Tuesday Review: STAGE 8: AÏT AIDZIDINE > AÏT AIDZIDINE
PROVISIONAL RESULTS OF THE DAY
Bikes: Gautier Paulin
Cars: Christian Femont
SSV: Martin Benko
Trucks: Gerrit Zuurmond
Today, the Africa Eco Race featured a loop stage around Aïdzidine, covering 490 kilometers, including a 415-kilometer timed special. This dense and varied loop alternated between sand and rocks from the start, crossing oueds (dry riverbeds) and rougher sections before returning to sand and dunes. The stage was a constant play of contrasts and changing atmospheres—typical of a major rally-raid special where everything can shift in an instant—and arguably one of the most beautiful of this 17th edition.
The competitors all reported an intense experience through breathtaking landscapes, marked by complex navigation and sand made extremely soft by the sweltering heat, further increasing the difficulty.
Bikes: Paulin Wins, Marini Takes Back the General Standings
Gautier Paulin won today’s stage in 4:57:32, following a fast but demanding special. He finished 2 min 34 s ahead of Jean-Loup Lepan, while Thomas Marini completed the podium, trailing by 5 min 35s.
Upon arrival, Gautier Paulin stated: "Yesterday, Jean-Louis Schlesser gave me some advice on long-distance heading navigation. It paid off: I won the special and didn't get lost like the others… I applied Jean-Louis's advice well."
Jean-Loup Lepan shared: "The navigation was honestly not easy; I was dreading this stage. At one point, I caught up with Marini, who let me open the way, then we rode together and helped each other with the navigation… A magnificent stage."
In the provisional Bike General Classification, Thomas Marini retakes the lead of the rally, a position he had lost after the fourth stage. He is now 5 min 04 s ahead of Kevin Gallas, with Jean-Loup Lepan in third place, 5 min 58 s behind the leader. The gaps remain extremely tight, and the fight for the final victory is more open than ever.
Cars: Femont Wins and Closes the Gap
In the Car category, Christian Femont (Mini Cooper X-Raid) set the fastest time of the day in 5:07:41. He finished ahead of Tomas Ourednicek (Toyota Hilux) by 10 min 05 s, while Martin Benko (Taurus T3) rounded out the day's podium at 16 min 09 s.
In the provisional Car General Classification, Pol Van Pollaert (Optimus) maintains the lead, but his advantage is shrinking. The gap with his direct pursuer, Christian Femont, is now 33 min 03 s. David Gerard (Optimus) remains firmly in third place, approximately 45 minutes behind the leader.
SSV : Pierre Lafay retires, Benko takes the win, Van Den Broek the new leader
In SSV, a dramatic turn of events with the retirement of Pierre Lafay, defending champion and overall leader before this stage. His co-driver Stéphane Denecheau explains:
“With 130 km to go before the finish, Pol Van Pollaert’s Optimus caught up with us. We moved well aside to let him through, yet he went past us like a bullet, far too close. He threw up huge rocks that hit us directly: the radiator was destroyed, along with several parts—and even ourselves. We were forced to stop, with no possibility of repairing on the spot. Enrico Gaspari stopped to tow us, and we covered 120 km on the strap in terrible conditions, until reaching an area of very soft dunes where we could go no further. We released Gaspari and Paolo Ceci… Extremely frustrating, as we were only 6 km from the finish. In the end, the crew of Gerrit Zuurmond’s truck towed us out of the special stage and brought us back to the bivouac. But the car could not be repaired. A huge thank you to Enrico, Paolo and the entire Rainbow Truck team.”
On the competitive side, Martin Benko (Taurus T3) won the stage in 5:23:50 after a hard-fought day. He finished 2 minutes ahead of Sander Derikx (Can-Am Maverick 1000R), while Martijn Van Den Broek (Can-Am Maverick 1000R) took third place, 4 min 02 s behind.
In the provisional SSV General Classification, Martijn Van Den Broek takes the overall lead ahead of Sander Derikx with a nearly 35-minute cushion. Martin Benko now sits in third place, about 39 minutes behind the leader. Conversely, Pierre Lafay loses precious minutes in the race for the title.
Truck: First stage victory for Franck Coquide on Renault Truck
In the Truck category, Franck Coquide benefited from Gerrit Zuurmond’s sportsmanlike gesture in support of Pierre Lafay and claimed the stage win in 5:33:04. He finished more than 1 hour 26 minutes ahead of Gerrit Zuurmond, while Martin Roeterdink completed the podium, 3 hours 15 minutes behind the winner.
This eighth stage confirms the very high level of difficulty of this Africa Eco Race 2026. Dense, varied, and selective, it has once again reshuffled the deck in several categories. As the final major milestones of the rally approach, the slightest mistake can now be very costly, and the tension is rising within the field.
