections together, and clearly enjoyed the final stretch of this intense rally. Wiedemann even won the stage in a time of 4 hours, 4 minutes, and 4 seconds, with Gallas finishing second, 2 minutes and 55 seconds behind. Wiedemann ultimately placed 13th overall due to his earlier retirement in stage 2.
For Kevin Gallas, it marked his first win in a desert rally, only his second ever participation. With a total time of 25:17:53, he secured the Addax Rally victory by more than 1 hour and 42 minutes ahead of the runner-up.
Fierce battle for the podium behind Gallas
Ignas Daunoravicius finished second overall, trailing Gallas by 1:42:46, and also won the RACE 1 category. Josep Pedró Subirats completed the overall podium in third place. Javier Vega and Urko Garmendia rounded out the top five. Sara Garcia claimed an impressive sixth place, finishing strong with a solid fifth stage time in her class. Bertrand Gavard, also part of the Ténéré Spirit Experience, ended 23rd overall after receiving a time penalty in stage 4.
Yamaha dominates despite setback
Four out of five stages were won on a Yamaha Ténéré, and despite Botturi’s misfortune, the brand clearly ruled the RACE 3 category for twin-cylinder bikes. Gallas, Wiedemann, Vega, and Botturi secured the top four spots in this class.
For the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team, the Addax Rally served as a successful test leading into the Africa Eco Race 2026, which kicks off at the end of January. Botturi and his team will aim to shine there once more, carrying valuable experience from Morocco. Team manager Marc Bourgeois summed it up well: “The fight between Kevin and Alessandro was immense. Kevin stayed cool under pressure and won deservedly. And Mike proved once again why he’s such an asset to the team. Even with Alessandro’s DNF, this was an excellent week for us, both technically and competitively.”
