Sidecarcross GP of France Race Report
By Chris Helm on 10th Jun 25
The third round of the 2025 FIM Sidecarcross World Championship took place at Brou in France with 33 riders in attendance. This would mean a full program on Saturday including a Last Chance Qualifier to determine which unfortunate team would go home penniless having missed the cut for qualification and have a day off on Sunday.
The two British teams in the Group A quali race - Brett Wilkinson/ Joe Millard and Stuart Brown/ Scott Grahame - made it perfectly clear that neither of them would be that one team to miss out. In fact, it was the exact opposite with Wilkinson/ Millard taking the holeshot just ahead of Brown. These two teams didn’t put a wheel wrong and finished comfortably first and second. Championship leaders Koen Hermans/ Ben van den Bogaart didn’t get a good start but finally worked their way up to third.
In the Group B race, Daniel Willemsen/ Michal Gabor took the holeshot just ahead of Davy Sanders/ Jens Vincent and Mike Hodges/ Ryan Henderson with local favourites the Prunier brothers – Killian and Evan - in fourth. After two laps, Prunier led from Sanders/ Vincent and Vanluchene/ Musset but as the race progressed Vanluchene/ Musset slowed and Hodges/ Henderson was up to third which is how they finished.
On Sunday morning the track was in prime condition after no more rain but sufficient watering by the track staff. When the gate dropped for the opening moto it was Brown/ Grahame who took the holeshot from the Pruniers and Hermans/ Van den Bogaart. Wilkinson/ Millard starting from the middle of the gate collided with Jason van Daele/ Loet van der Putten halfway down the straight but managed to continue having just slowed a little. Van Daele/ Putten on the other hand was completely upended and their race was over.
Halfway around lap one the Pruniers took the lead with Vanluchene/ Musset second, the Lielbardis pair third and Brown/ Grahame now fourth. For a number of laps Brown/ Grahame were under pressure from Hermans/ Van den Bogaart but at the same time closing on the Latvians. By this time Wilkinson/ Millard was up to eighth and was closing on the leaders.
Brown/ Grahame and Hermans/ Van den Bogaart passed the Lielbardis twins and Brown/ Grahame continued to hold off Hermans/ Van den Bogaart. By the flag, the large mostly French crowd were delighted to see the Pruniers take the win with Vanluchene and his French passenger, Musset, in second place. Wilkinson/ Millard closed right up on Hermans/ Van den Bogaart but was about three bike lengths adrift at the flag. Hodges/ Henderson came home in a very respectable 10th place.
The second moto after one false start causing a restart proved to be a masterclass by Hermans/ Van den Bogaart who led from turn two and never looked back. He pulled away from Wilkinson/ Millard lap by lap and was over 30 seconds ahead until the last couple of laps when he slowed because his radiator was parting company with the bike. His luck was in, and it stayed attached.
Wilkinson/ Millard started in second and finished comfortably in second but behind him was where it was all happening with Brown/ Grahame, the Pruniers, Benny Weiss/ Patrick Schneider and Vanluchene/ Musset battling it out for third to sixth. Brown/ Grahame held third to start with but was overtaken first by the Pruniers and then by Weiss/ Schneider and Vanluchene/ Musset. With approximately 10 minutes to go Prunier suddenly slowed and driver Killian raised his arm. This let Weiss/ Schneider, Vanluchene/ Musset and Brown/ Grahame all move past.
Incredibly the Pruniers gremlins gave up and the machine was back to full speed. Cheered on by the crowd they worked their way back up the leaderboard to finally finish third ahead of Weiss/ Schneider, Vanluchene/ Musset and Brown/ Grahame. The other Brit in the race, Hodges/ Henderson was well placed in the top 10 but on lap two his chain broke and his race was run.
So, after three rounds of the championship, Hermans has a commanding lead of 153 points, 32 points ahead of Prunier and Vanluchene tied on 121. Wilkinson is currently fourth on 117.
Round four is next weekend in Gdansk in Poland.
