Defending champion and 2024 FIM Sand Races World Cup series leader in the premier Moto class, Todd Kellett – Drag’on Yamaha claimed maximum points from round three of the series – Ronde des Sables de Loon-Plage – this afternoon, although the twenty-seven-year-old, who led for virtually the full duration of the event, ended the race in second behind Belgian sand specialist Cyril Genot – Honda who is not registered for the series.
The two-and-a-half-hour race was staged on the coast of the English Channel midway between Dunkirk and Calais where Kellett stormed into an early lead in the tough and unforgiving French sand. After claiming outright victory in the Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais in France and the Enduro del Verano in Argentina that got the series under way in February, the British rider was looking to extend his seventeen-point advantage over second-placed Dutchman Lars Van Berkel – Honda.
Staying true to the form book, out of a large contingent of registered riders it was Van Berkel who led the chase and after thirty minutes he had forced his way through to fifth, although by this point Kellett’s advantage over him was more than a minute.
Behind Van Berkel a group of registered riders occupied ninth through to fourteenth with Junior Bal – Husqvarna, who was eleventh in the points at the start of the day, leading fourth-placed Jeremy Hauquier – Yamaha, Yentel Martens – Honda, Tias Callens – Yamaha, Valentin Madoulaud – Yamaha and fifth-placed Camille Chapeliere – KTM.
Frenchman Maxime Sot – Fantic, who was third in the points following third-placed finishes at both opening rounds, was all the way back in forty-third after getting caught up in traffic in the opening laps.
As the race hit the halfway mark, Kellett looked comfortable at the front of the field and although by this point Van Berkel was up to fourth he had slipped to over two-and-a-half minutes behind the leader and while Hauquier was the next registered rider in eighth, he was five minutes adrift of Kellett.
With the seven-kilometre circuit getting increasingly challenging as the race wore on, lap times began to lengthen and on the twenty-second and penultimate lap Genot managed to make a pass stick for the lead. However, in terms of the series standings the Belgian’s last-gasp effort had no effect and Kellett grew his advantage by another five points from Van Berkel who was the second registered rider across the line in third, although he was over six minutes further back.
Finishing two laps down, Hauquier completed the FIM Sand Races World Cup podium ahead of Bal and Callens with Martens, who won the final round of 2023, continuing his comeback from injury in sixth chased by Chapeliere with Sot keeping his slim title hopes alive after charging up to thirteenth as the eighth registered rider home.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been fighting a bit of illness and with fifteen minutes left I was physically drained,” said Kellett. “It’s a shame but now I’ll go back to work for the remainder of the season. I took maximum points so it’s been a good day.”
Another rider starting the day on maximum points, Moto Women leader Amandine Verstappen – Yamaha from Belgium added a third victory to her 2024 record when, despite losing her front brake on lap one, she topped the class as sixteenth registered rider home after her title ambitions had already been boosted when France’s defending champion Mathilde Denis – Honda went out after five laps.
“In the first turn I went down so I ended up racing without a front brake which was tough, especially early on when it’s fast,” she said. “Still, I kept calm—it’s a long race – and I won so I’m really happy.”
With Moto Veteran defending champion and series leader Arnaud Besnier – Honda not competing, his fellow Frenchman Mickael De Souza – Honda led home the class in seventy-eighth to regain the series lead.
Racing earlier in the day, Felix Faure – Honda took a narrow win from Sebastien Antony – KTM in the Moto Vintage class while rising French talent Paolo Maschio – Kawasaki maintained his one-hundred per cent record in the Moto Junior 2 class. In Moto Junior 1 fast female Ema Satabin – GASGAS moved into the series lead when Maxime Miet – KTM exited the race in the early stages.
The series now heads south to Italy for the Bibione Sand Storm 2024 that runs from 1-3 November.
Results
Coupe de monde resultsRace Report by FIM Sand Races World Cup – Images by Frederik Herregods Photography
