The 2024 FIM Sand Races World Cup concludes this coming weekend (30 November and 1 December) with round six – the Ronde des Sables Hossegor Capbreton – on the south-west coast of France, less than twenty kilometres north of the famous seaside resort of Biarritz.
Following a long, challenging season that began in February with the Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais and which has subsequently taken competitors on a round trip from France to Argentina and back to France twice via stops in Italy and Portugal, most of the titles have now been decided – although the main Quad prize is still there for the taking.
Frenchman Pablo Violet – Drag’on Yamaha holds a twenty-point lead over his compatriot Keveen Rochereau – Honda and with such a commanding advantage the twenty-two-year-old starts favourite, but with everything resting on Saturday’s single two-hour race the 2023 vice-champion still has a lot to do to be sure of the title.
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Having won the previous three rounds, Rochereau is carrying significant momentum, although after missing round two he knows his fourth win of the season will not be enough on its own and he needs Violet to suffer a major misfortune.
Holding down third in the Quad class, Axel Dutrie – Drag’on Yamaha is assured of the Quad Veteran title while honours in the Quad Woman class have already been claimed by Nathanaelle Abgrall – Yamaha and in the Quad Junior category Alois Waloszek – Yamaha has dominated, regularly running at the front and beating much more experienced older riders.
In the Moto class, defending champion Todd Kellett – Drag’on Yamaha made it back-to-back crowns last weekend at Portugal’s Monte Gordo Sand Race and victory in Sunday’s two-and-a-half-hour main race will see him end the year with a maximum score of one-hundred-and-fifty points.
Riders have been lining up to beat the twenty-seven-year-old British rider all year and while so far no-one has managed it, there is no shortage of contenders ready to make one final attempt at denying Kellett a perfect season so expect strong challenges from riders including home heroes Jérémy Hauquier – Yamaha and Valentin Madoulaud – Yamaha and Belgian former MXGP racer Yentel Martens – Fantic.
READ MORE: King Kellett retains his FIM Sand Races World Cup title with Monte Gordo Sand Race double – Race Report
The first rider to claim an FIM Sand Races World Cup title in 2024 when she clinched the Moto Women crown in Italy at round four, Belgium’s Amandine Verstappen – Yamaha could also complete a perfect season on Sunday with her main opposition expected to come from former champion Mathilde Denis – Fantic.
The third rider this weekend who could sign off with a maximum points haul for the season is up-and-coming French racer Paolo Maschio – Kawasaki. Despite spirited opposition from Leopold Magnien – Husqvarna, Maschio has so far taken five wins from five rounds and will be aiming to make it a perfect six from six.
With Moto Vintage already decided in favour of Felix Faure – Honda and Ema Satabin – GASGAS untouchable in Moto Junior 1 Women, the only titles still up for grabs are in Moto Junior 1 and Moto Veteran.
It is Matheo Gerat – Yamaha who has the upper hand in Moto Junior 1 with a fourteen-point lead over early season pace-setter Maxime Miet – KTM and it is even tighter in Moto Veteran where Gregory Deleu – Fantic leads Dominique Mieuzet – Honda by just seven points.
The main action gets under way on Saturday (November 30) with the two-hour Quad race scheduled to blast off the line at 12:15 (local time) followed by the two-and-a-half-hour Moto race on Sunday (December 1) that is due to start at 11:00 (local time).
Words by the FIM – Images by Frederik Herregods Photography
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