The Africa Eco Race, RBI Sport’s Fenix Rally, and Gilles Girousse’s historic Loasis L’Original have given further shape to their collaboration. Following the previously announced alliance under the banner Driven by the Same Spirit, the partnership now takes concrete form: the Bridge Programme 2026-2027.
The programme offers participants of the three events mutual discounts on entry fees, depending on the event they take part in and the category in which they finish.
How the Bridge Programme works
The Bridge Programme operates in two directions. Participants in the Africa Eco Race 2026 who subsequently wish to compete in the Fenix Rally qualify for discounts on that event’s entry fee. Conversely, participants in the Fenix Rally and Loasis L’Original receive a discount on entry for the Africa Eco Race 2027, which takes place from 24 January to 6 February 2027 and, like previous editions, departs from Tangier towards the finish at Lac Rose in Dakar.
For winners of the Africa Eco Race 2026 in the motorcycle, SSV, car, and truck categories, the discount on the Fenix Rally amounts to 50 percent of the entry fee. Winners of the historic car and truck categories receive the same discount, but for Loasis L’Original. Other participants in the Africa Eco Race 2026 receive a 10 percent discount on the Fenix Rally.
In the other direction, the following applies: winners of the Fenix Rally in the motorcycle, SSV, car, and truck categories receive a 25 percent discount on entry for the Africa Eco Race 2027. Winners of Loasis L’Original receive the same discount, but specifically for the historic category of the Africa Eco Race 2027. All other participants in the Fenix Rally and Loasis L’Original benefit from a 10 percent discount on the Africa Eco Race 2027. Participants in other RBI Sport events, such as the Rallye Breslau Poland, and the Baja Europe, qualify for a 5 percent discount on the Africa Eco Race 2027.
The background to the collaboration
The three events each have their own profile but share a similar philosophy. The Africa Eco Race was founded in 2008 and is regarded as the most direct successor to the original Paris-Dakar in spirit and route, with multiple countries, deep desert, and roadbook navigation as its core characteristics. The 17th edition in 2026 attracted 289 participants from 27 nationalities, a record for the organisation.
The Fenix Rally is a product of RBI Sport, the organiser behind the Rallye Breslau Poland, and the Balkan Offroad, and takes place annually in the autumn in Tunisia. The event consists of a prologue and seven stages covering more than 2,000 kilometres in total across sand, dunes, and gravel plains, with navigation as the central element. The 2026 edition is scheduled from 23 to 31 October.
Loasis L’Original was set up by Gilles Girousse and focuses specifically on historic vehicles and replicas, categorised by year of construction. After three editions in Morocco, the event moves to Tunisia for 2026, where it runs concurrently with the Fenix Rally.
Alexander Kovatchev of RBI Sport explains the connection between the events as follows: “The Rallye Breslau is accessible and challenging, and particularly valuable for co-drivers looking to develop navigation skills. The Fenix Rally offers a genuine desert experience with seven racing days and a wide variety of terrain. Fenix can become the ideal preparation for the Africa Eco Race.”
Jean-Louis Schlesser, founder of the Africa Eco Race, adds that the collaboration stems from a shared understanding of what rally raid represents, built up through years of working together within the FIA Cross Country Rally Commission.
A structured path for rally raid enthusiasts
The Bridge Programme puts concrete substance behind the previously announced collaboration, with a discount structure that is now clearly set out on paper. The largest discounts are reserved for category winners, but the benefits are real for the broader field of participants too. Given the entry costs for the Africa Eco Race 2027, which depending on the category run to more than 20,000 euros per crew, even a 10 percent discount represents an amount that can make the difference when deciding whether to take the next step.
The programme thus provides a tangible translation of the shared philosophy into practical benefits for participants, and creates a logical path from the Fenix Rally in Tunisia as an entry point to the Africa Eco Race as the major African challenge.
