French star Pablo Violet – Drag’on Yamaha raced to the Quad class title this afternoon in the 2024 FIM Sand Races World Cup, finally avenging his narrow defeat in last year’s series to claim the crown in dramatic fashion at the sixth and final round – the Ronde des Sables Hossegor Capbreton – on the south-west coast of France.
Starting the day with a twenty-point advantage over his compatriot Keveen Rochereau – Honda, after getting caught up in the chaos of the opening lap when he was hit by another rider, the twenty-two-year-old from Le Touquet Paris-Plage found himself buried near the back of the pack and with a lot of work to do.
Rochereau also had to battle his way through a tough opening lap and, as the race began to settle down around the thirty-minute mark with five laps completed, it was Germany’s Manfred Zienecker – Honda who led the series’ registered riders in fifth, two places ahead of Rochereau with Violet all the way back in forty-ninth overall as the thirteenth-ranked registered rider.
Knowing that if Rochereau finished as the highest-placed registered rider he would need six points to put the title out of reach, Violet maintained his charge through the pack and in the space of a lap pulled through to thirty-seventh as he closed down his rivals.
With the race scheduled for two hours, at the halfway mark Rochereau – winner of the three previous rounds – had moved into fifth as the leading registered rider, but by this point Violet had climbed up to twenty-sixth and as sixth-placed registered rider the crown was finally his if he could maintain his position to the finish.
With the clock ticking down, Mother Nature then decided to take a final roll of the dice and the race was cut short when the rising tide threatened to encroach on the course. While Rochereau signed off with his fourth win of the series, it was Violet who clinched the crown.
“It’s just crazy,” said Violet. “I have led since the first race in February so I have been under pressure all season, but we have a great team. It was hard to push after the start when someone hit me, but I stayed focused. It feels so good to win and for sure I will be back to defend it.”
Despite his title challenge ultimately coming up just short, Rochereau – who was left to count the cost of missing the second round in Argentina – remained upbeat following his latest polished performance.
“I had a very poor start,” he said. “I got hit which forced me to ease off the throttle to avoid crashing. After that, I had to work my way back up. This is what real sand racing is all about – lots of riders, the track becomes increasingly worn, it’s physically demanding and the competition is tough.”
Zienecker chased home Rochereau to claim the second step on the podium for the third time this year with outgoing champion Michel Trannin – Honda in third ahead of Belgian Oliver Vandendijck – Honda.
Already assured of the Quad Junior title, Alois Waloszek – Drag’on Yamaha added another class win to his record, as did Quad Women champion Nathanaelle Abgrall – Yamaha.
With the Quad Veteran crown secured at the previous round in Portugal, Drag’on Yamaha principal Axel Dutrie – who was fifth registered rider home this afternoon – reflected on an extremely successful season for both his team and the sport in general.
“The goal was to have fun and the race was very nice,” he said. “All the races we have had this year have been very nice. I want to promote this championship because it is good to have many riders, and we want to push for more. I’m very happy for Pablo [Violet], and also Alois [Waloszek] as well.”
The action continues tomorrow (1 December) with the two-and-a-half-hour Moto race scheduled to start at 11:00 (local time).
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To view the full 2024 FIM Sand Races World Cup calendar along with more information click here.