By More 2026 roads scene dates news, this time encompassing national hill-climbs in France (´Championnat de France de la Montagne´).
This year’s series, saw title crowns in premier big-bike categories (Superbike and Supersport) attained by IRRC rider Steven Bellavoine and Hugo-Grange Martin.
2021 IRRC Supersport Champion, TT, Northwest 200 podium finisher Pierre-Yves Bian starred at the season at Frangy, setting a new Supersport track-record.
As point of interest, he was 2008, 2009 Champion of French Hill Climb Championship in 125cc class and in 2005, best of 50cc class pilots.
National hill-climb Championship events are a strong breeding ground for French pure road racing aces, and we will be keeping an eye, to see if any new names from this Championship appear within the future, take to full-scale road races.
Examples of this recently include 2024 Supersport Champion, IRRC Supersport debutant this year Mathieu Rieder and 2025 Macau Grand Prix entrants, Amalric Blanc and Eddy Ferre, both successful TT, NW200, IRRC exponents.
2026 rounds of ´Championnat de France de la Montagne´ will be at:
23rd-24th May – Chanaz
13th-14th June – Marchaux
11th-12th July – Panissieres
25th-26th July – Le Petit Abergement
15th-16th August – Marlhes
29th-30th August – Frangy
19th-20th September – Merleac (Finale plus Championship of Brittany)
An added bonus the Champions of Superbike/Supersport (before 2019 season named 1300/600 classes) in last twenty years at French hill climbs:
2025: above illustrated Steven Bellavoine / Hugo-Grange Martin
2024: Robert Henriot / Mathieu Rieder
2023: Thierry Brunel / Julien Bottaro
2022: Bob Bardot x2
2021: Amalric Blanc x2
2020: was not held
2019: Amalric Blanc / Arnaud Motte
2018: Romain Cleaz-Savoyen / Bob Bardot
2017: Nicolas Guenard / Romain Cleaz-Savoyen
2016: Nicolas Guenard / Bob Bardot
2015: Jean-Luc David / Nicolas Guenard
2014: Nicolas Bosson / Bob Bardot
2013: Nicolas Bosson / Jean-Noel Salvi
2012: Daniel Denis / Gregory Bosson
2011: Loic Kaltenbach / Nicolas Bosson
2010: Uwe Rademacher / Nicolas Bosson
2009: Jonathan Goetschy x2
2008: Jonathan Goetschy / Daniel Denis
2007: Jonathan Goetschy / Timmy Revaka
2006: Patrick Detot / Thibault Gilli
2005: Laurent Naire / Gilles Coulagnes
Photo credit: Mark Corlett
Words by Jan Vavra
