Report: Le Touquet Beach Race
By Dick Law on 9th Feb 17
Daymond Martens became only the fourth rider from Belgium to win the Le Touquet Enduropale in its 42 year history last Sunday, as he fought off an early challenge from his fellow countryman, and winner in 2011, Steve Ramon.
But the day really belonged to Martens as he was in the zone from the word go and riding every lap like he was in a motocross race - and not in a three- hour very rough beach race. He got the holeshot bonus and the hourly leaders bonus along with the first place prize, giving him a profitable event to go with having his name added to the list of riders that have won one of the biggest off road event of the year.
The course had been completely redesigned by the organisers,with the solos' work and parking area brought up the five kilometres from Stella beach to the town's sea front so that some of the reported 405,000 spectators could see more of the pit stop action.
They were also forced to bulldoze chicanes in three places along the start straight to keep riders away from the water's edge because some usual high tides for the time of year had made parts of the sand dangerous to ride over.
The 1,099 riders were split into two groups in the interest of safety with the seeded riders plus some of the non-seeded going off 45 seconds ahead on the next batch of some 500 riders.
Martens hung over the back wheel of his 450 Yamaha in front of the first wave of riders at the start of the three-hour race, with Julien Tourness, Camille Chapeliere, Van Beveren and Anthony Bourdon on the chase as the massive field of riders pushed and shoved their way through the chicanes and on to the first turn at Stella beach. But it was Martens who got the holeshot award and lead on the first lap on the still smooth track.
As the leaders started their second lap they were already in the back markers, and Chapeliere made better use of them and managed to pass both Tourness and Martens for the lead as he went under the finish line banner to start lap three.
Ramon was in 13th place on the opening lap and then moved into third at the expense of Van Beveren.
For the rest of the lap Martens and Ramon were neck and neck going either side of the hundreds of riders as they struggled with the deteriorating track.
Ramon was just in the lead as their pair crossed the finish line to start lap four, but as they set off down the beach again Martens found some extra gas and took the lead, which he maintained for the rest of the three-hour race.
Chapeliere, who was fancied for the win, was well on the pace till he clipped another rider which sent them both down in the deep sand.
He must have damaged his Yamaha as he went into the work area at the end of the lap and never returned.
Meanwhile Ramon had a big crash that saw him slip down the leader board to 16th place witch left Van Beveren in second and having to deal with a flying Richard Fura on a 2017 Honda.
By the time the race was two hours old and Van Beveren and Fura had swopped second place a couple of times through pit-stops.
Van Beveren was in a comfortable second place and was slowly closing in on the leader Martens as Yentel Martens moved into a lonely fourth place after passing Stephane Watel.
With the laps counting down the and the French crowd sensing a fourth win for local man Van Beveren, things got really loud with cheers and flag waving as the pair of fast riders were separated by about 50 seconds as they started their last lap.
The gap was down to 30 seconds as they started their return from Stella with Martens being the first to crack as he almost went down after deciding to go the wrong side of a back marker and hitting the side of a dune.
He recovered without losing much time but it was a mistake from Van Beveren that cost him the win as his front wheel tucked under – coming out of a turn – and he went down handing the win to Martens.
"No words can describe how I feel at the moment,” said winner Martens, "That last lap I was pushing so hard as I was signed that Adrien was closing. I have waited so long for this win, I was not going to let it go. The rain had made the sand so slippery, but I just had to concentrate more and push on. I am so happy.”
As for the UK ridders?
Top this year was Richard McKeown who had been doing all the French sand racing championship rounds in 26th place, and he did it his usual way by setting a fast pace with no flash stuff and keeping moving up the leader board.
"I am very pleased with my result,” he said, "I have ridden better but I had bad arm pump until my first pit stop. But after that I just tried to keep plugging away till the finish. The track was super rough and it's the toughest beach race I have ever raced.
"I had a couple of stupid crashes at about half distance which cost me some time but that was the only problem I had. It was a great event and I will be back next year..”
Tommy Alba was the second UK rider home and said: "Being let off on the second wave of riders and being on row 700 in the parc ferme, to get a top result was looking hard.
"I came round first lap in around 115th place and went as if I was doing a 20-minute moto for the next two laps to push myself in and around the top 50. From then I just kept my head down, pulled the throttle back and let it rip for the next two hours and 15 minutes to claim at the finish 32nd. Everything went well and my experience of riding sand showed.”
The Ropers from the Sudbury club did well and finished in the one 120s, spending the whole race together and finishing separated by just three positions.
Hard luck of the race must go to first-timer Matt Moffat, who said: "I don't know whether I should be happy or disappointed about Le Touquet after breaking down with 30 minutes to go?
"I was number 778 and went down off the start 45 seconds behind the first 500 so I had a lot of hard work to do. But I pushed on, never crashed and rode good strong race.
"I was in the top 40 by the third lap, and in 18th when I broke down. I am down about that but have to take the positives and try again next year.”
Well known to UK fans was Steven Lenoir who was also having his first Le Touquet outing and ended his day in an excellent eighth place.
He said: "It was a good race and I was really impressed with the organisation of it. I had some bad luck with a big fishing line getting caught in my back wheel which lost me a lot of time getting it out.
"But eighth place on a close to stock bike was good and I hope I can do this race again next year”
Polish rider Damian Rajczyk got the holeshot at the start of Saturday's two-and-a-half-hour quad race and was followed around the opening lap by Thomas Sinoquet, Antoine Cheurlin and with the much fancied rider five times winner and reigning champion Jeremie Warnia down in 11th place, one place behind our own Carl Bunce
By the end of the second lap Cheurlin was in the lead but now he had Warnia on his case as Rajczyk and Sinoquet started to slip back into that pack as the race heated and the pace increased.
With the first hour over Warnia was in control and in the lead and was opening up a bigger and bigger lead lap after lap.
Cheurlin looked settled in second but Jeremy Forester, from seventh at the start slotted into third after pushing back a place Mike Van Grinsven.
All this time Bunce was staying out of trouble and really pushing on and was now up to seventh after the first fuel stops.
Sheldon Seal had had a problem with his machine and after a lengthy pit stop was carving his way through the pack and now in the top 70.
With three quarters of an hour to go and with Warnia in a class of his own, Cheurlin had his hands now full fending off Forestier as Van Grinsven passed Randy Naveaux for fourth place.
But it all went wrong for Cheurlin with two laps to go as his Yamaha ground to a halt taking him from hero to zero and a second.
Warnia crossed the finish line the winner and was five minutes ahead of second place man Forestier for a Yamaha one two.
Keveen Rochereau came from 37th at the start to snatch third from Van Grinsven on the last lap and in so doing put his Honda on the last step of the podium.
Benoit Beroudiaux followed Rochereau through to fourth with Bunce an excellent fifth, from Olivier Vandenijck and Frederic Clements.
"The race went well, no real problems,” said Bunce, "I pushed hard from start to finish, cause from previous experience the French lads are on it for the whole race. I am happy with the result equalling my personal best at Le Touquet fifth overall.”
Seal mastered his problems on his was to 27th and said: "My rear shock broke first lap and it was not just blown but completely collapsed. I couldn't carry on as the air box was hitting on swing arm. I was lucky it happened just before the pits and managed to dive in and change it.
"A big thanks to everyone who helped with that. I had to dig really deep and came from plum last, I'd say, as I left pits in about 316th, then coming back to 27th place at the finish. Maybe next time”
John Mitchell was making a return to Le Touquet after a long absence, riding an older machine, but he was forced to retire early.
He said: "I'm a bit disappointed not to finish the last lap of the race after all the work on the bike in the run up to the event. We went through everything, but having a water pipe fracture like that is one of the joys of working with old stuff unfortunately. I would have liked to get nearer to the front of the start if I was to do that again.
"I spent four or five laps riding with a seeded rider, Frederic Clemente, who I later saw finished seventh. I'm not in it to win it any more but with the good team around me and a decent pace it's pretty disheartening starting so far back.”
The Junior event was won by Jeremy Hauguier, son of the main race winner David back in 1997, from Tom Vialle and Scotty Verhaeghe.
The Youth Espoirs class was won by Florian Miot from Valentin Madoulaud and Ryan De Beer with our own Jack Winthrop 42nd.
Paul Kirby was our only representative in Friday's two vintage races and he finished ninth in the first race and 13th in the second.
