Triumphs, comebacks and battles down to the hundredths of a second before the final celebrations.

The FenekRally 2026 brings down the curtain with an incredible fifth stage, putting an unforgettable edition of the event into the history books. With the final act held on September 18, competitors tackled the last 70.91 kilometers of the race — 67.20 of which were intense special stage — deep in the monumental dunes of Erg Chebbi. On paper it looked like little more than a victory lap, but the desert sand gave no free passes to anyone right up to the final meter.

Stage standings

In the MT1 category, the final stage victory belonged to Arnau Lledó (KTM 450 EXCF), who was first to cross the finish line with a time of 1h34’14”. Completing a 1-2 finish for KTM was Josep Pedró Subirats (1h38’25”), who managed to hold off Tom Deest (Kove 450 Rally) by just a single second after a thrilling down-to-the-wire duel, with Deest taking third in 1h38’26”. A fierce battle unfolded in the MT2 class as well, where Marc Calmet on a KTM 500 EXCF claimed top spot on the podium after an impressive ride timed at 1h33’24”. Behind him, the Kawasaki squad stood out, with Andrea Gava and Carlo Pettinato — both riding KLE500s — taking second and third place for the day respectively.

The T1 category saw the Sodicars Racing colors dominate, taking full ownership of the podium thanks to strong performances from the Gonzales/Maldonado and Remond Kobloth crews. In the T2 class, stage victory went to the Mitsubishi Montero driven by Sergio Simon Macho and Rodriguez Villarubia, who were faultless through the hazards of the route.

There was high-tempo action among the lightweight prototypes too: T3 crowned the GPR 24 of Raf Henri Herman and Daniel Camara, who finished first in 3h14’37” ahead of fierce competition from Felix Plaza and Raul Bota in their BRP/Can-Am. Finally, in T4, the crew of Jose Luis Fernandez Jimenez and Antonio Maldonado delivered a standout performance aboard their CFMOTO Z10 to set the fastest category time of 2h08’11”, beating Michael Dordain/Olivier Moliere and Victor Toche/Baptiste Incerti to the line.

It was total deadlock and fierce competition in the Overland category, sealed by a spectacular dead heat at the top. Stage victory was shared equally between the Sand & Gears team’s Land Rover Defender 110 300 Tdi and the Penya Iriki ISUZU D-MAX 3.0, with both crews finishing their run on an identical 72 points.

Drivers’ statements

Victor Toche/Baptiste Incerti (#402 – Polaris RZR PRO XP Ultimate – MBVT Racing): “This rally was a crazy and extraordinary experience! Even though the last special stage turned out to be particularly tough in the dunes, we kept believing and pushed all the way to the finish. We are truly thrilled. The organization was faultless from start to finish and the route was simply fantastic. A huge thank you to everyone!”

Christian Beyeler/Monika Beyeler-Rohrbach (#604 – Land Rover Defender 110 300 Tdi – Sand & Gears): “It was a truly fantastic experience made even better by a wonderful atmosphere! We thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the FenekRally: we built a close-knit team and had so much fun. On top of that, the scenery is magnificent.”

Christian Remond Kobloth (#203 – Ford – Sodicars Racing): “It’s a great rally for testing a vehicle and sharpening your navigation, which is quite complex here. The terrain is very varied, ranging from rocky tracks to ultra-fast sections and dunes. I think it’s ideal preparation for FIA events or similar competitions. It’s a brilliant race — friendly, but still very intense.”

Pedro Garcia Andrés/José Carlos Prats Varillas (#405 – Polaris RZR PRO Ultimate – PGA Verticalidad): “We had to dig ourselves out of the sand a couple of times, but since one of us is a bricklayer, we’re used to mixing mortar anyway! That said, for next year we’ll ask them to put a bit more shade along the track, because it was scorching out there!”

Andre Trilling/Jolanda de Jong (#601 – Yamaha YXZ 1000R – Dutch Driving Team): “We really enjoyed today’s stage. The scenery was beautiful, the route was brilliant, and we had a lot of fun. This is our third edition, we won today, and we finished on a high note! Everyone was extremely kind, the organization was great, and the whole experience was absolute perfection.”

Carlo Pettinato (#117 – Kawasaki KLE500 – Dueruote Racing Team): “I achieved something bigger than I thought I could. Two-thirds into today’s stage, I realized I was still feeling good: I wasn’t exhausted because I hardly ever got stuck, and when I did, I managed to get going again right away without burning energy. I followed the advice of my teammate Andrea Gava and had a blast. Once past the smaller, tricky dunes, I learned how to manage the crests on the medium ones — carrying more speed to the top and leaning back to stabilize the bike… What a spectacle!”

Geoffroy Lemercier (#116 – KTM 450 Rally Replica Factory – Geoff’road): “Fourth edition completed! After three runs in the Original category and one in Spring, I’m really happy to reach the finish once again. The roadbook was spot on and I enjoyed every minute. The welcome here is always unmatched: this rally feels like a real family. I’ll definitely be back — maybe to lend a hand with organization or to race again, who knows! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, it was awesome.”

Tom Deest (#119 – Kove 450 Rally – Pays Basque Aventures-Kove Biarritz): “Final special stage done: 66 kilometers completely surrounded by the magnificent Merzouga dunes. We were really lucky with the weather: overnight rain made the sand firm and absolutely perfect for riding. Just like every year, the final stage was pure fun.”

Andrea Gava (#118 – Kawasaki KLE500 – Dueruote Racing Team): “That’s another one in the bag: 66 kilometers of pure dunes to finish in style! They had us navigating the Merzouga dunes like mice in a maze. It was incredible: I gave it everything, pushing both myself and the bike to the absolute limit. It was a proper ‘do or die’ stage, but after getting through it I feel ready to ride around the world! I had fun like a kid; it felt like being in a playground all day. Fatigue is setting in now and my suit is starting to cook, so it’s the perfect time for a cold drink. It was an incredible experience!”

Marc Calmet (#122 – KTM 500 EXCF – Pedregà Team): “Today we faced a proper ‘super-Dakar’ style stage: endless kilometers of sand and dunes as far as the eye could see, where navigation was key. I managed to stay on the right line throughout the route and, as it turns out, I should have claimed the stage victory! It was a super enjoyable rally but above all an exceptional test — the ideal training ground ahead of the Dakar. I felt in great shape and the bike ran flawlessly from start to finish. Nothing left to add: a truly perfect day!”

Arnau Lledò (#121 – KTM 450 EXCF – Pedregà Team): “Final stage completed, rally done! I’m very happy — today was all dunes and we had so much fun. It rained a bit yesterday, making the sand packed and perfect. I’m really, really happy — another rally in the books, another great experience gained…”