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Starting field of motocross motorcycles on a sand track in front of spectators

Sand World Championship in Loon-Plage: Ronde des Sables returns on 7 and 8 November

Published by Thomas Menzel on 3. November 2026

Series: FIM

The FIM Sand Races World Championship is heading to northern France. On Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November 2026, the Ronde des Sables in Loon-Plage near Dunkerque (Dunkirk) will host the third round of the 2026/2027 season. This is according to the calendar published by the sport’s world governing body, the FIM, on 5 March 2026. There are no results yet, as the event has not taken place.

Returning after two years

According to the FIM, Loon-Plage was last part of the series in 2024. At that time it was still called the FIM Sand Races World Cup; the world championship status has only existed since 2025. In the Wikipedia overview of the 2024 season, the Ronde des Sables is listed as the fourth round, on 26 and 27 October 2024. It replaced a race originally planned in Weston. According to that overview, the event was won by Belgium’s Cyril Genot, who was not registered for the World Cup at the time. Todd Kellett is listed as the best registered rider.

The organiser is the Moto-club du Littoral. Racing takes place at the Circuit Bernard-Gouvart, which is operated by the French motorcycling federation FFM. This was reported by the FFM in its preview of the 2025 edition. At that time, the Ronde des Sables counted only towards the French sand championship. The FFM expected 1,150 riders for the weekend, which it described as a record entry. More than 320 starters were due to take part in the main race, the 28th edition. Whether the figures will be similar for 2026 is not known.

Starting field of motocross motorcycles on a sand track, with spectators and trees behind
Start of a sand race. The photo comes from the FFM preview of the 2025 Ronde des Sables; the location and date are not given there. Photo: photographer not named / Fédération Française de Motocyclisme

Five rounds, Africa for the first time

The FIM has cut the calendar from six rounds to five. According to the governing body, this is meant to reduce logistics costs and encourage more riders to take part. For the first time, the series travels to North Africa:

  • Round 1: Morocco Sand Race, Mazagan (El Jadida), Morocco, 26 and 27 September 2026
  • Round 2: Bibione Sand Storm, Italy, 23 to 25 October 2026
  • Round 3: Ronde des Sables, Loon-Plage, France, 7 and 8 November 2026
  • Round 4: Monte Gordo Sand Race, Algarve, Portugal, 27 to 29 November 2026
  • Round 5: Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais, France, 2027

For the final in Le Touquet, the FIM did not yet name a date in March. The Wikipedia page on the season now lists 30 and 31 January 2027. No confirmation of this from the FIM was consulted. According to the same page, this season features only endurance races, with one or two heats per event. The former sandcross format with shorter heats has been dropped. No verified information is available on the race duration in Loon-Plage.

Standings after two rounds

According to the Wikipedia season overview, Norway’s Håkon Fredriksen won the opener in Morocco, while Cyril Genot won in Bibione. The defending champion is Britain’s Todd Kellett, who rides for the Honda Motoblouz SR Motul team in 2026/2027. No official interim standings from the FIM were consulted.

Field of motocross motorcycles with a panning blur effect on a sandy beach, the sea in the background
Archive photo, not an image from Loon-Plage: Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais 2026, this season’s finale. Photo: © Frederik Herregods Photography / FIM

Daniel Wagenpfeil on the entry list

From Germany, Daniel Wagenpfeil of Kaeser Racing is on the entry list for the motorcycle class. He was entered for both rounds so far. In the world championship table on Wikipedia, he is in 13th place after Morocco and 16th after Bibione. These positions refer only to riders registered for the championship, and together they add up to 4 points. The organisers’ full results lists were not consulted. Wikipedia also lists him in the 2024 World Cup standings. The off-road magazine Baboons reported on the Enduropale du Touquet in February 2025: there he finished 214th overall and 22nd in the world championship classification. Whether other German riders are on the championship entry list has not been fully checked.

Sources and image credits

Text sources

Image credits

  • Starting field at a sand race: photographer not named, published by the Fédération Française de Motocyclisme in the preview of the 2025 Ronde des Sables. Location and date not given, archive photo.
  • Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais 2026: © Frederik Herregods Photography, published by the FIM on 5 March 2026. Archive photo.
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