By 1.187 miles long, the French Croix-En-Ternois circuit is only a four-hour drive away from Circuit Bugatti in Le Mans (covered in previous EWC/World Sidecar season opener reports), hosted last weekend the season curtain raiser for BeNeLux (Belgium-Netherlands-Luxembourg) Trophy, Belgian Twin Trophy, Northern Sidecars Cup Championships and Yamaha R3/R7, 50/125cc, WBB + Young-Timers Superbike/Supersport races.
A profusion of names, known to hardy roads scene inner circle fans, competed.
BeNeLux Trophy Superbike/Supersport races included, Ouri Bikkems (P1 x2), Yan Ancia (P2 x2), Sander Claessen (P3 x2), Mike Parmentier (P4 x2), double IRRC Superbike Champion Sebastien Le Grelle (P5 in Race 1/did not start Race 2), Cedric Fievet (P6/P5) plus Thibault De Hert, Kees Boekel, Wouter De Cooman and Luuk Pruijn.
Hengelo, Varsselring Super Twins lap-record holder Sasha De Vits took Belgian Twin Trophy (BTT) victories x2 ahead of already illustrated, Sander Claessen (P2 x2).
Last Sunday’s BTT action also featured Wes Kleinfeld, Elias Van Roekel, Wim Van den Bossche, Senna van den Hoven, Romain Fortemps, Pieter Ghysels, Gauthier de Hert, Alec Willemen, Rick Harthoorn.
IRRC rider in recent times Mike Ceuppens, German racer Kenny Hinck (one of the main organisers of Scheggerotter Classic GP road-races, this event scheduled for 4th-5th July this year), Ludovic Wouters (P1 x2 in Stock Twins 650 category), Mathieu Locuty and Herman Verboven (one of the BTT organisers).
Sidecar races included Raymond Leijdekkers (tackled World Sidecars races before travelling to Croix-En-Ternois) joined by Calvin Leijdekkers, Hilbert Talens/Felix Pinckert, Steveens Palacoeur, Renzo Van Der Donckt, Finnish Sidecar pair Petri Virtanen/Julius Virtanen and prepping for TT 2026, Australian Sidecar pilot Eric Lenser with French female passenger, Anais Roset.
Whilst not occurring at Croix-En-Ternois, the latest World Sportbike round at Assen saw 2024 Belgian Twin Trophy Champion, double Frohburger Dreieck BTT races winner within the same year, young Belgian talent Ferre Fleerackers emerge victorious, congrats to Ferre!
The next BeNeLux Trophy, Belgian Twin Trophy, Northern Sidecar Cup meeting takes place at the sole active Dutch road race venue, the Varsselring in Hengelo (2nd-3rd May) aside opening ESR/IRRC rounds plus Camathias Cup (Classic Sidecars), yesteryear classes, Two Strokes races. All interested riders, road racing fans are warmly welcome!
Words by Jan Vavra
