Triumphs, comebacks, and all the behind-the-scenes action from stage three, straight from the drivers.
Merzouga (Morocco) – Halfway mark for this edition of the FenekRally. The third stage marked a decisive turning point in the competition, pushing physical endurance and vehicle reliability to the limit. Featuring tricky sand, technical passages, and unforgiving navigation, the nearly 300-kilometer route—split between liaison sections and a hard-fought special stage—delivered high drama, unexpected twists, and strong confirmations.
Daily standings: how it went down
In the MT1 class, Spain’s Arnau Lledó dominated aboard his KTM 450 EXCF, taking the win in 3h39’04”. Following him onto the podium were Tom Deest (Kove 450 Rally) and Josep Pedró Subirats (KTM 450 EXCF). A great day for Italy in MT2, where Andrea Gava delivered a stellar performance to bring his Kawasaki KLE500 home in first place with a time of 3h46’15”. The Italian driver finished ahead of Marc Calmet (KTM 500 EXCF) and Carlo Pettinato (Kawasaki KLE500). In the T1 category, Christian Remond Kobloth set the fastest time (6h30’06”) in his Sodicars Racing Ford. In T2, top honors went to Oregon Team’s #201 Mitsubishi Montero, crewed by Macho and Villarubia. Team GPR Sport continued its winning streak in T3, with the #302 crew of Raf Henri Herman and Daniel Camara claiming victory in 4h06’39”. Joining them on the podium were Plaza/Bota in a BRP/Can-Am X3 MMP and Severac/Navarro in a Segway SX20. In T4, victory belonged to Michael Dordain and Olivier Molière, who crossed the line first in their BRP/Can-Am Maverick X3 in 4h18’32”. They were followed by Tillo/Ferrer (Pantera Racing) in another Maverick X3, and Jimenez/Maldonado in a CFMOTO Z10. It was all square in the Overland class, ending in a four-way tie at 166 points between Trilling/de Jong (Yamaha YXZ 1000R), Beyeler/Beyeler-Rohrbach (Land Rover Defender 300 Tdi 110), Canamasas Purtì/Canamasas Jimenez (Nissan Patrol), and Mas Làzaro/Llussà Torra (Isuzu Dmax 3.0).
Quotes from the competitors
Tom Deest (#119 – Kove 450 Rally – Pays Basque Aventures/KOVE Biarritz): “Special Stage 3 was really fast with some tricky navigation. I got lost at the start and wandered around a bit before getting back on track. Then I caught up with the frontrunners who were hunting for a waypoint; about six or seven of us ended up riding around in circles. I finally found it and took off again, though I lost some time. It was a good, fast stage with lots of dry riverbeds and some very rough patches. Much better than yesterday, but Arnaud up front is untouchable. He’s just too fast.”
Arnau Lledó (#121 – Pedregà Team – KTM 450 EXCF): “Stage 3 in the books! I’m really happy. I lost my way early on with a few other riders, but we regrouped and I was able to push hard through the dunes. After refueling at km 110, I took the lead and opened the track all the way to the finish. I’m thrilled! I keep learning and making fewer mistakes every day, which is a great sign. The roadbook is spot on, the organization is incredible, and the atmosphere feels like family. Super happy… and tomorrow we push even harder!”
Ignas Daunoravicius (#120 – OVOKO Racing – KTM Rally Replica): “Stage 3 went well for me. I took it easy because I was up late repairing the bike, but it’s running fine now! Big thanks to the Pedregà Team and the rest of the crew in Merzouga. It was a long night, but I’m glad the bike held up and I can keep racing. Today was quite relaxed, a bit flatter and simpler. Luckily it rained beforehand, so apart from some mud, there was no standing water. A tiring day overall, but a good one.”
Andrea Gava (#118 – Dueruote Racing Team – Kawasaki KLE500): “What a day! Around km 35 I saw everyone ahead coming back toward me in the wrong direction. I was navigating well and realized we were too far right, so I cut across to the left track and hit the waypoint immediately. From there, I pushed alongside a rider on a KTM, passed him, and entered the dunes first. I set a strong pace up front from km 50 to 150 and even managed to pull away. Then the trouble started: a stone and some water jammed the kickstand sensor, forcing me to stop multiple times and letting Lledó and the Kove rider catch me. Once back in rhythm, my GPS froze for the last 20 km, so I had to navigate by eye. It was great fun, just a shame about the minutes lost with the tablet and kickstand.”
Pierre-Alexandre Bolf (#108 – Les Fanatic – Fantic 450 XEF Rally): “The longest day yet with plenty of kilometers. A few dunes early on, but overnight rain made them packed and fast. The navigation was trickier today, which I really enjoy—plenty of people got lost, and that’s where you make the difference.”
Francisco Javier Ruiz Fernandez (#103 – Fran R – Husqvarna 450 FE): “Today had a bit of everything: sand, dunes, dry riverbeds, fast tracks, rocky sections, and tricky off-piste navigation. Honestly, a fantastic stage. I had a blast.”
Felix Plaza / Raul Bota (#301 – Bemar Team – BRP/Can-Am X3 MMP): “We set off early expecting a wet track after the overnight rain, but it turned out to be fantastic. Very little dust, great terrain, and hardly any standing water. Navigation went smoothly except for one spot where everyone lost their way. Overall, the organization did a brilliant job setting up the route. Fast tracks, impressive and challenging dune sections, but we handled them well. A complete stage through and through. We’re really pleased with our position.”
Raf Henri Herman / Daniel Camara (#302 – GPR Sport – GPR 24): “A long day out there, especially with 13 km of dunes, which are usually our weak spot. Somehow we came out first—no idea how, but we made it work! The overnight rain made the surface crusty but soft underneath, making it tricky, but we handled it. We missed one waypoint in a confusing section, but kept a great pace afterward. The vehicle was flawless—we got it a bit dirty, so the mechanics might not be thrilled, but we had to find a puddle to leave our mark! A perfect day for us, and we think we took the win, but let’s see the official results. One great day down, on to the next.”
Michael Dordain / Olivier Molière (#406 – Mica – BRP/Can-Am Maverick X3): “Stage 3 was blisteringly fast. We came through in great shape, though the dunes were a real workout—wet, sticky sand made them technical. After that, it was high-speed tracks all the way. 300 km total, so we’re pretty worn out, but feeling good.”
Stage 4
Things heat up tomorrow, September 17th, with the penultimate and decisive stage of the FenekRally: 281.12 km in total, featuring a massive 205.64 km special stage ready to shake up the standings. Following a brief 5 km liaison, the action starts right away. Competitors will need to navigate a maze of parallel tracks where one wrong turn could cost valuable time, before tackling a rough, rocky section packed with hazards. To close out the stage, off-piste sectors, sandy tracks, and massive dunes will demand the ultimate balance of speed and precision.
