Drama in the desert - unexpected outcome in Abu Dhabi AX World Tour Finals
By Team TMX on 7th Jul 25
There was drama inside Yas Island’s Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi as the 2025 Arenacross World Tour wrapped up. With a huge prize purse on the line, crashes caught out many of the leading contenders leaving the way clear for Adrien Escoffier to claim the first ever World Tour title in a race won by Stark Future’s Michael Hicks.
Armor Vision Honda’s Dean Wilson entered the World Tour Finals with a healthy eight-point lead in the championship over Cedric Soubeyras, with Escoffier one behind Soobs and three-time AX champ Thomas Ramette also in the hunt, another point behind behind Escoffier.
While Wilson and Soubeyras were dominant in their heats, and Ramette transferred in third, Escoffier only qualified for the Main Event by winning the head-to-head final, with round one winner Jorge Zaragoza booking his place in the final by winning the LCQ. They’d join the top-10 qualifiers from the heat races –Soubeyras, Wilson, Ramette, Tommy Searle, Hicks, Dylan Woodcock, Eddie Wade, Joan Cros, Matt Bayliss and Kelana Humphrey - for the 16-lap Main Event.
There was carnage from the start as Hicks went down in turn one and then Searle got caught out by a rhythm section taking Soubeyras down with him. It was a big crash that caused the race to be stopped, with neither rider able to race in the re-run. With Searle and Soubeyras out, Zaragoza and Escoffier were elevated to a front-row starting position on the 10-rider gate and were absolutely sure to make it count. And they weren’t the only ones to take advantage of the fresh start.
When the gate dropped for the second time, Hicks fired into an early lead ahead of Wade, Escoffier and Zaragoza, with Wilson - who had just passed Ramette to move into the lead of the aborted Main, starting fifth. Escoffier soon blasted into second place as Wilson picked off Zaragoza to move into third, which would have been more than good enough to take the title. However, he wanted the race win too and passed Escoffier for second before hunting down Hicks who was less than a second ahead at the front of the field.
But on lap six, it all went wrong for the current AX British Champion who slammed hard and took ages to get up again. All of a sudden, Escoffier was looking good to secure the title as Soubeyras was out, Wilson was winded and dazed and Ramette – who officially retired from full-time racing after Manchester – was way down the field.
As the remaining laps clicked off, Hicks led from Escoffier and Zaragoza as mistakes from Cros and Wade cost them a shot at a fourth place finish. As the chequered flag was unfurled and Hicks celebrated with a huge whip, Escoffier crossed the line to be crowned champion with Zaragoza third and Dylan Woodcock fourth ahead of fifth-placed Matt Bayliss. Ramette finished the race sixth with Wilson credited 10th – four laps down on the winner and two points behind Escoffier on the championship. Ramette’s sixth place placed him third in the series standing just ahead of Hicks, Soubeyras and Zaragoza – Stark winning the team title.
