A record for Arnaud!
By TMX Archives on 16th Feb 07
FRENCH ace Arnaud Demeester, riding a 450cc Yamaha, won the massive Le Touquet beach race for a record-breaking sixth time last weekend as lots of the fancied riders dropped by the wayside in the biggest and hardest of all off-road motorcycle events.
The sixth win confirms Demeester as the best Le Touquet specialist in the history of the event and the Frenchman finally beats the Dutch legend Kees Van der Ven's record of five wins which was set way back in the 1980's, when the event still ran its original gruelling route through the massive Le Touquet dunes.
Strong winds coming in off the sea brought bursts of heavy rain as the 1000 riders made their way traditionally through the small, and usually quiet seaside town from the park ferme to the resort's massive beach for the one o'clock start
Helicopters hovered over head, TV crews swung their cameras towards the start, marshals and officials got to their feet, and the large crowd came out from behind umbrellas as a thousand adrenaline-fueled motorcycle racers thundered their way down the long, long start straight and out of view.
It all went very quiet for about ten minutes as the riders started to make their way back up the sea front and over the long series of massive jumps along the sea wall.
The Kawasaki of French-man Yves Deudon came into view first with 2006 winner, Timotei Potisek, on a very fast Honda, chasing him as the crowd went wild. Pierrick Paget was next to appear on his Yamaha, with Dutch rider Ton van Grinsuen on his KTM powering after him as the leaders reached the finish line for the first time.
Next rider to cross the line was Britiain's David Knight on his factory KTM, still suffering from a broken finger, but still giving it his all to get the best result and, as he passed the last corner of the course, a cheer went up from his loyal band of followers, over from the Isle Of Man.
2007 LE TOUQUET ENDUROPALE
LE TOUQUET, FRANCE
RESULTS: 1 Arnaud Demeester (Yamaha, F), 2 Yves Deudon (Kawasaki, F), 3 Pierrick Paget (Yamaha, F), 4 Thierry Bethys (Honda, F), 5 Rudy Vergriete (Yamaha, F), 6 Segel Potisek (Honda, F), 7 Vincent Thiollier (Honda, F), 8 Vincent Cambier (KTM, F), 9 Jean-Charles Gilbert (Kawasaki, F), 10 Benjamin Schots (Yamaha, F), 11 David Hauguier (Yamaha, F), 12 Jan van Hastenberg (Honda, NL), 13 Cedric Sengotta (Honda, F), 14 Sylvain Mesthe (KTM, F), 15 Fabien Couderc (Kawasaki, F), 16 Raphael Beauduin (Suzuki, F), 17 Gautier Leclabart (Yamaha, F), 18 Anthony Jahnichen (Yamaha, F), 19 Steeve Barbara (Yamaha, F), 20 Florent Blanchard (Honda, F)
BRITISH FINISHERS: 29 Craig Trew (Honda), 41 Nick Life (Yamaha), 104 Paul Vallance (Kawasaki), 111 Darren Carter (Honda), 120 Michael Extance (Yamaha), 141 Tom Neesam (Kawasaki), 146 Rick Du-Feu (Kawasaki), 233 Gary Baker (Kawasaki), 263 Les Rampton (KTM), 278 Bruce Ryan (Honda), 297 Gavin Hockey (Husqvarna), 339 Eduardo Gomes (KTM), 399 Mark Waller (KTM), 421 Justin Carter (KTM), 494 Peter Gallagher (Kawasaki), 533 Rob Clark (Yamaha), 596 Shaune Clorley (Yamaha), 618 Tony Palmer (Yamaha).
For full report, results and pictures see T+MX NEWS, Friday, February 16, 2007