The French Sand Championship heads to Berck-sur-Mer this weekend, with qualifying sessions taking place on Saturday. Cyril Genot and Damien Knuiman were the fastest riders in their respective groups. Several other Dutch riders also impressed, with Lars van Berkel finishing sixth in his group.
In the first qualifying session, Belgian rider Cyril Genot set the fastest lap with a time of 3:31.852. He finished more than two seconds ahead of Norway’s Hakon Fredriksen. Frenchman Milko Potisek took third, followed by Adrien Petit and Alexis Collignon.
Daymond Martens also put in a strong performance, recording the sixth-fastest time with a lap of 3:53.295. Antoine Alix, Matheo Miot, Camille Chapelière and Matteo Puffet completed the top ten.
In the other qualifying group, Damien Knuiman pulled off a surprise by setting the fastest time. The Dutchman clocked a 3:43.612 to narrowly beat British sand racing specialist Todd Kellett.
The difference between the two riders was just 0.065 seconds. Jeremy Knuiman completed the top three with a time of 3:50.646.
Jeremy Hauquier and Junior Bal finished behind them. Lars van Berkel, who recently secured his participation in the Dakar Rally, claimed a solid sixth place with a time of 3:57.672.
Tias Callens, Lilian Henry, Joey Nuques and Bogdan Krajewski completed the top ten.
Strong Dutch Presence
With Damien Knuiman topping the group, Jeremy Knuiman finishing third and Lars van Berkel taking sixth, the Dutch riders made a strong impression in the second qualifying group.
The qualifying sessions showed that the margins at the front could be very small. The tiny gap between Knuiman and Kellett, in particular, sets the stage for an exciting battle during the races on the beach at Berck-sur-Mer.
Top Three Riders in Each Qualifying Group:
Group 1
- Cyril Genot – 3:31.852
- Hakon Fredriksen – 3:34.243
- Milko Potisek – 3:36.028
Group 2
- Damien Knuiman – 3:43.612
- Todd Kellett – 3:43.677
- Jeremy Knuiman – 3:50.646
