Reigning champion Todd Kellett – Drag’on Yamaha took another giant step towards defending his FIM Sand Races World Cup title when he dominated Saturday’s Moto class race at the Monte Gordo Sand Race – the fifth and penultimate round of the series – on Portugal’s beautiful Algarve coast.
In the Moto Women category, Belgium’s Amandine Verstappen – Yamaha is already assured of the title, but in true champion’s style the twenty-five-year-old led the female entry home in nineteenth overall, four places behind Moto Junior 2 series leader Paolo Maschio – Kawasaki.
In the Quad race that concluded Saturday’s programme it was Keveen Rochereau – Honda, winner of the previous two rounds, who claimed victory, but he was hounded all the way by fellow Frenchman and series leader Pablo Violet – Drag’on Yamaha who could sew up the title today when all classes will again be in action before scores over both days are combined to determine overall positions.
With maximum points after four rounds, twenty-seven-year-old Kellett has seized control of the Moto class, a fact that was only emphasised by his cool, calm performance as he raced into an early lead and then slowly extended his advantage. His eventual winning margin of just over two minutes and twenty seconds is by no means huge after twenty-nine laps and ninety minutes of racing, but he never looked threatened and a repeat performance tomorrow will ensure a successful defence of his title with one round remaining on the calendar.
“Last year [at Monte Gordo] was difficult for me coming back from injury,” said Kellett, “but this year I’m coming in with good momentum and I’m progressing. I’m really happy to be racing here and at all of the rounds.”
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The British sand specialist’s main opposition came from French rider Valentin Madoulaud – Yamaha who sits fifth in the title fight and who chased hard for the full race duration, but once Kellett had posted the fastest lap time of the race on his second lap he was able to create a gap that he gradually stretched out.
After thirty minutes Kellett’s lead over Madoulaud was thirty-five seconds, an advantage he more than doubled to one-minute and twenty-eight seconds by the one-hour mark and he never relaxed his pace as the clock ran down.
Starting the day second in the series, forty-five points behind Kellett, France’s Jérémy Hauquier – Yamaha slotted into an initial third before losing a position around the twenty-minute mark to Yentel Martens – Fantic, the Monte Gordo Sand Race winner in 2023. The Belgian then set about closing the gap to Madoulaud and managed to bring it down to under ten seconds by the forty-five-minute mark, but in the closing stages he slipped off the pace and was repassed by Hauquier.
With Madoulaud and Hauquier the only finishers on the same number of laps as Kellett, Maxime Sot – KTM from France finished fifth following an early fight with Belgian Tias Callens – Yamaha who came home sixth.
With an unassailable lead in Moto Women following the Bibione Sand Storm in Italy, Verstappen did not even need to race, but once again she forced her way towards the front and although she ended the day four laps down on Kellett she was two laps ahead of her main rival and defending champion Mathilde Denis – Fantic who was twenty-eighth.
Another rider defending an unbeaten record, rising French star Maschio has been made to work hard by his compatriot Leopold Magnien – Husqvarna in Moto Junior 2, but with a forty-four-point lead heading into Portugal it is Maschio in the driving seat and he reaffirmed this today when he won his class two laps clear of his closest rival.
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In the Moto Veteran class series leader Gregory Deleu – Fantic was the first registered rider home on twenty-two laps and Felix Faure – Honda tightened his hold on the Moto Vintage title when second-placed Sebastien Antony – KTM failed to finish.
Moto Junior 1 saw series leader Matheo Gerat – Yamaha finish almost thirty-four seconds in front of Maxime Miet – KTM while the Moto Junior 1 Women class was topped by Ema Satabin – GASGAS.
Rochereau led the Quads away for their one-hour race and with his confidence soaring following his back-to-back wins at Ronde des Sables de Loon-Plage in late-October and at the Bibione Sand Storm at the start of this month he once again set a blistering pace.
After an early pass on Belgian Oliver Vandendijck – Honda for second, Violet chased Rochereau for the rest of the race and although he crossed the line forty-eight seconds further back his solid second means if he beats Rochereau today the title will be his.
With the leading three all finishing on seventeen laps, the top Quad Veteran racer was Axel Dutrie – Drag’on Yamaha in a fighting fourth overall and Nathanaelle Abgrall – Yamaha was the leading Quad Women rider in eighteenth overall on a total of fifteen laps. Once again, Quad Junior rider Alois Waloszek – Yamaha took the fight to his older and more experienced rivals with an impressive tenth just one lap behind the winner.
The action resumes today with the sixty-minute Moto race scheduled for 13:45 (local time) followed by a forty-five-minute Quad race at 15:30 (local time).
Report and Images by FIM
