The Morocco Desert Challenge 2026 has come to an end – and after a particularly successful edition. The route from Ouarzazate to Saïdia delivered everything that makes a rally raid so unique: stunning and varied landscapes, lots of dunes, challenging navigation and an exceptional bivouac atmosphere.
With this “Dunes Edition”, participants got exactly what they expected: vast dunes, fast tracks and technical sections that pushed both amateurs and experienced riders to their limits. This combination of sporting challenge and accessibility remains the key strength of the Morocco Desert Challenge.
Want to know who ended where in the rankings? Below you can find the final results in all categories and subcategories.
MOTORBIKES
In the motorbike category, victory went to French rider Julien Dalbec (#105) on a KTM 450 RR, who proved to be the most consistent and fastest rider with 2 stage wins. With a 24-minute lead, he finished ahead of Britain’s David McBride (#104). The battle for third place was fought between Belgium’s Joris Van Dyck (#101) and Dutch rider Dennis Verswijver (#124), with the latter finishing 2 minutes ahead to complete the podium.
SIDE-BY-SIDE
In the SSV category, Dutch duo Janus van Kasteren and Marcel Snijders (#205) in the Can-Am Maverick R took victory after a solid rally in which they won 3 out of 8 stages. Paulo Rodrigues and Fausto Mota (#204) finished second, 45 minutes behind the leaders, followed by the Portuguese crew Filipe Lopes and Gonçalo Reis (#230) in third place.
CARS
In the car category (4x4 & 4x2), Mitchel van den Brink and Bart van Heun seemed on course for a dominant victory. The duo, for the fist time in a Toyota Overdrive T1+ from MP Rallysport have won no fewer than 7 of the 8 stages. However, a technical issue in stage 3 ended their hopes of a podium finish. Dutch duo Ronald van Loon and Erik Lemmen (#306), driving the Toyota SVR V6 EVO, delivered a near flawless performance and secured the win. The Italian team of Agostino Rizzardi and co-driver Claudio Fenati (#303) finished a strong second in their Century CR6, while Belgian duo Vincent Thijs and Tom De Leeuw (#304) secured -once again- the third place. They finished in their Overdrive T1+ at 28'51" behind the leaders.
TRUCKS
The overall victory in the truck category went to Kay Huzink, Mark Salomons and Corné Blok (#501) in the De Rooy FPT truck. They delivered an impressive rally with no fewer than 7 stage wins, making the difference through speed and consistency. Truck category newcomer Pedro De Uriarte secured an immediate second place together with Eduardo Vanzzini and Max van Grol (#505) The Van den Brink family also stood out: Martin van den Brink, with his 16-year-old daughter Sienna as navigator, and Hans Van den Brink - (#502) won the opening stage and completed the podium in third place, 1h54 behind the winners.
A SUCCESSFUL EDITION
We can look back on a smoothly run rally in which all participants delivered strong performances. There were hardly any medical incidents to report, and everyone crossed the finish line with a broad smile. The international turnout (28 nationalities) once again underlined the appeal of ‘our’ MDC. And the 150-strong crew also had a great time.
Following this successful edition, the organization is already looking ahead. The next Morocco Desert Challenge is scheduled from April 8 to 17, 2027. More information will follow soon.
Source: Morocco Desert Chanlenge 2026
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