Kiara Fontanesi wins in Women class – Tomorrow the races that will define final rankings
The first day of Bibione Sand Storm 2025 has closed half of the FIM Sand Races World Championship event. At the end of the first part of the race, Todd Kellett (motorbikes) and Dirk Schelfout (quad) lead provisional standings, waiting for tomorrow’s heats that will define final results.
Todd Kellett (Yamaha) set an unsustainable pace from the beginning to the end of the race. The British crossed the finish line more than a minute and a half ahead of Milko Potisek (Yamaha – France), who lost time in the early stages due to a poor start and could manage to keep Kellett pace. Third place went to Jeremy Hauquier (Yamaha – France), who took the Acerbis holeshot and rode consistently for all the 90-minutes race.
Hakon Fredriksen (Honda – Norway) is in fourth spot at the Saturday evening break, with Dutchman Damien Knuiman (Yamaha) fifth. The best of Italian riders is Matteo Del Coco (Husqvarna), who made a strong comeback after a crash in the opening lap, finishing in tenth place.
Kiara Fontanesi (GasGas) thrilled the Italian crowd, with a stunning performance that allowed her to catch Amandine Verstappen (Yamaha) after the Belgian initial breakaway and win the first heat of Women category.
In the quad races, mechanical issues were a dominant factor. Belgian Oliver Vandendijck (Honda) was keeping a comfortable lead until he was forced to retire by a mechanical failure. Reigning World champion Pablo Violet (Yamaha – France) stopped shortly before Vandendijck, but managed to restart and finish the race, even if lapped down.
First place went to Dirk Schelfout (Honda). The Belgian veteran rode consinstently throughout all the race and was able to defend his lead from last-lap attack by Glenn De Swarte (Wedirt – Belgium). The sprint finish was a close one, with Schelfout edging out by just a few meters.
Young Alois Waloszek (Yamaha – France) finished third, ahead of his two compatriots Fabien Michel (Yamaha) and Axel Dutrie (Yamaha). Lorenzo Taricco (Yamaha) was the best Italian, in sixth place.
The riders now have a few hours to recover and restore their vehicles. Tomorrow there’s a new race, 90 minutes for motorbikes and 60 minutes for quad, waiting for them. At the end, the final results will proclaim Bibione Sand Storm 2025 champions.
