DAY 1

Todd Kellett (Bike) and Harry Walker (Quad) won on Monte Gordo Sand Race’s first day 

Paulo Alberto and Diogo Campos were the best Portuguese riders

 

As in the previous two years, the Algarve awoke to sunny skies at the end of November to host the third edition of the Monte Gordo Sand Race, the fifth and penultimate round of the FIM Sand Races World Championship. With thousands of spectators along the beach, the motorcycle competition was marked by a clear dominance of Englishman Todd Kellett, the World Championship leader, who, riding a Yamaha, prevailed over the Frenchmen Cyril Genot, Milko Potisek, and Jeremy Hauquier. This quartet completed 31 laps on a revamped track, one more than the four riders who followed in the standings on this first day of the Monte Gordo Sand Race. Paulo Alberto and Luis Outeiro, both on Yamahas, finished in the Top 10, being the first among the Portuguese riders. Damien Prevoto, Amandine Verstappen, and Evan Demeester were the winners respectively among the veterans, women, and juniors.

 

The first Quad race was won by Englishman Harry Walker on a Laeger’s bike, beating Frenchman Pablo Violet on a Yamaha, with Belgian Olivier Vandendijck on a Honda in third place. This trio completed 18 laps of a race that lasted an hour. Next in line were Belgians Dirk Schelfhout, winner among the veterans, and Glenn Swarte, both on Hondas, with the same number of laps. Diogo Campos on a Yamaha, in 11th place, was the best of the Portuguese delegation, followed by Paulo Fernandes and Luís Fernandes.

 

This event also featured the debut of the Yamaha/Mini Monte Gordo Sand Race Trophy, in which riders aged between 8 and 16 years old participated. In the Quad category, João Susano won in the Fun category and Rui Alves among the Beginners. In the motorcycle category, Duarte Marques won in the YZ85 and Edgar Póvoa among the YZ65.

 

The Monte Gordo Sand Race now moves on to the second and final day of competition with the two kids races starting at 11:30 am. The bikes will start at 1:45 pm and the quad at 3:30 pm. The final podium ceremony will take place at 5 pm.

 

The Monte Gordo Sand Race is a joint organization of the Vila Real de Santo António City Council and the Automobile Club of Portugal, under the auspices of the Portuguese Motorcycle Federation (FMP) and the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM).

More information at https://montegordosandrace.pt

DAY 2

Cyril Genot (Bike) and Harry Walker (Quad) won on Monte Gordo Sand Race’s second day 

Luís Outeiro and Nuno Gonçalves were the best Portuguese riders

 

After a very lively first day, Monte Gordo Beach, in the Algarve’s municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, continued to welcome thousands of visitors that came to experience the excitement of the fifth and penultimate round of the FIM Sand Races World Championship. Spectators of this third edition of the Monte Gordo Sand Race had the privilege of witnessing, on its second day, an hour-long motorcycle race marked by an intense battle for victory after Englishman Todd Kellett, who had dominated the previous day’s race, was forced to retire on the ninth lap. From then on, Frenchmen Cyril Genot and Jeremy Hauquier and Norwegian Hakon Fredrikssen took turns leading. The final laps were thrilling, with Genot and Fredrikssen riding almost side-by-side, with victory ultimately going to the Frenchman. Milko Potisek also made it onto the podium, with the Top 5 also including Lars Berkel and Julien Lieber. The top nine finishers all completed the same lap, a group that included Luís Outeiro, the best Portuguese rider, in 9th place. Damien Prevoto, winner among the veterans, closed the Top 10, and Paulo Alberto was 11th. Amandine Verstappen and Evan Demeester were the winners, respectively among the women and the Juniors. Diogo Ventura and Ruben Ferreira triumphed among those who participated in pairs.

 

The second Quad heat was once again won by Englishman Harry Walker on a Laeger’s bike, beating Frenchman Pablo Violet on a Yamaha, with Belgians Olivier Vandendijck and Glenn Swarte, both on Hondas, in third and fourth place. This quartet completed 13 laps of a race that lasted 45 minutes. Next up were Belgian Dirk Schelfhout, winner among the veterans. Local riders Nuno Gonçalves, the best among the of the Portuguese, and Luís Fernandes, both on Yamahas, finished 8th and 9th in the overall classification.

 

In its debut year, the Yamaha/Mini Monte Gordo Sand Race Trophy brought together 24 riders aged between 8 and 16 years old. In the Quad race on this second day, João Susano in the Fun Category and Rui Alves among the beginners repeated their triumphs from the previous day. In the motorcycles, Duarte Marques won again among the YZ85s, while Afonso Torcato triumphed among the YZ65s.

 

The Monte Gordo Sand Race 2025 ended with the final podium celebration, which crowned the winners and, with one round remaining in the FIM Sand Races World Championship, crowned several world champions of this season.

 

The Monte Gordo Sand Race was a joint organization of the Vila Real de Santo António City Council and the Automóvel Clube de Portugal, under the auspices of the Portuguese Motorcycle Federation (FMP) and the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM).

 

More information at https://montegordosandrace.pt

(Texts, photos and results : A2 Comunicação (Pedro Barreiros))