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Riders in a sand race cross a beach in a wide pack

Belgian double at the Bibione Sand Storm: Genot and Naveaux win

Published by Thomas Menzel on 28. October 2026

Series: FIM

Cyril Genot (Honda) has won the Moto class at the Bibione Sand Storm, the second round of the 2026 FIM Sand Races World Championship. The Belgian won the race on Sunday, 25 October 2026, and so took the event classification across both race days in Bibione (Italy). His compatriot Randy Naveaux (Yamaha) won the Quads on both Saturday and Sunday. This is reported by the world motorcycling federation FIM in its race report of 25 October 2026. Fredriksen remains the Moto World Championship leader despite his crash. The event was run on 24 and 25 October, according to the Italian motorcycling federation FMI.

Moto: Fredriksen’s crash decides Sunday

The Moto class ran a 90-minute race on Sunday. Dutchman Damien Knuiman (Yamaha) led at first, followed by defending champion Todd Kellett (Honda, Great Britain), Norwegian Håkon Fredriksen (Yamaha Monster Drag’on Tek), Frenchman Adrien Petit (Honda) and Genot. Fredriksen, Saturday’s winner and the championship leader, moved past Kellett and Knuiman into the lead early on, according to the FIM. The track was badly rutted after the quad race in the morning.

Genot stayed close. After nine laps he took the lead, and a lap later Fredriksen won it back under braking. On lap twelve the Norwegian crashed, and Genot pulled away. According to the FIM, he won by just under 38 seconds. Kellett, who had dropped back to fifth at one point after a slow refuelling stop, finished third: 20 seconds ahead of Knuiman, but 2 minutes and 15 seconds behind the winner. Petit was the last rider to complete 16 laps.

Riders in a sand race cross a beach in a wide pack, with sand spraying up behind them
The Moto field in the sand. Photo from the FIM report on the 2026 Bibione Sand Storm. Photo: Frederik Herregods Photography / FIM

Event classification and championship standings

With both days combined, the overall win in Bibione went to 27-year-old Genot, who had finished second on Saturday. Fredriksen was second in the event classification ahead of Knuiman and Kellett and, according to the FIM, extended his lead in the World Championship. According to Motocross.it and the FMI, Petit finished fifth. By the FIM’s own account, Genot is not yet a threat to Fredriksen in the championship, because he missed the opening round in Morocco.

Quad: Naveaux wins again

In the 60-minute quad race, the first nine riders each completed ten laps. The field stayed tightly bunched for a long time. After Briton Harry Walker (Yamaha), second on Saturday, retired after seven laps, Naveaux won by just under two and a half minutes from Belgian Oliver Vandendijck (Honda). Gleen De Swarte (Honda, Belgium) was third, more than 50 seconds further back. Dirk Schelfhout (Honda) and Frenchman Alois Waloszek (Yamaha) followed.

Schelfhout thus won the Quad Veteran class again; according to the FIM, he has won all four starts this season. Behind him, Nuno Goncalves (Yamaha, Portugal) and Axel Dutrie (Drag’on Yamaha, France) were second and third.

Moto Women: Martinez wins after Fontanesi retires

In the women’s race, guest starter Kiara Fontanesi (GASGAS) initially ran ahead of championship leader Mathilde Martinez (Honda, France). The six-time FIM Women’s Motocross World Champion retired around the halfway point. The FIM speaks of a suspected technical defect; according to the FMI and Motocross.it, her bike would not restart after the refuelling stop. Martinez, second on Saturday, won with 13 laps, one more than defending champion Mathilde Denis (Yamaha). According to the FIM, she again leaves Italy with maximum points. In the overall race classification, Martinez came 15th.

Mathilde Martinez rides a Honda with number 35 through deep sand
Mathilde Martinez at the 2026 Bibione Sand Storm. Photo: Frederik Herregods Photography, published by Infinity Sport

Veterans, Juniors and Vintage

  • Moto Veteran: Championship leader Daniel Drooghaag (KTM, Belgium), second on Saturday, won on Sunday ahead of Mathieu Reine (Yamaha) and Raphael Loridan (Yamaha) of France, and took the event classification. Saturday’s winner Maxime Jeanne (Yamaha) retired on lap seven.
  • Moto Junior: Goncalo Cardoso (KTM, Portugal) won the 45-minute Sunday race by 7 seconds from Ben Almagor (KTM, Israel). Because Almagor had won on Saturday, the event classification went to him. Defending champion Matheo Gerat (Husqvarna) was third on Sunday.
  • Moto Vintage: Pablo Henouille (Honda, France) won by one lap from Sebastien Antony (KTM) and Anthony Golleau (Honda). According to the FIM, it was his fourth win from four starts this season.

What happens next

The World Championship continues on Saturday and Sunday, 7 and 8 November 2026, with the Ronde des Sables in Loon Plage on the north French coast. The results in this article are based on the race reports of the FIM and the FMI. The official results lists could not be consulted.

Sources and photo credits

Published inAllgemeinFIM enabled