The Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team, in partnership with Riders for Health (powered by Two Wheels for Life), produced another strong performance on the sixth stage of the Carta Rallye. Alessandro Botturi finished the stage in fifth, with Gautier Paulin in sixth, while Ténéré Spirit Experience rider Kevin Gallas secured third.
The penultimate stage of the ninth edition of the Carta Rallye proved to be one of the toughest. A loop stage of 318 km, it featured numerous different terrains, from rocky mountain trails to dried riverbeds and the infamous Saharan dunes. Navigation proved to be extremely difficult due to the challenging nature of the stage and a couple of errors in the roadbook, but the Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team maintained their superb charge and are in a strong position heading into the final stage.
Botturi, now starting to recover from the fever that has plagued him all rally, was determined to claw back even more time on the leaders after receiving 75 minutes of penalties on the second stage.
Unfortunately, at the 30 km mark, the tablet on his bike that displays the digital roadbook malfunctioned, so he could not navigate and had to wait for the rider behind him to follow. Despite this, the experienced Italian still managed to finish the stage in fifth place, with a time of four hours, 30 minutes, and 47 seconds, and he remains fourth in the overall standings.
For Paulin, it was another day of learning as the motocross legend, who is making his rally raid debut, continued to impress on the Ténéré 700 Rally race bike. He would also suffer some misfortune, as at around 25 km, he made contact with a rock that damaged the spring on his side stand, which forced it to be stuck in the down position.
Unable to ride with this issue, he had to stop and carry out running repairs, which cost him some time. He then recovered superbly, although he had to adapt quickly when it turned out the refuelling station was not in the location it was marked in the road book. Showing great patience, he managed to find it and pushed hard to end the stage in fifth with a time of four hours, 38 minutes, and 29 seconds. He remains third in the general classification, 44 minutes and 59 seconds ahead of Botturi, with his dream of securing a podium in his maiden rally raid very much alive.
One of the breakout stars of the rally has been Ténéré Spirit Experience (TSE) rider Kevin Gallas. The German, who is also competing in his first rally raid, secured his third podium of the rally as he finished in third with a time of four hours, 21 minutes, and 45 seconds. This means he is fifth in the overall standings, just 10 minutes and two seconds behind Botturi.
Fellow TSE riders Bertrand Gavard (8th) and Nicolas Charlier (10th) ensured there were five Ténérés in the top ten once more, which meant Yamaha also secured a top-five lockout in the “Over 450cc” class.
The rally’s final stage is another loop stage, beginning at the bivouac in Merzouga. At 208 km in length, it features oued crossings, fast stony tracks, and more of the infamous Saharan dunes, before the competitors reach the finish line back at the bivouac.
Carta Rallye – Stage 6 Results
Carte Rallye – General Classification After Stage 6
Alessandro Botturi – P4 Overall – 20h41m01s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“It was a good stage! I had a problem with my tablet, so I had to wait for the rider behind and follow him, which meant I lost some time. My fever has almost gone, so I am starting to feel much better, which means I can push more, plus the bike was amazing once again. There is only one more stage, so we must stay focused and bring it home to secure the best result possible.”
Gautier Paulin – P3 Overall – 20h41m01s
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team
“It was a long stage, over 300km, with lots of tricky navigation, but I felt great on the bike. Around the 25 km mark, I made contact with something and broke the spring on my side stand, which got stuck in the down position. So, I had to stop and make repairs, which meant I lost some time. From then on, I just concentrated on my navigation. I made a few mistakes and had to adapt as the refuelling stop was not in the location marked in the roadbook. Then there were a few roadbook errors, which made it tough, but I recovered. The bike was superb again, and days like today are really good to help me learn more about rally raid, as in life, things are easy when everything is going well; it is when you make mistakes or have to face problems that you learn. We have one more stage to go, and I am in the podium positions, so we just need to push for one more day, stay focused and try to bring it home.”
Marc Bourgeois
Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team – Team Manager
“We are close to the end of the rally! The sixth stage was very tough; it was a long day, with lots of dunes and complicated to navigate. I am very proud of the team and riders, as we have grown each day, improving the bike, and learning all the time. There is just one stage left now, and we aim to ensure we finish in the best way possible. Gautier has been incredible and is learning more and more every day. Alessandro has blown everyone away with his determination and commitment, despite being sick and tired after flying in at the last minute after another event. Once again, Kevin had a great stage and is on course to secure a brilliant result. I could not be prouder of the whole team.”
