Sidecar Cross of Nations in Dardon Gueugnon: Home victory for Team France

Only nine nations had registered to take part in the SidecarCross of Nations. With 27 teams, the number of races counting towards the final standings was therefore reduced to two. Last year, there were three races, in each of which two of the three team members per nation took to the start line. Instead of three qualifying races on Saturday, there was just one race.

The two best results from this race were used to determine the starting grid for Sunday. The world champions Marvin Vanluchene and Ben van den Bogaart won, ahead of the runners-up Killian and Evan Prunier, as well as Julian Veldman and Rodolphe Lebreton. Overall, France, the Netherlands and Great Britain were tied on nine points each. The Germans finished fifth overall, with Adrian Peter and Julian Zimmermann in ninth place and Leon Hofmann and Leon Freygang in thirteenth, ahead of the Swiss team of Remo and Luca Käser (8th) and Marco Heinzer and Martin Betschart (15th).

Once again under a brilliant blue sky, just 24 sidecars lined up on Sunday for the first race on the challenging and predominantly narrow course. Heinzer and Betschart were forced to watch from the sidelines because the otherwise indestructible co-driver had previously sustained a knee injury. Initially, Dan Foden and Noah Weinmann took the lead. But it took just four laps for Vanluchene and van den Bogaart to mount a successful attack and ride to victory. Behind them, Guennady Auvray and Jarno Steegmans prevailed over Brett Wilkinson and Joe Millard. The Franco-Belgian duo had been involved in a crash on Saturday, in which Auvray broke two fingers. This made his performance all the more remarkable, as he went on to play a key role in securing the World Championship title for the French team.

Of the German teams, Hofmann/Freygang started from the second row and then struggled on the narrow track to overtake the sidecars – some of which were significantly slower – that lacked World Championship experience. Things went better for Peter/Zimmermann and Patrick Hengster/Joel Hofmann, until their sidecar’s fuel pump failed four minutes before the chequered flag due to a loose cable. However, with eighth and fourteenth places, the Swiss pair fared slightly better.

Foden/Weinmann won the second race once again. But Auvray/Steegmans soon took the lead. Vanluchene/van den Boggart attempted an attack, but it ended in a crash. Even before that, the six-time co-driver world champion had had a stone whizz past his goggles at full force. In the end, Wilkinson/Millard prevailed in the battle for victory, securing the silver medal for the English. Of the Dutch riders, Veldman/Lebreton put in the strongest performance, meaning the ‘Oranje’ SXoN series champions did not leave entirely without a medal. For the French, this is their first-ever Sidecarcross World Championship title – a consolation, not least for the Pruniers, after they once again had to settle for second place in the Individual World Championship.

Topic of the week

Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring: track – hit or miss?

The people of Madrid had set their sights high for their city’s first Formula 1 World Championship race since 1981. But have the high expectations for the new Madring mixed-circuit track really been met?

Mathias Brunner

Read More

Of the Swiss teams, the Käsers once again crossed the line in eighth place, whilst the Buobs failed to finish. Heinzer/Betschart had only turned up at the start to be included in the results. For the Germans, Peter/Zimmermann started from the second row this time and struggled to secure thirteenth place.

For some riders, this was the final race of their careers. Four-time world champion Vanluchene is set to retire, as is Joe Millard. Noah Weinmann will take over Millard’s role next year, as Dan Foden wishes to develop a young English co-driver. It has now also been confirmed that Koen Hermans and Dion Rietman are bidding farewell to the World Championship scene. Julian Veldman intends to switch back to quad biking.

Speaking of which: alongside the Sidecar Nations Cup, the quad riders were also competing for the Team World Championship. The USA won ahead of Norway and France, whilst the German trio of Matteo Stiller, Luca Stiller and Ben Roese finished seventh.

This coming weekend (3–4 October), a final sidecar training session, including test opportunities, will take place in Sontra. Among others, Mega-RS and Sidecar-Service Davy Maris (Zabel, VMC) plan to be there with their sidecars. Info: husarenring.de, a.peter@apx-offroad.com

Results from the SidecarCross of Nations in Dardon Gueugnon, France:

Race 1: 1. Vanluchene/van den Bogaart (B/NL), VMC-Zabel. 2. Auvray/Steegmans (F/B), WSP-KTM. 3. Wilkinson/J. Millard (GB), WSP-Husqvarna. 4. J. Veldman/Lebreton (NL/F), CPD-KTM. 5. K. Prunier/E. Prunier (F), WSP-KTM. 6. Foden/N. Weinmann (GB/D), WSP-AMS. 7. Wijers/van Hal (NL), VMC-Zabel. 8. R. Käser/L. Käser (CH), VMC-KTM. 9. Peter/Zimmermann (D), VMC-Husqvarna. 10. Lihtsa/Lina (EST), WSP-Husqvarna. 11. G. Carcreff/Hupon (F), VMC-Zabel. 12. Sanders/J. Vincent (B/NL), WSP-Mega. 13. K. Grondman/R. Vincent (NL), VMC-Zabel. 14. S. Buob/M. Buob (CH), VMC-Zabel. 15. Hodges/Henderson (GB), WSP-Husqvarna. 16. Hofmann/Freygang (D), VMC-Mega. 17. N. Hendrickx/Kaethoven (B), VMC-Mega. 18. Jensen/Petersen (DK), WSP-KTM. 19. Thuno/Hemmingsen (DK), VMC-Gasgas. 20. Jorgensen/Modekjaer (DK), VMC-Husqvarna. 24. Hengster/Hoffmann (D), VMC-KTM.

Race 2: 1. Wilkinson. 2. Auvray. 3. Prunier. 4. Foden. 5. Veldman. 6. Wijers. 7. Sanders. 8. Käser. 9. Hendrickx. 10. Hofmann. 11. Lihtsa. 12. Hengster. 13. Peter. 14. Carcreff. 15. Karing/Nitsoo (EST), WSP-KTM. 16. Jensen. 17. Thuno. 18. Bernardini/Pasqui (I), WSP-Zabel. 19. Jorgensen. 20. Zanirato/Beraldo (I), WSP-Zabel. 24. Heinzer/M. Betschart (CH), VMC-KTM. 25. Buob.

SQXoN: 1. France 23 points. 2. Great Britain 29. 3. Netherlands 35. 4. Belgium 46. 5. Germany 60. 6. Switzerland 79. 7. Denmark 89. 8. Estonia 58. 9. Italy 82