Once again the level of the riders was particularly high with 15 countries represented among which the best teams of the World. The official team Yamaha Motor France, Yamaha Portugal, Polaris, gas Gas, Suzuki France and Spain Suzuki attend the event. The best ATV teams of the World have also entered several machines : ATV World-Duncan Racing (GB /USA), with Doug Eichner seven times winner of the race, Moto and Co (F), Trivimon (E), VLS (NL), E-ATV Racing (D), Quad Briel (D), W-Tec Factory (NL)...

The specific track of the meadow of Bresse is particularly demanded by the top riders of the World since the entries have been closed for months ago. The 3 rounds, (3 hours on Saturday, 5 hours by night and 4 hours the Sunday afternoon) have been very rich in emotion with a track flooded at the start and totally dried on Sunday. Nearly all the favourites have to slow down because of the mud and wet and the intervention in the pits were decisive. The race was not sure until the end since Doug Eichner (USA) and John Mitchell (GB) who seemed to be out of the game after the 30th position at the end of the first round, make an impressive come back. The agreement was nearly concluded when at one hour from the end, they were victims of bad luck. The Belgian team Piron with their Yamaha YZF 450 offers the first victory of a 4 stroke in the history of Pont de Vaux.

The machines which were there, have been exceptionnally well prepared. You need to have seen the pits set up on a more than 500 meters long line if you want to imagine the worldwide notoriety of Pont de Vaux. The public is right when it comes numerous to see the greatest ATV event of the World as many people say. On Friday, we had a superb show of the Patrouille de France who was training for the show on Saturday. Unfortunately because of a technical problem, they couldn’t perform on Saturday. What a pity because the show is so impressive.

The last round of the Maxxis Mondial du Quad de Pont de Vaux started like a Grand Prix. At 1.00 pm, if the motivations were very various, all the riders for whom the victory was the main goal were ready to fight hard.

Those who have been delayed during the night that is to say n°111 Lassaigne/Ternynck/Vassel, the n°11 Winrow/Waggott/North, the n°4 Couprie/Jay/Demeester, the n°97 Plante/Streuber/Leblanc, all have the same hope if not the victory of the race, they want at least the round in order to make the colours of the team shining. However it’s unbelievable that the potential winners of the 12 Hours could keep cool.

After the timing of the 2 first rounds being cumulated, the n°6 Piron/Piron/Meertens are only at one lap ahead their followers Eichner/Mitchell and Dorey/Merle/Solinski and two on the British official Yamaha n°113 of the team Maessen/Jankelevitsch/Freund. Clearly for everybody there is only one tactic : full throttle ! It will be leathal for Gregory Lassaigne. From the start, Jasmin Plante stops in the pits in order to remove the light. Couprie, Maessen, Lassaigne, the Banshee n°44 of the Scottish team Neill/Britton/Beda, Allart and Mitchell follow him. The rythm is really like hell and the faster are already passed on at the beginning of the third laps ! Vincent Vassel, teammate of Greg Lassaigne, makes barrel rolls and it will take a long time for him to recover his mind.

The n°1 is making the forcing, is ahead before Maessen just after one hour racing but the n°6 lies an ambush. At 2.30 pm, the team is at the second place after the Anglo-American team. We note the exceptional performance of the local team Thomas and Nicolas Bouvard on their Honda TRX n°16 who is at the 8th position. It’s a real performance when you see the speed of the missiles who are passing in front of you. When the intermediary ranking falls at one hour from the arrival, Doug Eichner is ahead but has to take an advance on the team Piron.

But a few time later, the quad n°1 stops in the last curve before the pits. It will need a 15 minutes to go back to the pits pushing the quad and discover a failure with the fly wheel. Unfortunately, the n°1 will only make one lap before going back to his pit. The Belgian team only have to insure a somptuous victory at the final ranking just before the Official Suzuki LTR of the team Allart/Vallet/Aubijoux and the Yamaha YZF of the Deutshman Joe Maessen, the British David Jankilevitsch and the German Maximilian Freund.

After this wonderful race, particularly rich in events, the four stroke won for the first time in Pont de Vaux, we are waiting to see the next edition which will be exactely 20 years after the first one.

A five hours lasting round has many surprise. Most of the favourite pilots see their hope reduced to nothing whereas because of their steadyness some of them less fast give results.

At 8.00pm, the night is not there yet, and the clouds on the region of Mâcon are less frightening. However from the start we feel that all the cards are not down as the winner of the first round is passing a long time after the first : the quad n°111 is at the 50th rank whereas in the order have already passed the Honda n°11, Yamaha n°4, Suzuki n°23, Yamaha n°1.... And if at the 4th laps Gregory Lassaigne has already recovered half of his delay, it will be for a short period. He is going to stop very soonly in order to adjust again his exhaust pipe as Paul Winrow stops at the same time for the same trouble.

Very quickly in the pits the valse begins. It’s worth noting that the quads are no more correctly fitted for a track which is getting dry and very breaking. The shocks have to be strengthened and tires changed. The race tactics have all their means, those who are losing time very soon in the pits, save it very quickly on the track. It’s the case for Alart/Vallet/Aubijoux who after having stayed for a long time in the leader group took the head a few time before the 3rd hour of the race before being passed by Eichner/Mitchell who want to come back after their delay during the first round. No more hope for Lassaigne/Ternynck/Vassel (electricity), Winrow/Waggott/North (ignition) Lamet/Remacle/Bourgeois (gear box), Warnia/Vinaras/Palomo (engine).

As for Walsh Briel KTM n°97 riden by Plante/Streuber/Leblanc, Jasmin Plante said with his inimitable Canadian style : « le moteur a chié ! » (the engine is dead) At 11.45 pm, we can see what only an endurace race can offer : the incredible Doug Eichner and John Mitchell are not only heading but also recovered their delay after their 30th place in order to be virtually at the second place of the 12 Hours of Pont de Vaux. A professional job !

Noyerie/Abfalter/Bergeron because of ingnition problems due to wet conditions lose positions and then definitely stopped their Suzuki n°23. A superb show for the Spanish team Trivimon who ranks at the second place with Ferrer/Planella/Farrer on their Yam YZF n °13, followed by the n°6 Team Piron who take the head at the provisional general ranking. The amazing Kawasaki KFX n°75 of the team Dorey/Merle/Solinsky finishes at the 4th place of this round and at the 3rd place of the provisional rank while the first women team with the English rider and the German sisters Denise and Sina Willman finished at the 13th position with their Yamaha YZF.

Even if the rain has stopped falling, for the start of the first round of the Mondial du Quad the track was totally flooded. In those conditions, it was sure that the machines and the pilots would suffer very quickly.

Romain Couprie n°4 is the first to start, followed by Maessen n°113, Plante n°97, Warnia n°7, Winrow n°11 and Lamet n°3. Whereas the competitors are passing the timing office, the vision is apocalyptic : machines and pilots are totally recovered by a smoking mud and it’s totally impossible to distinguish whoever is it. At the end of the first round, Lassaigne n°111 follows Couprie just before Lamet n°3 who very quickly is going to pass him and pursue the n°4. We are waiting for a series of blows of success that Pont de Vaux has the secret.

Very soon Eichner’s Banshee n°1 stopped in the pits because of electrical problems due to water and mud which floods the engine and radiators. Even if he only stops for a few minutes it’s pretty sure that the American rider won’t fight for the victory. Gregory Lassaigne is waiting for a good opportunity whearas Winrow, Maessen, Warnia or Noyerie are far from giving up. Because of the mud which is heating the machines and make the vision very difficult , the positions don’t stop changing . After a few laps, all the pilots are obliged to take off their goggles . Couprie/Jay/Demeester n°4 and Warnia/Vinaras/Palomo . Because of their broken engine, the Spanish Ullastres/Escudero/Romero second last year are obliged to give up.

In these very hard conditions, in a spectacular way, other teams are coming back such as the Northen Irish McGilligan/Gilchrist/Cowan on the YZF n°60 or Gaudillat/Guyon/Gobert (Suzuki LTZ n°90). The track is becoming easier to drive and the team n° 111 win the first round before another Yamaha YZF n°113 riden by Maessen/Jankilevitsh/Freund and the Suzuki LTR n°23 riden by Noyerie/Abfalter/Bergeron. Even if « Greg » is one lap ahead, the five following riders are in the same lap. The night might be long...

For its 20th edition, the Mondial du Quad will be a great vintage. The 120 teams have entered machines which preparation have never been seen before. As foreseen, there is a few number of Yamaha Banshee, 2 stroke engine but one of them is riden by Doug Eichner, the American rider, 7th times winner of the race.

On a track which is still sliding because of the rainy days before, the practices of the 12 Hours shows a hierachy which foreseens a very hard fight between the various brands which purpose is to win. They ride fast, very fast, on the track same as last year. After a session which has lasted one hour and a half, Arnaud Demeester/Clément Jay/Romain Couprie on a Yamaha YFZ 450 prepared by Moto and Co are ahead the Honda TRX Quad Competition riden by Cyril Lamet/Thomas remacle/Bastien Bourgeois and the 450 official Gas Gas riden by Warnia with his Spanish team mates Teo Vinaras and Alberto Palomo.

But times are very tight since at the end of the 3750 meters of the track, six seconds are separating the leaders from the 10th. Riders such as Jasmin Plante (4th), Paul Winrow, (5th) or Christophe Noyerie (6th) are waiting for their turn. Gregory Lassaigne’ seventh place has also to be taken into account. Indeed the French winner in 2003, has withdrawn his goggles when he took off his tear off and so couldn’t ride as he wanted. He also knows difficulties to fit his 450 YFZ Yamaha Motor France as he would like : his team mates Mathieu Ternynck and Vincent Vassel didn’t want the same preparation. It’s worth noting that Doug Eichner who is at the 12th place on the start grid has certainly tested the track and many of the riders have found the right reduction very late in the session.

As for the village exhibition, this year the showrooms are very nice, there is an impressive choice of clothing, accessories and of course the last news concerning ATV ; At around 1.00 pm, the rain started to fall on the meadow of Bresse which foreuses a very hard start of the first round for the teams who are not leaders.

On a soft but very damaged track after the two first rounds of the Maxxis Mondial du Quad, 55 machines have started at 9.00 am for two hours.

The Yamaha Warrior n°7 of the team Anique/Tonnelier is ahead Girard/Marchand n°8. Bernigaud/Dupont n°3 and Nuques/Contal n°60 are following. But after a desorganised start for several pilots, the hierarchy is getting back with the very fast come back of the Warrior n°7 of the team Anique/Tonnelier, who made the pole position.

However it’s sure that many riders are more and more fast all along the race. Among those who discovered the track at the practices and those who need a period to feel familar with the holes, the positions are changing very quickly. Mulon/Coin seem to belong to them as they are at the head after half an hour racing on their Honda TRX n°54 just like Borne/Boucher who take their place after one hour on their Kawasaki KFX n° 49.

Then they are followed by the TRX n°22 of the team Dutu/Connart. The change of pilots modifies the positions since according the teams, the fastest took the start or ride for the second hour. At the end the n°22 remains at the first rank HC just before the n°54 (Cat 3 more than 400 CC), the n°49 (cat 2 less than 400 cc) and the fastest VLS Rotax n°1 of the British team Hogg/Elliot (HC).

The Quad Contest , real first step before the 12 Hours, started at 9.00 am for half an hour of practices in order to make the start grid of the race which will take place tomorrow morning on Sunday 20th of August between 9.00 and 10.30.

From very well prepared machines (in respect with the regs) to stock quads, we find everything in a promotional race forbidden to the famous pilots but a real first step for the Mondial. After having tested the track, the 60 teams have quickly made the best laps and its the team Anique/Tonnelier who was the faster on a very amazing Yamaha Warrior however in theory less fast than the YFZ, Honda TRX, Suzuki LTZ, and others such as VLS Rotax. Garcia/Garcia and Nuques/Contal on YZF, Dutu/Connart (Honda TRX) and the English riders Elliot/Hogg on VLS Rotax are following. These four teams are in the same second.

Apparently the promotional spirit has been preserved since the riders aren’t allowed to change the engine and chassis parts which could change the caracteristics of the machine which preparation has to be next to the stock. As a proof, the timing since the best are riding at nearly 35 seconds less fast than the elite pilote.