Englishman Todd Kellett was the boss at Ronde des Sables d’Hossegor

Todd Kellett went solo throughout the circuit’s 26 laps, setting a benchmark time of 5’09 on his first 6.5km loop, followed by Belgium’s Cyril Genot and Lars van Berkel. Then, thanks to the leaders’ refueling stops, the gap continued to grow until the finish line. There was no suspense as the young Englishman from Somerset dominated this 2022 edition of the Ronde des Sables head and shoulders. It wasn’t until the last hundred meters of the race that the final classification took an unexpected turn.

“I Finished Strong”

Kellett was already answering interviews and his followers seemed to have disappeared: Cyril Genot suffered a fracture that did not allow him to cross the finish line; Ditto for Lars van Berkel, who had to get his machine through the checked door. With no mandatory refueling this year, pilots pulled out all the stops and the extremely soft Landes sand probably caused more engine use than expected. So, a suspenseful finish for the second and third places: they finally followed the French Jeremy Hawkier and Richard Fura – after consulting the race marshals – Lars van Berkel, initially second, was disqualified due to a breakdown.

“It takes many ingredients: hard work, desire and determination, and tackling those big bumps like a man!”

After this 2.5 hour race, a calm and still “fresh” Todd Kellett savored his victory. “I am very happy to win today! It was my third win of the year and my second win at Hossegor. Although the middle of the race was difficult with this different track and a lot of competitors overtaking, I got a good start and finished strong. The young Englishman concluded with a joke: “To win the Ronde des Sables, you need many ingredients: hard work, desire and determination and hitting these big bumps like a man! »

“The Right Conditions”

Moto-Club des Plages race organizer Cédric Boizieu was smiling at the foot of the podium. “We had great weather and perfect racing conditions. The layout of the course was changed this year to slow down the runners and make the race more technically and physically difficult. And judging by the tired, sandblasted faces of some of the competitors, the goal seems to have been achieved.