Margate Beach Race report

 

Arnaud Degousee once again dominated the Pro Solo class and has won all 18 races in this year's championship, matching his performance in 2014 and retaining his title.

In the Pro Quad class overall winner Mathieu Vanstraezeele from France was pushed all the way by the young Bailey Edwards, the pair separated by just three points at the end of the weekend. 

But with two strong third overall places Oli Sansom became the 2015 Quad British Beachcross Champion, keeping at least one championship trophy this side of the channel.

Faster

Saturday's weather couldn't have been better - people were even swimming in the sea - and spectators by the thousand lined the seawall throughout the day.

Degousee made his intentions clear from the start of qualifying, setting a time almost four-seconds-a-lap faster than fellow Frenchman Florent Becker. 

Fastest homegrown rider was Mitch Lewis in fourth, over six seconds slower than Degousee.

In race one Degousee got the holeshot and cleared off while Jamie Wilson crashed out of second and ended his race in ninth place. Steve Bixby was the first Brit home in fourth place from eighth at the start and the last rider on the lead lap.

Degousee got his usual holeshot in race two and that was the last time anyone got close until he began to lap riders. Wilson again got a good start and again crashed down the field, ending up in sixth place, while Becker had to fight off the attentions of Bixby for a couple of laps until he crashed. 

Becker came home in second and the only rider not to be lapped by Degousee.

Race three, the last for Saturday, was shortened because of the failing light but while Degousee did his thing out in the lead Bixby - after passing Arthur Ringot, Morgan Waliki, Lewis and Becker - finished second.

Overall for round five it was Degousee from Becker, Waliki and Bixby.

Vanstraezeele set the fastest quad quali time which was almost two seconds faster than Vincent Gremont and over four seconds faster then Sansom. 

Anthony Barrett got the holeshot in the first quad race but was passed on the opening lap by eventual race winner Pierre Hubert Truphemus and dropped to seventh place. 

Edwards and Sansom had a race-long battle over third place with loads of passing going on with Edwards just getting the better of Sansom when they crossed the finish line.

Edwards holeshot the second race but had a problem on the opening lap and dropped back to third as Vanstraezeele held off Sansom for the win.

Truphemus and Vanstraezeele fought for the lead and the win in the shortened race three with Edwards spending all race in third place as Sansom got sixth.

Winner

Overall at the end of round five Vanstraezeele was the winner from Edwards and Sansom with Truphemus fourth.

The weather for round six on the Sunday was completely different from the day before and down came the 

rain.

Degousee continued where he left off on Saturday and he led the pack into turn one at the end of the very long start straight and cleared off into the distance. 

The fast-starting Wilson followed him round the first lap but then fell and dropped back to 10th. Lewis inherited second place but had to fight lap after lap to keep it from Becker, Arthur Ringot and Bixby.

Degousee won by over a minute-and-a-half from Lewis and Bixby.

While Degousee did his thing out in front in race two, Becker, Bixby and Lewis battled for second until first Becker and then Bixby crashed, leaving Lewis in second place and the only rider not to be lapped by Degousee.

In the third race of the day – the final of this year's championship – Degousee did what he's done pretty much all season, leading from start to finish leaving JP Mannucci to hold off Morgan Waliki, Lewis and Becker for second place.

Overall for the weekend it was Degousee from Lewis and Becker while the final standings for the championship saw Degousee on top from Lewis and Marc Darcourt with Ali Davies fourth.

Weston Beach Race winner Carl Bunce just raced on the Sunday and stormed from eighth place on the opening lap to catch and pass Vanstraezeele with two laps to go for the first Pro Quad win of the day.

Edwards had a good battle with Bunce in the early part of the race and held on for second place with Vanstraezeele third.

Bunce led the second race of the day from start to finish leaving Edwards to fight off the attentions of Vanstraezeele for second with Sansom fourth.

In the third and final race of the day Bunce led from the drop of the gate until the halfway point when he suffered a DNF which left Sansom and Vanstraezeele to decide who was going to win. 

The lead changed hands a number of times until, with a lap to go, Sansom got the advantage and the win from Vanstraezeele, Edwards and Clarke.

Overall for the weekend it was Vanstraezeele from Edwards and Sansom but in the final championship standings it was Sansom from last year's champion Ashley McConnell, Clarke and Lee Baxter.

Max Remy was the overall winner for the weekend in the Youth Quad class from Alex Russel and Alfie Walker while in the Youth Solo class it was Reagan Brooks from Adam Moore and George Mallion.