The extended family comes together
KEY POINTS:
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The 27th edition of the Rallye OLA Energy du Maroc, held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, will take place from 26 September to 3 October 2026 between Agadir and Zagora.
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The entry list comprises a total of 272 vehicles: 133 FIM riders, 112 FIA crews, 3 Open entries and 24 Classic entries.
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In the FIM category, the breakdown is 133 bikes and quads, including 10 RallyGP, 110 Rally2, 10 Rally3 and 3 quads. In the FIA category, there are 56 Ultimate, 4 Stock, 26 Challenger, 18 SSV and 8 trucks.
Top-level athletes know it. Winning for the first time is just one step – often a hard-fought one. But retaining victory year after year is yet another challenge, sometimes even more difficult, as it requires constantly questioning oneself. The 27th edition of the Rallye OLA Energy du Maroc has maintained a high level of confidence amongst the entrants, which is a first success for the inaugural ‘100% Pro Dunes’ edition (read the statement from Marc Coma, Race Director).
The race remains the second-largest rally raid in the world, once again acclaimed by professionals and amateurs alike. The course remains on track. But Marc Coma’s mission was to take it further. And the three-time motorcycle winner of the race has resumed his rider mindset: his gaze fixed on the horizon, with one value at the forefront of his mind: the spirit of mutual support and sharing.
133 BIKES: ALL THE PROFESSIONALS AND A LOT OF AMATEURS
In the distance, Marc Coma will soon see the world’s best teams converging on Agadir. Among his former track teammates, all the official bike teams will be in attendance. KTM, featuring reigning world champion Daniel Sanders and his team-mates Luciano Benavides – the most recent Dakar winner – and Edgar Canet. Honda, with defending champion Tosha Schareina, accompanied by Ricky Brabec (on the podium last year), Adrien Van Beveren and the two Rally2 hopefuls Martim Ventura and Preston Campbell. Hero, with ‘Nacho’ Cornejo, Michael Docherty and the Indian rider Schlok Ghorpade in Rally2, Ross Branch having withdrawn at the last minute. Sherco will field Lorenzo Santolino, Bradley Cox and Harith Noah (Rally2). Kove has entered the Rally2 category with Neels Theric and Sunier Sunier. ZX Moto, the Chinese brand that caused a stir in the WorldSSP paddock this season, is making its debut in rally-raid with Skyler Howes in RallyGP and Tobias Ebster in Rally2.
But the most significant stat is not that of the professionals, but rather the overall total, which reflects the number of amateurs. With 130 motorbikes entered, the Rallye OLA Energy du Maroc meets the exact quota set for the 2027 Dakar Rally. And this is where the race’s mantra, ‘back to the roots of rally-raid’, comes into its own. To better recognise the bravery of the true heroes of the sport, a ‘Malle Moto’ category is being introduced this year. In addition to the technical support already provided for them, a special classification will now be dedicated to them. The top five riders who have chosen to tackle the five race stages without any outside assistance in the evenings at the bivouac will be rewarded. Thirteen riders are setting off on a solo trans-Saharan adventure: the Italians Luca Corradini, Nicola Raspa, Federico Marretta and Alberto Grepi Cappa, the Indian globetrotter Jatin Jain, the Frenchmen Valentin Sertilhanges, Stéphane Brunaud, Guillaume Pouget and Pierre Roques, and the Dakar stalwarts Xavi Vega (Top 5 Malle Moto 2026) and Toni Vingut (former quad rider), accompanied by their Spanish compatriots Albert Martin and Adrian Penarrubia.
Ten motorcyclists from seven different countries will be riding enduro bikes with extended range, competing in the Rally3 category. They are the successors to the EnduroCup category created by the Rallye du Maroc, which has always been committed to opening up the sport to newcomers and making it easier for them to get involved in rally-raid. That’s not to say the race will be easy, though… Short sections of the special stages will be reserved exclusively for bikes on more technical sections. Versatility has always been key in rally-raid, so this is very much a return to the roots once again! Cyril Neveu, the first winner of the Dakar and co-founder of the Rallye du Maroc, came from… trials riding.
115 FOUR WHEELS… AND ALREADY SOME SURPRISES!
A motorcyclist at heart, Marc Coma has also tried his hand at rallying as co-driver alongside Fernando Alonso. That was back in Morocco in 2019. Listening to their feedback last year, he worked with his teams to design a longer route for Stage 4 to provide a dress rehearsal for the Dakar. And for the first time in the race’s history, dunes will feature on every stage. This will have a dual impact, as it will be accompanied by a separation of the car and bike routes. Marc Coma will ensure that cars face the same conditions as bikes when crossing the dunes. The level of difficulty in the ergs will be ramped up a notch this year for the professionals racing at the front, who will have no trace of the motorcyclists to aid their navigation. This is a format reminiscent of the Dakar, providing increasingly realistic training for the pros. For them, too, a pit stop to change tyres will allow them to practice a procedure introduced last January and scheduled for early 2027.
The Dacia team will be the team to beat. After their debut in Morocco in 2024 and the one-two finish by Nasser Al Attiyah and Sébastien Loeb, the Sandriders repeated the feat in 2025 thanks to the Frenchman. Dacia are the two-time defending champions and will be fielding Lucas Moraes this year, whose racing career took off right here a year ago when he became world champion with Toyota before joining Dacia.
Ford has big ambitions with its four works drivers – Carlos Sainz, Nani Roma (who finished on the podium last year), Mattias Ekström and Mitch Guthrie – who will be backed by eight privateer crews, meaning 12 Raptors on the grid! Among them are big names such as Denis Krotov at M-Sport, Martin Prokop and Romain Dumas… and the first surprise on the FIA list: the Goczals! Polish prodigy Eryk and his father Marek, who finished in the top 10 in last year’s race, are set to take the wheel of a Raptor.
Toyota holds the record for the most race wins (6). The Hilux will make up the largest contingent on the track, with 21 Ultimate models out of 56 – that’s 37 per cent of the field! The six official Toyota Gazoo Racing drivers will be among them: Seth Quintero, who won the last round of the W2RC for the first time in his Ultimate career; Henk Lategan, Akira Miura, Joao Ferreira, Saood Variawa, and Guy Botterill. The Japanese team’s most recent victory came courtesy of Yazeed Al Rajhi (2023). The Saudi driver will be the team principal of Overdrive Racing and the mentor to two newcomers to the Ultimate class within his team. First up is his compatriot, Dania Akeel. The lady driver is no stranger to the Hilux, which she drives in the Middle East Championship, but this will be her first time in the World Championship. Kevin Benavides, a two-time Dakar winner on a bike, tried his hand at home in Overdrive Racing’s Hilux as recently as the previous round of the W2RC, where he won a stage. The Argentine will be making his second appearance in the Ultimate class in the championship.
Still with Toyota, but this time with SVR, Nicolas Cavigliasso is also set to make his Ultimate debut. The reigning Challenger class champion has chosen Agadir to take the plunge!
The final surprise on the Ultimate entry list is Cristina Guttiérez, who will be introducing the historic Spanish brand Santana to the international rally-raid circuit. A third lady driver will join Dania and Cristina. Laia Sanz will once again be on the starting grid with Ebro.
Mini will be represented at X-raid by the duo of Guillaume de Mévius and Matthieu Baumel, who finished on the podium in 2024, alongside Sebastian Halpern. The Century Racing works team has fielded Mathieu Serradori and the very young South African driver Jayden Els, who competed in the Challenger class last year. Red-Lined Europe and MD Rallye will round off the list of manufacturers.
In Stock, the Defenders of Stéphane Peterhansel, three times winner of the car race (2004-09-10) will be up against a new entrant in the class. The Saudi driver Yasir Seaidan will make his first official outing with the Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body team. Christian Lavieille will return to the Japanese team but in the Open category. Yet another surprise in the entry list!
The Challengers and SSVs will be almost as numerous as the Ultimates (56), 54 in total.
The eight trucks bringing up the rear of the race will mark the triumphant return of MM Technology, including Martin Macik, the boss himself. And with him, three of his trucks. Those of Claudio Belina, Michal Valtr and Juergen Hellgeth. Team De Rooy is also set to field a strong line-up, featuring the likes of Kay Huzink and the rising star of the Dutch school, Mitchel Van Den Brink. With Tomas Vratny and Martin Soltys, the Czechs will be the dominant nation in the category, already represented by Macik and Valtr – accounting for half the field.
24 CLASSIC TO THE BEAT OF THE GNAOUA
This is THE new feature of the 27th edition of the race. The rallye OLA Energy du Maroc Classic will launch the Classic Series Trophy, which will continue at the Dakar Classic. Alongside the modern cars’ speed race starting from Agadir, 24 pioneers have answered the call for the first edition of the race in its Classic format – the category reserved for historic vehicles competing under regularity rules. The same regulations, the same equipment, and the same upcoming changes as those due next January – the ideal setting to try your hand at historic rally-raid in its classic format… giving the contenders for January 2027 a head start. The entry list features two former Dakar Classic winners, starting with the duo of Juan Morera and Lidia Ruba. It was they who caused a sensation in Saudi Arabia with their replica Porsche 959 Dakar following their victory in a Toyota HDJ 80. It was this Japanese 4×4 that Serge Mogno also used to claim victory. Both man and machine will be on the starting grid. Jérémy Athimon, the builder behind the finest Porsches in the Dakar Classic, will be testing a 964 DKR with his driver Axel Berrier. The Czech driver Ondrej Klymciw, who was aiming for victory in Saudi Arabia last January, will also be on the starting grid with his Pajero. Ralliart, Technosport and La Compagnie Saharienne – the scene’s most sought-after outfits – will be there to fine-tune their set-ups or introduce their clients to the sport. The pros in the field have got it spot on: the Rallye OLA Energy du Maroc Classic is the perfect opportunity to practise one’s skills… to the sound of Gnaoua music!
THE LIONESS AND THE LIONS OF THE ATLAS
The rallye OLA Energy du Maroc wouldn’t be the same without Souad Mouktadiri. This city-dweller and mother turned up one fine day in the Open class in her 4×4 decked out in the national colours, and she has been an integral part of the race ever since. Behind her unfailing smile lies the sheer determination of a lioness, which she needed to reach the 2025 Dakar Rally. Souad will be competing in the SSV class and is a model of fighting spirit.
Ali Oubassidi is a native of Merzouga who has become an expert and instructor in dune driving. Coming from a family of nomads, navigation runs in his blood. Taking part in the first edition of the Rallye OLA Energy du Maroc Classic, he has everything it takes to shine and bring to life a humorous Moroccan saying that refers to the hectic pace of Europeans: ‘You have the watch, we have the time’. Ali possesses the wisdom of the desert, whilst Frenchman Lucas Delmas-Marsalet is the co-driving expert on the Dakar Classic.
Two Moroccans are entered in the bike class. Mohamed Oualad Ali has two Dakars under his belt and was a medal finisher in 2024. On home turf he will be Morocco’s representative in the Rally2 class. Amnay Hajji in Rally3 will have the task of bringing the cup home. In the past the Moroccans have often dominated the category. Last year it was Noa Sainct who took the cup back to Saint-Affrique, in France, the home of his illustrious Dad Richard, double winner in the motorcycle race (2001-02).
STATEMENT
Marc Coma, Director of the Rallye OLA Energy du Maroc : “The OLA Energy Rally du Maroc continues to attract an ever-increasing number of entrants. For this first 100 per cent Pro Dunes edition, these figures are a testament to the confidence the competitors have placed in us. All the officials will once again turn out in force, but the true spirit of rally-raid lies above all with the privateers, whom we are keen to highlight, as we are doing this year with the creation of the Malle Moto classification. The race is welcoming an encouraging number of historic vehicles, which bodes well for the future, and there are more trucks than ever. The five FIA categories, the FIM bikes and quads, the Open class, plus the historic vehicles will all be together at the bivouac. This exceptional gathering of all the rally-raid communities will make this edition very special.”
PROGRAMME
- Thursday, September 24: service park opens in Agadir
- Saturday, September 26: scrutineering
– 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.: administrative checks (Sofitel Royal Bay)
– 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.: technical scrutineering (service park) - Sunday, September 27: scrutineering
– 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.: administrative checks (Sofitel Royal Bay)
– 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.: technical scrutineering (service park)
– 6:00 p.m.: pre-race press conference (Sofitel Royal Bay)
– 8:00 p.m.: general briefing (Sofitel Royal Bay) - Monday, September 28: FIM prologue (total: 176 km / special: 18 km) / FIA shakedown
– 9:00 a.m.: first motorcycle starts the FIM prologue special
– 11:39 a.m.: first car starts the shakedown
– 4:00 p.m.: publication of the provisional FIM prologue classification (Sportity)
– 5:00 p.m.: publication of FIA starting orders for Stage 1 (Sportity)
– 8:00 p.m.: FIM starting order selection for Stage 1
– 8:30 p.m.: publication of FIM starting order selections for Stage 1 (Sportity) - Tuesday 29 September: Stage 1 – Agadir–Zagora (total: 636 km / special stage: 268 km)
- Wednesday 30 September: Stage 2 – Zagora–Zagora (total: 423 km / special stage: 300 km)
- Thursday 1 October: Stage 3 – Zagora–Zagora (total: 592 km / special stage: 364 km)
- Friday 2 October: Stage 4 – Zagora–Zagora (total: 516 km FIA – 453 km FIM / special stage: 384 km FIA – 321 km FIM)
- Saturday 3 October: Stage 5 – Zagora–Zagora (total: 357 km / special stage: 259 km)
– 6.00 pm: post-race press conferenc
– 7.30 pm: prize-giving ceremony (Zagora bivouac)(*) Race times: GMT + 0
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Media contact : Matthieu Perez – media@rallyedumaroc.com