Great Britain’s Todd Kellett – Yamaha continued his domination of the 2024 FIM Sand Races World Cup when he stormed to victory in today’s Sprint Race at the Enduro del Verano – round two of the series – in Argentina as Amandine Verstappen – Yamaha maintained her unbeaten record in the Women’s class and Pablo Violet – Yamaha tightened his hold on the Quads.
Race Report by FIM Sand Races World Cup – Feature image courtesy of Frederik Herregods
Following on from his victory at the Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais, defending champion Kellett – along with the sizeable field of riders registered for the series who made the journey to South America – faced a very different challenge at the resort city of Villa Gesell to the famous three-hour marathon on the northern coast of France that got the series under way earlier this month.
Instead, everything rested on a single super-fast twenty-minute race over a shortened three-and-a-half-kilometre course which, adding to the spectacle, also included competitors in the Quad class of the 2024 FIM Sand Races World Cup.
“It’s really nice to be back in Argentina,” said Kellett. “We’ve had a busy week testing to adapt to conditions here. It’s incredibly fast and I’ve struggled to find confidence so I’m really pleased to get this win and it’s all systems go for tomorrow.
“Racing with the Quads wasn’t an issue for me and the Sprint Race format is very different, but I certainly don’t dislike it. I’m not worried about anyone tomorrow, I just plan to focus on myself and do the best job I can to keep hold of the red plate for my home race at Weston-super-Mare.”
Well known for his ability to start fast and quickly find a good racing tempo, Kellett set the fastest lap of the race on his opening lap and never looked troubled. His only problem came just before half-distance when he momentarily slowed, but he immediately picked up the pace to win by just over six-and-a-half seconds on a total of eleven laps.
His closest challenger was Camille Chapeliere – KTM, but following the Frenchman’s DNF at the Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais, Lars Van Berkel – Honda from the Netherlands cemented his position as Kellett’s main title rival by adding a third-placed finish today, less than half-a-second behind Chapeliere, to his second overall at the opening round.
The top five was completed by the French pairing of Valentin Madoulaud – Yamaha and Maxime Sot – KTM who both remain in series contention after their polished performances at the opening round.
Belgium’s Verstappen extended her lead in the Moto Women’s class when she finished one lap ahead of defending champion Mathilde Denis – Honda from France as victory in the Moto Veteran’s class went to Javier Pizzolito from Argentina, one lap up on reigning champion Arnaud Besnier – Honda. Argentina’s Danilo Goes finished third and also topped the Moto Vintage category.
Winner of the Moto Junior race at the Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais, talented French teenager Paolo Maschio – Kawasaki claimed another victory to extend his advantage in the Junior 2 class.
Violet, the highest-placed registered rider at the opening round, stretched his Quad lead with a fighting fourteenth overall as he led home defending champion Michel Trannin – Honda and home hero Hugo Giambruni. Axel Dutrie from France kept hold of his Quad Veteran series lead by finishing second in the class behind Giambruni with France’s Sebert Benoit completing the podium.
The focus now switches to tomorrow’s separate forty-five-minute Moto and Quad races that will be held over the full twelve-and-a-half-kilometre course with the action getting under way at 14:30 local time.
