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Monte Gordo Sand Experience 2023: The first FIM Sand Races World Cup Winners were crowned at the Monte Gordo Sand Experience
Todd Kellett (Moto) and Michel Trannin (Quads) are the new winners
A summer-like autumn day greeted the immense crowd that went to the beach to assist to the second and final day of racing at the Monte Gordo Sand Experience, the final and decisive round of the FIM Sand Races World Cup. The bikes race started at noon, with Frenchman Romain Laurent (Husqvarna) getting the holeshot, but being passed by Yentel Martens (Honda) on the first lap, with the Belgian leading all the way to get his second win of the weekend. Even so, it wasn’t enough for his title aspirations, meaning that the first winner of this competition is the British rider Todd Kellett (Yamaha), who arrived in second place while Daymond Martens (Honda) closed the podium. Also to mention is the win in the ladies competition by Amandine Verstappen (Yamaha), although Mathilde Denis (Honda) gets the World Cup, and Arnaud Besnier was the fastest among the Veterans, also getting the World cup on this category. On MJ1, 13-year old Matheo Gerat (KTM) was the winner, while on MJ2 it was Sarah Leroy (Kawasaki) and on the Vintage bikes, Sebastien Antony (Yamaha) was the fastest among the V1 class, while on V3, David Megre (Kawasaki) was the sole classified.
On the photo: Todd Kellet ©Imagens Desportivas
On quads, the rider of the weekend was Frenchman Keveen Rochereau (Honda), who won both races, always coming from behind. Belgian Olivier Vandendijck (CRQF) was in second place, while Pablo Violet (Yamaha) came home third while fighting with Michel Trannin (Honda) for the World Cup title, with the latter having an advantage. Vito Ferrari was the fastest Junior while on the Veteran side, Frenchman Benoit Sebert (Yamaha) was the winner of the event, also clinching this category’s World Cup. Nathanaelle Abgrall (Yamaha) was the fastest lady.
On the photo: Michel Trannin ©Imagens Desportivas
This was a great weekend for a new experience in Portuguese motorsport, with acknowledgement from the mayor of Vila Real de Santo António, Álvaro Araújo, who considered that the race “was a great success. With full hotels and restaurants, our goals have been achieved of bringing a lot of people to our municipality during this low season. I think we are all to be congratulated on the success achieved, with this sea of people here and a very well contested race.” The president of the ACP, Carlos Barbosa, highlighted that “this was a winning formula; we challenged the municipality of Vila de Real de Santo António, which quickly embraced this project of bringing sand events to Portugal, and to whom we thank for the fantastic work carried out that provided this great show we saw here.”
The Monte Gordo Sand Experience was promoted by the Municipality of Vila Real de Santo António and organized by the Automóvel Clube de Portugal (ACP), under the guidance of the FIM and FMP.
Results available: http://live.cronobandeira.com/
Source: ACP Motorsport / A2 Comunicação
Photos: Rally-Raid Network / Imagens Desportivas
On the photo: Yentel Martens ©Imagens Desportivas
©Imagens Desportivas
It Autumn , but it almost looks like summer in the southern coast of Portugal ©Imagens Desportivas
The start of the final quad race at Sunday afternoon in Monte Gordo beach with the hotels in the background. ©Imagens Desportivas +
On the photo: Keveen Rochereau ©Imagens Desportivas
Helder