With a comprehensive start-to-finish victory in yesterday's opening Moto class race of the Monte Gordo Sand Experience, round five of the 2025 FIM Sand Races World Championship, Britain’s Todd Kellett – Drag’on Yamaha took another step towards his third title in three years, while in the Moto Women category Belgian racer Amandine Verstappen – Yamaha re-established control following her DNF last time out and Britain’s Harry Walker – Laeger’s topped the Quad class.
- Todd Kellett moves another step closer to Moto title
- Amandine Verstappen takes command of Moto Women
- Harry Walker tops Quads, but Pablo Violet keeps control
Kellett’s starts have been sensational so far this season as he has carved out an unbeaten four overall wins in his pursuit of the Moto class title – that for 2025 has been upgraded to full FIM World Championship status – and yesterday on Portugal’s beautiful Algarve coast he produced more of the same.
With the race formats changing on a round by round basis, the FIM Sand Races World Championship continuously challenges riders and with yesterday's ninety-minute moto taking place on a relatively short six-kilometre course, getting clear of the pack early on and staying out of trouble was essential for success.
Kellett led by just over three seconds following the opening lap from Belgium’s Cyril Genot – Honda, French rider Jeremy Hauquier – Yamaha, his Drag’on Yamaha team-mate and main title rival Milko Potisek and Norway’s Hakon Fredriksen – Honda as the top five crossed the line all within ten seconds of each other.
With a clear track ahead of him, Kellett’s second lap was the fastest of the race and he began to slowly pull clear. By the end of lap four his advantage over Genot was almost eleven seconds and by lap eight he led by nearly thirty-four seconds.
Potisek needs to beat Kellett this weekend if he is going to take the title fight down to the final round and the Frenchman was pushing Genot hard while at the same time fighting to stay clear of Hauquier, last year’s silver medallist, as the top-four pulled clear.
At the flag Kellett was almost one-and-a-half minutes ahead of Genot who in turn was nearly fifty seconds clear of Potisek. Hauquier, who was a further half-a-minute behind, was the last rider to match the winner’s total of thirty-one laps.
“I always feel more comfortable when I’ve got a bit of a gap,” said Kellett. “Sometimes you can win by a lot, sometimes you can win by one second. You take it as it comes and if I have a good feeling I’m going to push. I like this championship because we have so much diversity and this race is no different. It’s a really short lap and there are a lot of laps so it’s a real mental battle and you’re constantly fighting with back-markers.”
The defending Moto Women champion and unbeaten this season until her DNF with a technical issue last weekend at Ronde des Sables Hossegor-Capbreton, Verstappen came into round five trailing 2023 champion Mathilde Denis – Fantic in the title race and determined to regain control.
The twenty-six-year-old, who finished fifth in this season’s FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship, took an immediate lead and by lap two was running eighteenth overall, twenty-three places ahead of Denis with Camille Viaud – Yamaha sitting third in class and forty-seventh overall.
After ten laps Verstappen was holding steady in twenty-fourth with Denis thirty-ninth and Viaud a fighting forty-first and while Denis and Viaud both climbed the leaderboard of registered riders to finish only a handful of places behind the defending champion, Verstappen’s total of twenty-six laps was one better than Denis and two ahead of Viaud.
Sharing centre stage with the Moto and Moto Women competitors, the Moto Veteran class was won byDamien Prevot – Yamaha on twenty-nine laps, four clear of second-placed Guillaume Renaux – Kawasaki with series leader Fernando Rubio – Honda third on twenty-two laps.
Competing over a shorter forty-five-minute race duration, Moto Junior class leader Evan Demeester – Honda won by just over half-a-minute ahead of his French rivals Matheo Gerat – Yamaha and Maxime Miet – Kawasaki while in Moto Vintage it was Sebastien Antony – KTM who led home Freddy Seguin – Honda.
Starting the afternoon’s one-hour Quad race with a healthy points lead, France’s defending champion Pablo Violet – Drag’on Yamaha could also clinch the crown in Portugal this weekend and although he had no answer to Walker’s blistering form, the second step of the podium was a crucial result for his title ambitions.
Violet took the lead on lap one and the twenty-three-year-old set the pace during the early stages before Walker took control. Quickly building his advantage, the British racer was over thirty-seven seconds ahead at half-distance and when the chequered flag came out his lead stood at nearly two minutes.
“I’m really happy with that,” said Walker. “It’s great to be here in Portugal and what a race that was. From the third row I actually had a good start and I tucked in behind Pablo. The track deteriorated quite quickly and it got rough, but I felt good out there.”
Violet matched Walker’s winning total of eighteen laps to strengthen his hold on the title with Belgian Oliver Vandendijck – Honda in third and fourth and fifth-placed racers Dirk Schelfhout – Honda and Glenn Swarte – Honda also recording an impressive eighteen laps.
Schelfhout also won the Quad Veteran class as he continues to chase down series leader Benoit Sebert – Yamaha who finished third behind defending champion Axel Dutrie – Drag’on Yamaha.
The focus now shifts to today when the results of the final two championship races will be combined with yesterday’s scores to determine the overall positions. First to take to the sands will be the Moto class for a one-hour race at 13:45 (local time) followed by the forty-five-minute Quad race at 15:30 (local time).
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