Stage 10 of the Africa Eco Race 2026, held around Ouad Naga, proved to be a turning point on multiple fronts. With the rally finish within sight, competitors were faced with a relatively compact yet demanding special stage. From the start, they encountered expansive dunes, interspersed with fast tracks and deceptive sandy zones. The second half of the stage was faster, but high temperatures and tough terrain kept the challenge intense. On the eve of the finale, several overall standings were once again thrown into turmoil.
Paulin takes control
In the bikes, Gautier Paulin struck hard. The Frenchman posted the fastest time of 4 hours, 41 minutes and 42 seconds, finishing 8 minutes and 24 seconds ahead of Mike Wiedemann. Alessandro Botturi completed the day’s podium at 12 minutes and 48 seconds back. Jean Loup Lepan had a tougher day. A navigation error cost him significant time, and he finished 14th, more than 54 minutes behind the winner. This had immediate consequences in the overall standings. Paulin takes over the lead and now sits 1 minute and 25 seconds ahead of Kevin Gallas. Lepan, who started the stage as leader, drops to third, 22 minutes and 9 seconds behind. With gaps like this, nothing is certain going into the final stage.
Schiumarini wins stage, Gerard takes the lead
In the car category, Andrea Schiumarini was the fastest of the day. Driving his Century CR6, he completed the stage in 4 hours, 34 minutes and 40 seconds. Tomas Ourednicek followed 6 minutes and 19 seconds behind, with David Gerard third at 7 minutes and 28 seconds. Despite finishing third, Gerard emerged as the big winner in the overall classification. For the first time in this rally, he takes the lead. His advantage over Christian Femont is now 13 minutes and 49 seconds. Ourednicek trails by a wide margin, now more than an hour and a half behind the leader. With just one full racing day left, everything remains under pressure.
Van den Broek in control, Derikx has a difficult day
In the SSV category, Martijn van den Broek confirmed his strong form once again. He won the stage in 5 hours, 3 minutes and 18 seconds, followed by Jérôme Cambier at 2 minutes and 36 seconds, and Martin Benko at 7 minutes and 55 seconds. The overall top three remains unchanged, though the gaps have widened. Van den Broek extends his lead to 52 minutes and 15 seconds over Benko, while Sander Derikx remains in third, now 1 hour and 35 minutes behind. It was another tough day for Derikx, with multiple mechanical issues slowing him down. Van den Broek described the visibility in the dunes as extremely poor due to intense sunlight around noon, combined with very soft white sand and high temperatures. Marcel van Berlo also had a clean run, aside from a puncture, and returned to the bivouac without further issues.
Sportsmanship and solidarity in the truck class
The truck category once again showed the spirit this class is known for. All four remaining teams ultimately chose not to complete the full stage, each for different reasons. Franck Coquide’s French team decided in advance to only partially drive the stage and then take the road to the finish, aiming to preserve the truck and secure arrival at Lac Rose, despite the associated time penalty. The other three trucks did start the stage, but early on, overall leader Gerrit Zuurmond broke down with a transmission failure. Other teams stopped to help and collectively decided to tow him out of the stage to the road, continuing to the finish together. A decision with major sporting consequences, but one that perfectly embodies the mentality of this category. Mike Panhuijzen towed Zuurmond back toward the bivouac, while Muller avoided the dunes due to issues with the tire deflation system. As a result, three trucks returned nearly simultaneously. After a long night of repairs, the Rainbow Truck Team’s MAN was ready to start stage eleven.
Full tension heading into Senegal
With stage 10 behind them, the Africa Eco Race 2026 remains unpredictable to the end. In several categories, the margins are tight enough for a single mistake, wrong turn, or mechanical issue to completely change the outcome. The rally now leaves Mauritania and heads for Senegal, where the final timed stage will be contested. Only after that stage will it become clear who can be crowned the winner.
Still to come is the traditional untimed prestige stage to Lac Rose. For the competitors, that final image is coming into view. The Atlantic Ocean, the wet coastal sand, and ultimately the iconic Lac Rose. It is exactly this combination of exhaustion, hope and uncertainty that makes the evening before Lac Rose so special. In the Africa Eco Race, nothing is decided until the final line is crossed, and this was once again made painfully clear in Ouad Naga.
