Monte Gordo Sand Experience celebrates first winners of the Sand Racing World Cup

The focus of the second sleeve of Monte Gordo Sand Experience, the final round of the FIM Sand Races World Cup, was once again in the fight between Todd Kellett (Yamaha), the championship leader, and Yentel Martens (Honda), winner of the first heat and still with aspirations.

On an autumn day, with a lot of people watching, the advantage in the race went to the Belgian, who quickly overtook the Frenchman Romain Laurent (Husqvarna), author of an excellent start, never to let go of the command again.

Kellett would be second, a result enough to become the first winner of the FIM Sand Races World Cup. The podium would once again be completed by Belgian Daymond Martens (Honda).

Among the Portuguese, the best in the second heat was Luís Outeiro (Yamaha), who managed to finish seventh, with Paulo Alberto (Yamaha) finishing in the top 10, finishing ninth.

In terms of the weekend, and remembering that the final result is obtained through the sum of the two heats, the best classified was Ricardo Freire (KTM), finishing the race in tenth, followed by Gonçalo Reis (Gas-Gas ).

Technical problems once again meant that António Maio did not complete more than the first lap, with this “fava” also coming in handy for André Sérgio (Beta).

Also note the final victories in the categories for Amandine Verstappen (Yamaha), triumphing among the ladies, Arnaud Besnier (Honda), among the Veterans, Matheo Gerat (KTM), in the MJ1, Sarah Leroy (Kawasaki), among the MJ2, Sebastien Antony (Yamaha), among Veterans 1, David Megre, in Veterans 3, and Gilberto and Mário Jordão, among the Doubles.

In the final accounts of the World Cup, in addition to Kellett's already mentioned overall victory, it is also worth highlighting the triumphs of Arnaud Besnier among the Veterans and Mathilde Denis in the Ladies.

The public did not let up and even watched the second heat of the quads, which took place at 14:30 pm, with Belgian Olivier Vandendijck (Honda) as the first leader.

However, the winner would once again be Keveen Rochereau, repeating Saturday's triumph and thus sealing the triumph in the Monte Gordo Sand Experience.

Frenchman Pablo Violet closed the podium, which was not enough to supplant compatriot Michel Trannin (Honda) in the fight for the world title.

Argentine Vito Ferrari once again took his KTM to victory in the Junior category, while Frenchman Benoit Sebert (Yamaha) was the fastest among the Veterans, thus sealing the world title in this category, ahead of Portuguese Paulo Fernandes (Yamaha). Nathanaelle Abgrall (Yamaha) was the best Lady.

This was a successful weekend for a new experience in national motorsport, with recognition from the president of the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António Álvaro Araújo, who considered that the race “was a great success, we have the hotels and the restaurants are full, we have our businesses working and our objective was to bring 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 bet, 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 spectacle that we saw here.”

A Monte Gordo Sand Experience is promoted by the Vila Real de Santo António City Council and is organized by the Automóvel Club de Portugal (ACP), under the auspices of the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) and the Motorcycling Federation of Portugal (FMP).

The event, held on the sand of Praia de Monte Gordo, transformed into a track for motorcycle and quad racing, was contested by the Livre party, which warned of the various “negative impacts” of the test.