By The French Croix-En-Ternois circuit (1.187 miles long), isn’t a huge distance away from Circuit Bugatti in Le Mans, with roughly a four-hour drive for those travelling between these circuits.
Held at the same time, as the wet weather impacted 2025 ‘24 Heures Motos’ edition, Croix-En-Ternois hosted last weekend the 2025 BeNeLux Superbike/Supersport Trophy, Belgian Twin (Super Twins/Stock Twins 650) Trophy season openers.
Northern Sidecar Cup, Young timber Supersport/Superbike, R3, R7 Yamaha Cups, WBB Challenge and Freetech Classics 50 support races also took place.
As is usually the case for BeNeLux Trophy, Belgian Twin Trophy action, given yearly calendar stops at Hengelo and Chimay, a wide pantheon of experienced roads course acolytes were competing.
Number 2-plate holder for Super Twins races of TT 2025, six times IRRC race winner and 2021 IRRC Supersport Champion, French star, PHR Performance rider Pierre Yves Bian took pole position for BeNeLux Supersport races but did not start the races on Sunday.
Both wins in this category went to Isle of Man ace, regular IRRC Supersport participant, JLG/NCE Racing’s Jamie Williams. Great to see Jamie back on the pace after last year’s bad luck at the Manx Grand Prix.
BeNeLux Supersport action additionally contained, experienced IRRC racer, Switzerland’s Matthieu Pauchard (P4 in Race 1, did not start Race 2) and IRRC Supersport wild card at Chimay (last July), Bjorn Depret.
Distinguished, new wave roads scene participants tackling the BeNeLux (Belgium Netherlands Luxembourg) Superbike races included Ouri Bikkems (P1x2), Yan Ancia (P2x2), fourteen times IRRC races winner, double IRRC Superbike Champion Sebastien Le Grelle.
David Drieghe, Cedric Fievet, Kees Boekel, Davy Maes, Mike Parmentier, Morgan Baplu, Erwan Bannwart and IRRC Schleizer Dreieck wild-card exponent in 2024, Martin Van Ruitenbeek.
The Belgian Twin Trophy contests featured the above-mentioned Jamie Williams alongside names like Sasha De Vits, Benjamin Vanacker, Thibault de Hert, Christophe Carlier, Wim Van Den Bossche.
Nicky De Witt, Sander Claessen, Elias Van Roekel, Gauthier De Hert, Alec Willemen, Marc Thijs, Bruno Gohy, Rick Harthoorn.
Herman Verboven, Johny Jadoul, Johan Guerin and others. Young-timer Superbike/Supersport bouts included another IRRC racer Mike Ceuppens and making the step-up from Manx GP for TT 2025, Frenchman Lancelot Unissart.
Sidecar races included the following names, well known to road racing fans:
Hilbert Talens, Renzo Van Der Donckt, Manuel Moreau, Raymond Leijdekkers, Chris Baert, former TT entrant Mike Roscher.
The next BeNeLux Trophy, Belgian Twin Trophy (with European Super Twin-Road Race Challenge), Northern Sidecar Cup will be hosted by Hengelo (17th-18th May), intertwined with the first IRRC round. All interested riders, road racing fans are warmly welcome!
Words by Jan Vavra
