Stéphane Peterhansel certainly knows his way to Dakar, having won the Dakar Rally nine times on its original Europe-to-Africa route on two and four wheels. For 2025, “Monsieur Dakar” opted against a 36th Dakar Rally in favor of the ‘real’ Dakar rally that is the Africa Eco Race.

He is not doing the full event nor is he racing for the win, instead participating in the non-competition Raid Moto class with the Ténéré Spirit Experience. The TSE is a Yamaha-backed program co-managed by his wife Andréa for Yamaha Ténéré 700 owners to enter amateur rallies without the pressure of performing well.

While he raced for a variety of manufacturers since switching to a car in 1999, most recently spending the last three years with Audi, he has exclusively been a Yamaha rider for motorcycles. He won the Dakar Rally six times on a Yamaha bike as well as two FIM World Enduro Championships. Peterhansel rekindled his partnership with Yamaha in 2023 when he returned to off-road bike racing, riding his Ténéré in rallies like the Morocco Desert Challenge and Swank Rally while winning the 2024 FIM Enduro Vintage Trophy on a 1981 IT 250.

Peterhansel landed in Mauritania on Tuesday, with his first action coming in Stage #8 the next day.

“The real Dakar has always been the one in Africa with its varied landscapes from start to finish,” Peterhansel told the crowd at the Stage #8 awards ceremony. “That’s why, after all this time, coming back—and especially on a Yamaha—for a few days is a real pleasure to share with you.”

Stage #9 on Thursday was called off due to sandstorms, though he and his fellow TSE riders were able to spend some time riding in the desert and exploring the area. Besides interacting with locals, they came across the libraries of Chinguetti, considered the seventh holiest site in Islam.

He intends to run the rest of the rally when it resumes on Friday. Stage #10 will take the AER from Amojjar to Nouakchott, followed by the Mauritanian capital to Mpal on Saturday. The 12th and final stage concludes the race with a run to Lac Rose in Dakar, Senegal.

“Being together with Stéphane Peterhansel is more than just a unique opportunity,” said TSE participant Reinhold Jakobi. “It’s an experience on top, seeing him riding most of the time from the back—somehow, he seems to be always faster than anybody else, and now with the most ease on top of it.”

The Africa Eco Race follows the Dakar Rally’s old route, which the latter dropped in 2009 by going to South America. Peterhansel continued to compete in the Dakar following the move, winning four times in a car in South America then adding another title in 2021 after it relocated to Saudi Arabia.

The 2025 Dakar Rally, the sixth in the Middle Eastern country, is taking place concurrently with the AER. Peterhansel finished 30th in the 2024 edition, after which Audi shut down its rally raid division; while his teammates Carlos Sainz and Mattias Ekström found a new ride at Ford, Peterhansel wanted a break from such a demanding race for now. However, he left the door open for a return to the Dakar in the future.

Until that happens, his focus is on riding his Ténéré 700. Peterhansel also plans to do the Carta Rallye in April as part of the TSE.

Featured image credit: Ténéré Spirit Experience