Fenix Rally 2026 Stage 3: Knuiman Penalised, Gerlach Leads
The newsroomUpdated on October 28, 20264 minFenix Rally 2026 stage 3 around Douz: a 13:30 penalty costs Knuiman the lead, Thijs and Van Tiel win a third stage in a row, Lafay dominates the SSVs.
Key point
On the longest stage of the Fenix Rally, Knuiman is fastest among the bikes but a 13:30 speeding penalty hands the lead back to Gerlach; Thijs and Van Tiel win a third stage in a row.
The 2026 Fenix Rally reached a turning point on its longest stage: a 405.55 km timed loop around Douz in Tunisia. In the bike class, Jeremy Knuiman was fastest on the road, but a speeding penalty handed the overall lead back to Justin Gerlach. Among the cars, Vincent Thijs and Arjan van Tiel won their third stage in a row. All results are provisional.
Bikes: a 13:30 penalty for Knuiman
Knuiman completed the stage in 06:02:12, 14:08 faster than Gerlach. A 13:30 penalty for speeding leaves him only 38 seconds ahead on the stage. Gerlach is back in the overall lead, 3:17 clear of him.
- Daan Veenendaal is third on the stage and overall, 33:24 back.
- Florian Willer is fourth on the stage despite a 17-minute penalty.
- Gaspard Delsart is fifth on the stage and fourth overall.
- Knuiman will open the road on the next stage.
Among the quads, Adam Krysiak won by 33:59 over Karol Slugocki and extended his overall lead to 1:09:49.
Cars: a third win for Thijs and Van Tiel
Thijs and Van Tiel won in 05:30:15 despite a puncture and a slow leak that cost them around ten minutes. They beat Vincent Vroninks and Dave Berghmans by 6:35 on the stage and lead them by 27:07 overall. Calin Camarasan (Ford Ranger) was third on the stage, 26:08 back.
For the Belgians it was a hard day for Koen Wauters and Tom De Leeuw: a broken driveshaft damaged a brake line, leaving only the handbrake working. Pascal Feryn stopped to help, losing more than an hour and a half, and both Toyota Hilux made it back to the bivouac together. According to RallyandRaces, Wauters finished around two hours behind Thijs.
Magdalena Zajac and Blazej Czekan retired after missing 33 waypoints; no reason has been given.
SSVs and trucks
Pierre Lafay and Loïc Minaudier won their third stage in a row in 05:23:06 and lead overall by 51:47. Xavier and Diego Lormand are second, 20:50 back. In the trucks, Paolo Calabria and his crew (MAN) won by 25:29 and lead overall by more than nine hours.
Stage 4: a 305 km loop
The next stage is a fourth loop around Douz: 305 km, of which 270.05 km is timed. The bikes start at 08:08 with Knuiman first on the road, the cars at 08:45. The opening kilometres are billed as the hardest, with serious hazards between kilometres 27 and 69.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Jeremy Knuiman lose the Fenix Rally lead?
He was fastest on the road, but a 13:30 penalty for speeding cut his stage margin to 38 seconds. Justin Gerlach retakes the overall lead by 3:17, according to the provisional results.
Who leads the cars at the 2026 Fenix Rally?
Vincent Thijs and Arjan van Tiel, winners of the first three stages, are 27:07 ahead of Vincent Vroninks and Dave Berghmans.
What does stage 4 involve?
Another loop around Douz of 305 km, of which 270.05 km is timed. The bikes start at 08:08 with Knuiman opening the road, the cars at 08:45.
Sources
- RallyTracks — Fenix Rally stage 3 (provisional results)
- RallyandRaces — Wauters and Feryn, day 4 of the Fenix Rally
Written by the Karrazmotorsport newsroom, proofread before publication. For settings, always refer to your vehicle's manual. Our charter.
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