Fenix Rally 2026: Thijs wins stage 1, Gerlach and Lafay lead

The 2026 Fenix Rally has run its first real stage in Tunisia, from Djerba to Douz over 252.89 km against the clock. According to RallyTracks' provisional results, Vincent Thijs and Arjan van Tiel (Toyota) set the fastest time of the entire field, Justin Gerlach (KTM 450 Rally) won among the bikes and Pierre Lafay in the SSVs. Because the prologue does not count, this result is also the first overall classification.

Cars: redemption for Thijs and Van Tiel

A day after their navigation error in the prologue, Thijs and Van Tiel completed the special in exactly four hours, ahead of Magdalena Zajac and Blazej Czekan (Toyota Hilux) at 5:06. Belgians Koen Wauters and Tom De Leeuw were third at 6:21, ahead of their compatriots Pascal Feryn and Kurt Keysers, fourth at 10:50 including a 3:20 speeding penalty. Wauters said he did not attack at the start and picked up the pace after a brief fuel-pressure scare that quickly disappeared.

Bikes: Gerlach makes the difference

Justin Gerlach had started cautiously in the prologue to avoid opening the track, and this time set the tone: 4:26:01, more than six minutes ahead of Jeremy Knuiman, second at 6:02. Daan Veenendaal (GasGas 500) was third at 7:43 after a 2:40 speeding penalty. Two Dutch riders therefore stand on the provisional podium. Florian Willer dropped to fifth after a 7:30 penalty. Among the quads, Adam Krysiak stays in front.

SSVs: Lafay turns it around

Hugues Lacam (MMP T3) led until the fuel neutralisation in Tataouine, but Pierre Lafay (Can-Am Maverick R) came back in the second part: Lafay won in 4:01:54, Lacam was second at 6:49. Two German crews, Kober/Zeh and Thoma/Schweyer, rolled and retired, unhurt.

Trucks and terrain

Among the trucks, Paolo Calabria, Loris Calubini and Carlos Alberto Viña (MAN TGA) won in 4:58:08, with a 25:31 lead over the German crew of Stella Koerber. The route mixed fast gravel tracks, rocky sections, riverbeds turned muddy by rain and the first small dunes. One oddity: Tunisia stayed on UTC+1 while Europe switched to winter time, which briefly distorted the live timing; the organisation corrected it.

What next

Results are provisional and the stewards may still change them. On Monday the next stage is 336.77 km, starting and finishing in Douz.