Defending Quad class champion Pablo Violet – Drag’on Yamaha extended his advantage at the top of the points standings when he led home a strong turnout of registered riders at round four of the 2025 FIM Sand Races World Championship – the Ronde des Sables Hossegor-Capbreton – in France this afternoon.
While twenty-three-year-old Violet, who is based in Le Touquet Paris-Plage in northern France, was leading home his rivals in the main FIM World Cup category on the shores of the Bay of Biscay, Belgium’s Dirk Schelfhout – Honda took control of the Quad Veteran class for the second successive round following his victory last time out at the Bibione Sand Storm in Italy.
On a bright and sunny day in south-west France, the main two-hour race produced a brilliant battle at the front where Violet – who started the race with a nineteen-point series lead – and his Belgian rival Oliver Vandendijck – Honda locked horns for virtually the full race duration.
Following lap after lap of intense, bar-to-bar racing in the soft, energy-sapping sand, there was very little separating the pair who led the field of registered riders on the twisting, technical track before Violet – who survived a number of falls during the course of the race – managed to break free on his fifteenth and final lap.
“The race was very cool, but it was also a very difficult race,” said Violet. “I had two big crashes which made things complicated and I was also stuck three times, but at the end we won and that sets me up well for the next round in Portugal. Oliver [Vandendijck] is a very fast rider and at the end of the last lap we were completely together and I needed to pass him for the win. It was a great fight.”
A fighting fourth in the title chase last season, Vandendijck – who led at the Bibione Sand Storm in October until a mechanical issue forced him out – kept the pressure on Violet all the way to the flag to also record fifteen laps, a total that only Schelfhout out of the remaining registered riders could match with a performance that also saw him top the Quad Veteran class.
Finishing one position behind Schelfhout and credited with a total of fourteen laps, home racer Paul Waterlot – Honda was making his second appearance in this year’s competition and was rewarded with fourth in class, one place ahead of Portugal’s Nuno Goncalves – Yamaha.
Goncalves was also credited with second in the Quad Veteran category, a finish that moves him up to second in the standings tied with reigning champion Axel Dutrie – Drag’on Yamaha, as France’s Benoit Sebert – Yamaha strengthened his grip on the class in third.
Earlier in the day the one-hour Moto Vintage race had got proceedings under way on a shortened circuit with Florian Miot – Honda winning on a total of eighteen laps from Jean Collignon – Honda and Sebastien Antony – KTM.
Focus now shifts to Sunday morning when the Junior class gets racing under way with their ninety-minute race scheduled for 08:45 (local time) before the main two-and-a-half-hour Moto class race at 11:00 (local time).
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