FIM Sand Races World Championship, Morocco Sand Race © Frederik Herregods Photography
A double winner in the Moto Women category at last month’s opening round of the 2026 FIM Sand Races World Championship in Morocco, Mathilde Martinez – Honda heads to Italy for round two – the Bibione Sand Storm – starting today – looking to build on her early lead.
The twenty-seven-year-old, a multi-time French national Motocross Champion, is making her series debut this year, although she already has solid experience racing in sand having won the Championnat de France des Sable (CFS) Women’s title and led home the female field at this year’s Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais where she finished an impressive sixty-seventh overall.
Her background racing the FIM Women’s Motocross Championship means she also is no stranger to infamous sand tracks like Valkenswaard in the Netherlands, and she aims to capitalise on her specialised skills in this season’s five-round series.
“It’s true that [sand] is demanding,” she said. “That’s why I only train on sand. Last year was my first full season in the French Sand Championship. Before that, I’d already competed twice at Grayan [in the Gurp TT] and twice at Le Touquet.
“Honda offered me the chance to compete in the full FIM World Championship following Le Touquet 2026. I’ve never been entered in this championship before because I’ve raced in events that clashed with the CFS. I followed the races last year and it’s true that the tracks make me want to race.”
Martinez was following in her father’s footsteps when she learned to ride at the age of three before beginning her racing career four years later and she went on to win back-to-back 125cc national women’s Motocross championships in 2016 and 2017 followed by the main women’s title in 2018.
For her first assault on the Moto Women class, she has been working with her Team Honda SR Motoblouz coach Christophe Meyer on riding and with former FIM MX3 Motocross World Champion Pierre-Alexandre Renet on her physical conditioning and it appears all the pieces of the puzzle are falling nicely into place.
“You always hope to win, but anything can happen during the race. I work hard to reach this level, so I’m glad the hard work is paying off. Winning the title would mean a lot of things, but above all it would be a reward for all the hard work I’ve put in over the years.”
The third edition of the Bibione Sand Storm – that incorporates the Massimo Zamparo Trophy in memory of the event’s founder who sadly passed earlier this year – will once again follow a two-race format with competitors in the elite Moto and Moto Women classes facing a pair of ninety-minute motos to decide the winners while Quad riders will contest two one-hour races.
Following the opening round in Morocco at the end of September, Norway’s Håkon Fredriksen – Yamaha Monster Drag’on Tek leads after backing up his victory in the opening race with third in race two with his nearest challenge coming from twenty-year-old Dutch racer Damien Knuiman – Yamaha who ran four-one on the series’ first-ever visit to Africa.
Completing the Moroccan podium, Frenchman Jeremy Hauquier – Yamaha Monster Drag’on Tek, who won last season’s bronze medal, carded five-two last time out and will be looking to build on this solid foundation in Italy.
The unpredictable nature of a sport that is so notoriously tough on riders and their machines means while the results from round one provide a good benchmark to assess form, there are no certainties – a fact that is well illustrated by the fortunes of defending champion Todd Kellett – Honda.
The twenty-nine-year-old, champion for the previous three seasons, was third in the opening race in Morocco before suffering an electrical issue in race two that dropped him down the order and the British star knows he must start to reduce the deficit in Italy this weekend if he is to retain his title for another year.
In a talent-packed entry, other riders who could make a big impact include the French trio of Joey Nuques – Honda, Antoine Alix – Suzuki and Luca Quenot – Yamaha who all enjoyed a solid weekend in Morocco, while Belgian Cyril Genot – Honda is another leading rider playing catch-up after mixed fortunes at round one.
In the Moto Veteran category, Belgium’s Daniel Drooghaag – KTM set the pace in Morocco where he led home Frenchmen Maxime Jeanne – Yamaha, Mathieu Reine – Yamaha and Grégory Deleu – Yamaha and a close battle is expected this weekend.
Defending Quad champion Pablo Violet – Drag’on Yamaha from France had a testing weekend in Morocco where Belgium’s Randy Naveaux – Yamaha dominated with two race wins to claim an early lead, but he can expect strong opposition with his fellow Belgians Oliver Vandendijck – Honda and Quad Veteran pace-setter Dirk Schelfhout – Honda along with Frenchman Alois Waloszek – Yamaha among the riders likely to feature near the front.
France’s Fabien Michel – Laeger’s is another rider to watch out for, as is Britain’s Harry Walker – Yamaha and Belgian Gleen De Swarte – Honda, while Schelfhout’s Veteran lead could be threatened by racers including France’s Axel Dutrie – Drag’on Yamaha and defending champion Benoit Sebert – Drag’on Yamaha and Portugal’s Nuno Goncalves – Yamaha.
Competing together in a pair of forty-five-minute races, the Moto Junior and Moto Vintage classes always provide exciting competition. Heading into Italy it is young Frenchman Felix Cardineau – Triumph who is setting the pace in the Junior category, while his compatriot Pablo Henouille – Honda claimed a double win in the Vintage class in Morocco.
