Stage 8 of the Africa Eco Race 2026 took competitors on a demanding loop around Aïdzidine in Mauritania, covering a total of 490 kilometers, including a 415-kilometer timed special. The terrain was both varied and deceptive, with sand and rocks alternating rapidly. The route crossed dry riverbeds, hard plains, and soft dunes. Many described it as one of the most beautiful, yet also one of the toughest stages of this year’s edition.
Paulin victorious, Marini back in the lead
Gautier Paulin delivered a commanding win in Stage 8 with a time of 4 hours, 57 minutes, and 32 seconds. The Frenchman held off Jean-Loup Lepan by 2 minutes and 34 seconds. Thomas Marini took third place, just over five minutes behind Paulin. Lepan confirmed the navigational complexity and spent much of the stage at the front alongside Marini.
With this result, Marini regains the overall lead, holding a five-minute advantage over Kevin Gallas. Lepan sits in third, less than six minutes back. The gaps between the top three remain tight, and with four stages to go, the battle for the overall victory is far from settled.
After a difficult previous stage, Jacopo Cerutti had to start from the back and spent time riding alongside Stephan Savekoulis. Lejon Fokkema had a tough day and dropped back in the standings.
Femont fastest, Van Pollaert’s lead shrinks
In the car category, Christian Femont claimed his first stage win of the rally in his Mini Cooper X-Raid, completing the special in 5 hours, 7 minutes, and 41 seconds. He was ten minutes faster than Tomas Ourednicek in the Toyota Hilux. David Gerard secured third place.
Despite Femont’s strong performance, Pol Van Pollaert retains the overall lead, although his margin over Femont has decreased to 33 minutes. Gerard holds on to third overall, trailing the leader by 45 minutes. Ourednicek’s steady performance stood out, bouncing back after earlier setbacks.
Lafay out, Benko wins, Van den Broek takes the lead
The biggest news of the day came from the SSV category. Defending champion Pierre Lafay was forced to retire after his Can-Am sustained heavy damage from flying rocks. The radiator and suspension were beyond repair. Co-driver Stéphane Denecheau explained: “We were towed for 120 kilometers by Enrico Gaspari, and eventually the truck team of Gerrit Zuurmond brought us to the bivouac, but it was over.”
Victory in the stage went to Martin Benko, who finished ahead of Sander Derikx and Martijn van den Broek. The gaps were small: Benko was just two minutes ahead of Derikx, with Van den Broek finishing four minutes behind the stage winner.
With Lafay’s retirement, Martijn van den Broek now leads the overall standings. He holds a 35-minute gap over teammate Derikx. Benko follows in third, 39 minutes off the lead. Despite some discomfort—he could only drink halfway through the special due to a kinked hydration tube—it was a solid day. Derikx was visibly pleased: “An amazing stage,” he said at the finish.
Leader Zuurmond assists
Gerrit Zuurmond once again proved himself a true rally gentleman. His MAN truck stopped to tow the stranded Lafay out of the special, putting sportsmanship above personal results. Zuurmond still finished with a time of 6:59:10, while Martin Roeterdink followed more than three hours later.
Rally continues
There is still no official update regarding Robert van Pelt Senior, who was taken to hospital earlier this week following an unspecified incident during the stage. RallyTracks extends its thoughts to the family and awaits further information.
Stage 8 once again tested both physical and mental endurance. The heat, the soft dunes, and the long duration of the special took a heavy toll. With Stage 9 on the horizon and plenty of Mauritanian sand still ahead, the rally remains as unpredictable as ever.
