By The 2026 ‘Championnat de France de la Montagne’ season is officially over.
Taking place, at the same time as IRRC season finale race encounters at Frohburger Dreieck, was premiere of French National Championship in Merleac, Britanny, organised by ‘MC AMA Saint Carreuc.’
Pace setter, registering the fastest two times of the meeting (seventh event edition) was double French hill-climb Champion for this year in ‘Big Bikes’ classes, Joffray Lelievre (57.730 – Superbike / 58.028 – Supersport).
SBK Championship leader before the past weekend’s action, eventual Championship runner-up, overall event runner-up, Hugo-Grange Martin (58.865) started only one heat race, after misfortune in practice on Sunday.
Female racers, Landshaag Bergrennen pilot from last April, Julie ‘Juju’ Orlando (P20 – 1.13.482) and Celia Berardi (P19 – 1.13.130) were also competing.
Keeping with the topic of time trials in France, national Champions in recent times, who went have gone onto success in international roads scene circles include Jonathan ‘La Buche’ Goetschy, Jean-Luc David, Romain Cleaz-Savoyen.
Fastest French TT exponent in history Amalric Blanc, Arnaud Motte, Mathieu Rieder (14th in 2026 IRRC Supersport Championship) and Steven Bellavoine (P5 x2 Superbike-Supersport in this year’s France-Montagne Championship standings).
Top 10 Merleac Superbike/Supersport class finishers, read as follows:
(Best track time located near racer’s name)
Superbike:
1st – Joffray Lelievre – 57.730
2nd – Hugo Grange-Martin – 58.865
3rd – Kilian Chicoine – 59.470
4th – David Le Bail – 1.00.657
5th – Damien Duck – 1.00.776
6th – Simon Perret – 1.01.173
7th – Yann Guyot – 1.01.211
8th – Franck Fournier-Bidoz – 1.03.500
9th – Loic Edelmeyer – 1.04.659
10th – Vincent Chuard – 1.04.830
Supersport:
1st – Joffray Lelievre – 58.028
2nd – Kilian Chicoine – 59.015
3rd – Joe Thauront – 59.189
4th – Vincent Pfister – 59.207
5th – Patrice La Bagousse – 1.00.742
6th – Gilles Pagnot – 1.01.066
7th – David Le Bail – 1.01.134
8th – Olivier Bonnefoy – 1.01.633
9th – Yann Guyot – 1.01.874
10th – William Ginet-Chamley – 1.02.080
An added bonus, the top five finishers per class in this year’s ‘Championnat de France de la Montagne’:
Superbike:
1st – Joffray Lelievre – 537
2nd – Hugo Grange-Martin – 438
3rd – Franck Fournier-Bidoz – 220
4th – Damien Duck – 205
5th – Steven Bellavoine – 201
Supersport:
1st – Joffray Lelievre – 534
2nd – Vincent Pfister – 367
3rd – Joe Thauront – 354
4th – Yanis Carleton – 176
5th – Steven Bellavoine – 174
Open:
1st – Vincent Pfister – 415
2nd – Raphael Bellavoine – 387
3rd – Jean Francois Duchemin – 341
4th – Leo Fevrier – 264
5th – Johann Messerli – 262
300 cc:
1st – Johan Messerli – 506
2nd – Alan Chuard – 474
3rd – Clement Lores – 285
4th – Corentin Fontaine – 274
5th – Vincent Chuard – 238
25 Power:
1st – Gaetan Grisard – 460
2nd – Sebastian Gay – 252
3rd – Kilian Messerli – 238
4th – Florian Crozatier – 120
5th – Vincent Le Moing – 96
Quads:
1st – Cyril Combes – 443
2nd – Jerome Padey – 430
3rd – Frederic Pochoy – 389
4th – Jeremy Crave – 241
5th – Alfred Wolber – 209
Sidecars:
1st – Wilfrid Grosperrin/Corinne Bourdenet – 406
2nd – Guillaume Pechoux/Lylian Charroin – 277
3rd – Ivan Vittoz/Fabrice Deturche – 271
4th – Philippe Le Bail/Joaquin Fenoy Casas – 152
5th – Gael Thomas/Marie Thomas – 140
Photo credit: Mark Corlett
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
