Last weekend FIM President Jorge Viegas made his first visit to Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais as this historic event celebrated its fiftieth edition and brought to a close the current FIM Sand Races World Championship. During his stay Mr Viegas had the pleasure of meeting with the Mayor of Le Touquet Paris-Plage, Mr. Daniel Fasquelle.
Speaking about experiencing this important race first hand, the FIM President Jorge Viegas stated: “I was so hugely impressed by the scale of the event and everything about it. Organised by the city itself, it represents a unique model for this type of event anywhere in Europe, it is something I have never experienced on this level before. Being here this weekend reinforces the confidence we have at the FIM about the evolution of this championship, which I am sure will see the arrival of new riders from around the world plus the manufacturers too in the coming seasons.”
“On behalf of the FIM I would like to congratulate and thank the event organisers, the French Federation (FFM), the FIM officials, the event partners, all the volunteers and the other stakeholders as it was a truly amazing race. This was confirmed by the huge crowd, estimated at over half a million people, that still turned up despite the adverse weather conditions – their passion was clear to see and hear.”
“Finally, I would like to congratulate all the riders, both amateur and professional, over two thousand five hundred of them who battled through the deep sand and tough conditions, and to add a special mention to Todd Kellett who became our first ever FIM Sand Races World Champion alongside Mathilde Denis, Pablo Violet and Benoit Sebert who became World Cup winners in their respective classes.”