The Adventure Galicia marks the start of the European TT Rally Championship, featuring a gruelling six-stage route covering around 1,500 km in the heart of Galicia, Spain.
A rally renowned for its technical terrain, challenging navigation and often unpredictable weather conditions.
For me, this race had a special significance: it marked my return to racing after several months away from the wheel since the Fenek Rally. Although my physical training over the winter had gone well, I needed to get back into the swing of things in terms of driving, speed and navigation.
My approach was clear from the outset: to build up my fitness gradually. I spent the first three days getting back into the swing of things, regaining my muscle memory and adapting to a very technical terrain combining enduro sections and rough mountain trails.
With a marathon leg on days 2 and 3, pacing was key. I chose to prioritise consistency and precision in my navigation rather than taking risks. From the fourth day onwards, once I’d regained my bearings, I was able to settle into a steady rhythm and focus on optimising each leg.
The rally consisted of six stages, including a prologue to determine the starting order. After a prologue marred by a minor navigation error, I finished just three minutes behind the fastest time but still started Stage 1 in 34th place. I managed to bounce back well from the very first stage, quickly climbing the rankings to finish 20th on the day.
It’s worth noting that the first three days of racing overlapped with the Spanish Championship. Although around fifteen Spanish riders finished ahead of me during those first three days, it didn’t faze me, as I knew that once they were out of the way, the race would take a different turn. I managed the marathon stages without any trouble, which allowed me to maintain a consistent pace and gradually establish myself in the top 20.
The fourth day would finally reveal the true overall standings for the competitors completing the entire rally. I really pushed hard on this very fast stage and moved up to 13th overall. The end of the rally proved more challenging, particularly on the final stage, where a poor tyre choice combined with fatigue prevented me from keeping up with the leaders. However, the gaps in the overall standings allowed me to secure my position.
One of the great personal highlights of this rally was accompanying Jacques on his very first rally… and seeing him cross the finish line in a superb third place in the veterans’ category on his Kove 450. Managing to complete the race on one’s first attempt in such demanding conditions is no mean feat. This perfectly illustrates what we aim to convey: building a gradual approach, knowing how to pace yourself over several days and keeping a clear head in the face of difficulties, whether in navigation or riding.
At the end of the six days, I finished:
Given that this was a comeback, this result is still solid and confirms the foundation laid down this winter. Consistency was a strong point, but there is still room for improvement in terms of performing better from the start and making the most of the final days of racing.
This first round provides a clear direction for the rest of the season. Next up: the Hellas Rally, with faster, more flowing terrain, where the aim will be to maintain this consistency whilst stepping up the pace earlier in the race.
From my experiences, I have identified several key points for those who wish to take part in a rally such as the Fenek Rally:
Navigation: know how to read a roadbook, anticipate pitfalls and stay focused on the route even after several hours of riding.
Physical condition: endurance is key. This is not a one–day race but a marathon lasting almost a week.
Mechanical management: prepare your motorbike to cope with varied terrain and learn the basics of daily maintenance to avoid having to drop out due to an avoidable breakdown.
Mental: stay focused, even when fatigue sets in or navigation becomes tricky. A rally is won as much in the mind as on the track.
Logistics: choose and organise your equipment, nutrition and recovery times carefully. Every detail counts when you’re racing for six days straight.
The Fenek Rally is a condensed version of desert rally raid: demanding, educational and incredibly enriching on a human level. For me, it was an opportunity to continue to progress, test my limits, but also to see that the training I give during the courses pays off in the field.
Those considering embarking on the adventure of rally raids will find this type of event an ideal gateway before moving on to major African rallies.
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