131 Off-Road

Articles

Samuel Fremy to enter 2026 Africa Eco Race

6 days ago | 131offroad.com | Justin Nguyen

After crossing the Dakar Rally off his bucket list in 2022, Samuel Frémy now wants to add the Africa Eco Race in 2026. Frémy qualified for the 2022 Dakar Rally via a 42nd in Rally2 at the previous year’s Rallye du Maroc, and had been doing various desert rallies in Morocco and Algeria over the years prior. Racing a KTM 450 Rally, he finished 67th overall for his class with a best outing of 58th in Stage 5.
2025 Carta Rallye: Stephane Peterhansel joins the party in Stage 6

6 days ago | 131offroad.com | Justin Nguyen

The penultimate stage of the Carta Rallye saw a legendary face to the bivouac in Merzouga as Stéphane Peterhansel arrived to take part. The 14-time Dakar Rally champion is doing the two weekend stages in the non-competitive Raid class on his Yamaha Ténéré 700. Peterhansel, holder of six Dakar titles on a bike, has been returning to his two-wheeled roots since 2023 by entering races such as the Morocco Desert Challenge and Swank Rally.
2025 Carta Rallye: Ventura’s streak continues, increases lead in Stage 5

1 week ago | 131offroad.com | Justin Nguyen

It’s been smooth sailing for Martim Ventura across the Moroccan dunes as of late, and Friday was no exception as he claimed his third consecutive stage win at the Carta Rallye. As he did on Thursday, Ventura beat Benjamin Melot and Alessandro Botturi for the Stage 5 victory. His time of 3:05:58 was nearly 11 minutes faster than Melot and 14 minutes on Botturi. “It went well. I opened the track all day, I didn’t get caught,” said Ventura.
Akos Varga, 1972-2025

1 week ago | 131offroad.com | Justin Nguyen

Ákos Varga, the first Hungarian to finish the Dakar Rally on a motorcycle, died Wednesday evening in a traffic accident in Győr. He was 52 years old. According to a police report given to Blikk, Varga had been riding a motorcycle on Szent István Road at roughly 6:10 PM when an Audi Q5 changed lanes at the intersection between Szent István and Csipkegyári Road. The Audi collided with Varga, who was riding responsibly, and pushed him into a pole. He died at the scene.
Petr Pavel reconnects with Czech rally raiders at Dakar event in Lany

1 week ago | 131offroad.com | Justin Nguyen

With time to himself away from his duties as President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel decided to revisit the experience he got in January. Zámek Lány (Lány Castle), where the president stays in the summer, hosted an event on Thursday for Czech teams that raced the 2025 Dakar Rally. In January, Pavel went to Saudi Arabia to watch the rally and support his compatriots who took part.
2025 Carta Rallye: Bikes take flight in Stage 4

1 week ago | 131offroad.com | Justin Nguyen

Gautier Paulin’s years of motocross experience came in handy on Thursday when he felt the rear wheel on his Yamaha Ténéré kick upward. Stage 4 of the Carta Rallye was a loop of M’Hamid that had to be rebuilt due to flooding. The new terrain was filled with pistes and rocks, leaving riders striving to hang onto the handlebars more than they ordinarily would. Paulin hit a rut that launched the back of his bike into the air.
“Dakar: Race Against the Desert” to release on May 12

1 week ago | 131offroad.com | Justin Nguyen

Universal Pictures, Red Bull Studios, and The Red Ceiling Production have joined forces to create Dakar: Race Against the Desert. It is a documentary that will follow the 2024 Dakar Rally, focusing on many of the race’s biggest names like Nasser Al-Attiyah in his quest for a third straight win, Prodrive teammate Sébastien Loeb, and eventual victor Carlos Sainz. The film is directed by Jalil Lespert, a French actor best known for starring in movies like Human Resources and Le Petit Lieutenant.
Gilles Kuffer, team of AG mechanics “got to showcase all our skills” with rally tractor

1 week ago | 131offroad.com | Justin Nguyen

The Massey Ferguson 8S tractor was easily one of the stars at last week’s Morocco Desert Challenge. While that hulking behemoth’s blazing top speed of 80 km/h wasn’t going to win the race in the first place barring miraculous attrition, the sheer oddity of seeing a machine built for agriculture navigating the Moroccan dunes truly was something else.
2025 Carta Rallye: 10 riders miss Stage 3, Martim Ventura enjoys “first day where I think nothing happened”

1 week ago | 131offroad.com | Justin Nguyen

Stage 2 of the Carta Rallye was a nightmare for many riders, a good chunk of whom lost their bikes to a river crossing so treacherous that race officials ultimately canceled the rest of the leg. To make matters worse, the retrieval process was lengthy and some bikes were still stranded in the water by the start of Wednesday’s action.
Martin Macik Jr. entering FIA European Truck Racing Championship’s Czech Truck Prix

1 week ago | 131offroad.com | Justin Nguyen

Martin Macík Jr. knows how to race a truck through the desert, as evidenced by his two Dakar Rally titles. But can he race a truck on a paved circuit? He’ll get to find out in August when he debuts in the FIA European Truck Racing Championship, competing in the Czech Truck Prix at Autodrom Most. Macík will race an IVECO—the same manufacturer as his rally raid truck—prepared by Jochen Hahn, who is tied for the most championships in ETRC history with six.