For 21 years, every year at the same period, the top quad riders from around World have got together in Pont de Vaux to fight.
Coming from around the planet, the best riders come to climb this mythical event leaderboard.
The Pont de Vaux formula its 12 hours racing in 3 sessions among which one by night, quads are parked in a close space between the sessions. Mechanics is only possible during the race ! To this, add an ultra fast off road circuit and you have the recipe of the most fascinating show ever seen.
To win in Pont de Vaux represents such a challenge, that for a pilot it is the most coveted title.
One team, a perfect mechanics, complementary pilots that let the human factor being preponderant and... luck too !
Here the team spirit is prevailing over individualism which is characteristic of any pilot. It’s only with this goal in mind that you can hope to be the winner in Pont de Vaux
EQUIPMENTS !
The most titled quad, availabe in its new version since last year, the very excellent Yamaha 450 YFZ is always the most represented ! This one winner in Pont de Vaux 2006, driven by a private team, the Team Piron from Belgium, has offered its 15th victory to the 3 diapasons brand. And above all the first historical success ! At the marketing level it is very expected... because it isn’t indebted to the venerable yet prestigious Banshee, at the end of its life after 20 years making !
At last modernity won, the the 4 stroke engine took the plunge and won on the hardest track ever known. Today, all the market leaders are proposing a version (only on paper) that could renew the challenge, since Kawasaki is also launching its new 450 available since 2007 Spring.
The arrival of the new Suzuki LTR has marked the market : it’s an incontesbly commercial success as in number it is at the second position, on the entry list, a position which was previously taken by Honda.
Challenger ... Honda ! On the podium in 2005 with very nice 2nd and 3rd positions ! Slightly set back for the moment, there is no doubt that the 450 TRX R remains one of the most certain value for the exploit expected this Summer.
Since 3 years Polaris, the charismatic pioneer brand in the quad wolrd, has clearly shown its sports ambition with the arrival of real sports models since 3 years. We have the confirmation, in 2007 Polaris will enter a shock team, with Pascal de Palma who will back up the master Doug Eichner for a 8th victory. Rumor has been spread since a few times ago and notably since Doug Eichner’s excellent results in the USA with his Outlaw 525 prepared by Duncan Racing (3 podiums for 3 WORCS races, among which 1 victory).
He had second victory in a row but for this time in cross, on the mythical circuit of Glen Helen (California) in the ITP Quad Cross championship notably before Kory Elis. This time it’s not with the Outlaw IRS (quad with independent suspensions) but with the new 2008 model, the Outlaw 525 S (equipped with a rigid shaft) for its first World launching for a race ! That’s promissing, all the more since when you know that Polaris France got the support of the company with 2 of its models specially sent by air freight to France on this occasion, in order to allow the 2 official teams to get the best chances to win. As information, this new 2008 model, present in Pont de Vaux, for the first time in Europa, is the production quad which records the best performances of the whole production with the best acceleration and the best top speed. What will that be after being prepared by Duncan Racing, one of the best of the World?
RENEWAL
The great pilots are there ! Frenchmen and foreigns riders : Lassaigne, Broyer, Couprie, Jay, Lamet, David Bertrand against Eichner, Natalie (USA), Piron / Mertens (B), Raul Vega (ESP), Ricky Tordoff (GB), Gilli (I), Jos Fredericks (USA), Du Plessis, Steenkamp (South Africa) and all... Portuguese, Polish, Dutchmen, German, Swiss, Irishmen, Swedes, Canadians, Czechs...
But the youth are arriving, a nice participation as a third of the riders is under 18 ! For e.g. the team GYTR managed by Richard Cole (UK), veteran of Pont de Vaux (10 participations and winner in 1999) who enters his top team (2nd in 2006) Joe Maessen 24, Maximilian Freund 19 and Leon Beda 24 Champion of Scotland (n°117). But keep an eye on the 2nd team Jan Hellewell, Barry Ewing, Joe Nutter. The 3 are just 16 (n°118) !
Very nice years ahead of them to shine at the Mondial of PDV !
WOODSTOCK IN PONT DE VAUX ?
The British Chris Murphy, Stuart Gubbins, Andrew Stevens have crossed the Channel on several occasions (24th in 2006) under the colours of the Old Boys Racing Team. That's true ! They are 100 more (the three put together), that's why Chris has kindly proposed us to offer a trophy to the 100+ awarded to the first three pilots of this new category included in the next rankings of Pont de Vaux.
However the fact can't be hidden, in 2007 on the start grid, there will be more than 30% of riders who were born in 90/91, which augurs well for the next years.
(As for the oldest, among the passionate persons, there is no doubt that with a little bit of nostalgia, they will be delighted that the Old Boys Racing' sponsor is Youngs of Woodstock, magical and mythical place where in the 70s took place the greatest pop festival of all time !)
GIRLS
All are beautiful ! Six women teams this year among the more talented in Europa. It's not easy to forecast the results between the best French and European very experienced riders(Germany, UK, Netherlands, Belgium).
THE LITTLE ETHAN WAS BORN
Feeded with ethanol for its baptism in next Pont de Vaux, the namers are the Flancs Tireurs, humorists of Pont de Vaux, famous in our region and known far beyond !
From the Suzuki family, the LTR lineage, 450 branch, Ethan will enjoy its parents care, they will feed it with ethanol for its 12 hours. Driven by Gonod/Cornier, with in the rich uncle's role : Luc Motos 71 in Macon.
THE FRENCH CLAN
The best known top riders who are are once again under the Yamaha colours (n°3, 10 and 21). Couprie for Moto and Co/Dragon's, Lassaigne/Jay for PSR , David Barrot for Power Bike (700 Raptor). All managed by Bruno Melchior, who has banked on the experience aquired in the World endurance championship by David Barrot's all rounder team from Narbonna.
-HEY MISTER CINZANO...
- Why are you present with your brand in all the European bike and car circuits and not in ours ?
-....................................
- Ah yes, the Evin's law !? in our French circuits, it's forbidden...
-.......................................
- And what about Europa ? ooh it's the same... ?! However in Spain and in the Netherlands, in Germany and many other countries ?....
-.....................................
- Oh yes, that's Europa and there are many different laws to protect the inhabitants of these countries, I understand... and... it's not like in Monaco where they are not protected at all !
-........................................
- Well ! Tomorrow I'm going to call Mr Red Bull
SOLIDARSNOC
This year, no less than four good Polish teams on Rafal Sonik's tracks, the pioneer in the Bresse... the first participation in 2002/2003 had made a deep impression on people.
Strong personnalities, on the track, in the pits, in the town too ! with their pick up, a big foot version and on the podium they are livening up better and better every year ! Thanks to them for their performances and their shows !
MISSINGS
Winrows after telling us that he would enter with two prestigious teammates coming from the USA, couldn't confirm the entry of the official Honda HM Plant.
ATV World, present in Pont Vaux since 15 years, allowed some doubt until the last time ! Although an ultimate reaction from them reaches us very lately with a team made with the "young" Belgian Thomas Remacle and two US championship riders who are unfortunately on the waiting list.
With the absence of these regular top riders who often gave the pitch and imposed the pace in PDV, today a spectacular renewal is offered to us ! With a real international split and strong probabilities for many emerging teams. A such homogeneity of the race teams has never been reached !
Thanks to the engines practically all 4 strokes which are the main target of the hyper sport market for all the manufacturers.
As such, the 2007 edition is boosted by the "bang" of the official participation of Doug Eichner (victories recordman in PDV with 7 first places) new official pilot and consulting of the US giant Polaris, the World leader which newly got involved in the sport quad. All the more than the "Boss" doesn't come with empty hands. The "Home" rider of the Duncan Racing team, the most important specialised propman in the USA.
It's likely that the new (and unexpected) agreements between the two companies are going to change completely the small world of competition. Doug is already leader in the 2007 US championships.
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KINGS OF PDV
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| 1987 |
Joël Bontoux - Jean-Pierre Tognetti - Christian Caillon |
[Sonauto/Yamaha] |
France |
| 1988 |
Joël Bontoux - Christian Caillon - Esaie Guyon |
[Sonauto/Yamaha] |
France |
| 1989 |
Joël Bontoux - Christian Caillon - Thierry Viardot |
[Sonauto/Yamaha] |
France |
| 1990 |
Pierre-Yves Gaudillat - Marc Gobert - Gilles Abgrall |
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France |
| 1991 |
Joël Bontoux - Thierry Viardot - Pascal Rochereau |
[Yamaha Motor France] |
France |
| 1992 |
Paul Winrow - Kevin Philips - Phil Bourne |
[Philips Racing] |
GB |
| 1993 |
Mark Ehrhardt - Doug Eichner |
[PCR/Yamaha//Duncan racing] |
USA |
| 1994 |
Christophe Kuhnl - Marc Gobert - Georges De Castro |
[kuhnl Racing/Honda] |
France |
| 1995 |
Mark Ehrhardt - Doug Eichner |
[PCR/Yamaha/Duncan racing] |
USA |
| 1996 |
Mark Ehrhardt - Doug Eichner |
[PCR/Yamaha/Duncan racing] |
USA |
| 1997 |
Marc Gobert - Benoît Bigault |
[Duncan Racing/Honda] |
France |
| 1998 |
Tim Farr - Shane Hitt - Harold Goodman |
[Curtiss Sparks Racing/Honda] |
USA |
| 1999 |
Gregory Lassaigne - Richard Cole - Jean-Michel Abfalter |
[PSR/Yamaha] |
France |
| 2000 |
Paul Winrow - Doug Eichner |
[ATV World / Duncan Racing / Yamaha] |
GB/USA |
| 2001 |
Paul Winrow - Doug Eichner |
[ATV World / Duncan Racing / Yamaha] |
GB/USA |
| 2002 |
Grégory Lassaigne - Cyril Lamet |
[PSR / Yamaha] |
France |
| 2003 |
Grégory Lassaigne - Joël Bontoux |
[Yamaha motors France / Audemar] |
France |
| 2004 |
Doug Eichner - John Mitchell |
[ATV world/Duncan racing] |
USA/GB |
| 2005 |
Doug Eichner - John Mitchell |
[ATV world/Duncan racing] |
USA/GB |
| 2006 |
Alexandre Piron - Stéphane Piron - Guy Meertens |
[Team Piron] |
Belgique |
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You can download the Mondial 07 regulations below
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The registrations
are now
closed |
Mondial 07
regulations
.rtf file (Word) |
