This weekend, the iconic Enduropale du Touquet hosts both the grand finale of the French Sand Races Championship and the season opener for the World Sand Race Championship. Saturday was dedicated to the Juniors and Espoirs categories, showcasing the rising stars of sand racing.
Sarah Leroy crowned Juniors champion with a dominant victory
Sarah Leroy claimed victory in the Juniors category on Saturday, securing the French Championship title. The Kawasaki rider had a strong start, quickly settling into a solid rhythm to take her fourth win of the season. Lea Chaput finished in second place. Despite needing a few laps to find her pace, she made remarkable progress throughout the race. Completing the podium, Lea Lesoil (Yamaha) put in a solid performance, holding off Chaput’s pace but finishing one lap down due to a tight battle.
In fourth place, Skarla Azile (KTM) delivered a strong performance ahead of Justine Fauvel (KTM) and Mallory Fouet, who secured third place in the championship standings. Further down the rankings, Lisa Margolle (Yamaha) finished seventh, just ahead of Alana Herbaut (KTM). Both riders made their only appearance in the championship at this event. Meanwhile, Ema Satabin (GasGas) suffered a mechanical failure after just three laps but managed to cross the finish line to secure ninth place. Her determination earned her enough points to finish as the French Junior Vice-Champion.
Lola Lallemand (GasGas) took fourth place, putting in a strong ride to secure third overall in the championship. Capucine Soubabere Lamour (Husqvarna) impressed again with a fifth-place finish, just 18 seconds ahead of Ophely Sieja (Husqvarna). Sieja, who faced a challenging end to the race, finished sixth but managed to clinch the title of French Espoirs Vice-Champion.
Thelma Boudier Damex wins Espoirs category as Louna Nowak clinches the title
Thelma Boudier Damex (Kawasaki) claimed her first win of the season in spectacular fashion at the Touquet race. In an intense battle, she managed to edge out Louna Nowak by just 13 seconds. Despite finishing second on the day, Nowak had already dominated the season and is crowned French Espoirs Champion, capping off an incredible campaign. Emy Petit (KTM) secured her best result of the season, finishing third, three minutes behind the leading duo.
Further down, Alizea Duffour (GasGas) secured seventh place, rounding off a consistent season. She was followed by Liloo Maigret (KTM), Lucy Debure (GasGas), and Margaux Lacoste (GasGas), who completed the top 10. The final ranking included Mathilde Meziere (KTM) and Lou Gillot (Yamaha), who fought hard to complete the classification.
