La Chinelle: Magain, Dewulf and Grobben get the job done!
In recent years, Antoine “Minimax” Magain had become 'the Poulidor' of the 12 hours of La Chinelle. The Belgian enduro champion rode with brio alongside Jeffrey Dewulf and Cedric Grobben to his first La Chinelle victory. Team KTM Belgium was anything but given the victory. At the finish the difference - of course after 12 hours of competition - was less than 25 seconds!
The 40th edition of the 12 hours of La Chinelle was one to die for. Reigning champion Cedric Cremer (Yamaha Zone Rouge) was hot on the heels of fast starter Magain in the initial phase. Jilani Cambré, starter of one of the two Husqvarna top teams, had to chase after a bad start. But the riders of KTM Belgium also had their concerns.
Due to a shoulder injury he had already sustained in free practice, La Chinelle rookie Cedric Grobben hardly got around to riding. Because of this, Jeffrey Dewulf and Magain had to divide almost the entire night between them! A KTM/Yamaha duel that seemed to announce itself for a while, eventually turned into a prestige battle between KTM and the two official Husqvarna teams.
After a relatively calm night, four-time La Chinelle winner Kevin Fors lit the fuse. The #22 Husqvarna FE450 of Fors-Brackman and Cambré was rapidly approaching a tired Dewulf. Two hours before the end, the Husky pressure on the KTM leaders continued to increase. The fatigue started to take its toll on both Magain and Dewulf. The key question was whether Grobben had recovered sufficiently to perform a regular stint? In any case, during the night everything (physiotherapy, painkillers) was done to prepare the La Chinelle rookie for his turn. Grobben would not be disappointed and the audience also became enthusiastic about the battle. After 10 hours of competition, Grobben and Brackman battled wheel to wheel around the circuit!
When Antoine Magaine took over the #40 KTM Belgium EXC-F350, the leaders had a lead of 25 seconds! Cambré got the most out of it, but in the end Magain got the job done. Exactly 20 years after his father, Bernard, wrote the 20th edition of La Chinelle. This was a success for Dewulf in his second participation, while Grobben was placed on the highest scaffold during his baptism of fire! With this, KTM also recorded its seventh success in this mythical endurance race. However, the record is still held by Kawwasaki with 8 wins.
Erik Willems, Matthew Vanoevelen and Jerome Martiny could not play for the victory, but their regularity gave Husqvarna third place. So best of the rest. Steve Ramon, third in 2018, now had to settle for fourth place together with Jerome Biets and Gaetan Minique.
RESULTS
1 | INT | MAGAIN/DEWULF/GROBBEN | KTM | 80 | |
2 | INT | BRACKMAN/CAMBRE/FORS | HUSQVARNA | 80 | 0:24.672 |
3 | INT | MARTINY/VANOEVELEN/WILLEMS | HUSQVARNA | 78 | 2 T |
4 | INT | RAMON/BIETS/MINIQUE | YAMAHA | 78 | 4:29.067 |
5 | INT | CREMER/HERINNE/FRYNS | YAMAHA | 77 | 3 T |
6 | INT | GRANDJEAN/LILLO/GAUNIAUX | HUSQVARNA | 75 | 5 T |
7 | INT | KLUTZ/BEGON/REMEMBER | YAMAHA | 75 | 2:13.380 |
8 | INT | VANHOENACKER/VANDERBEKE/BRAL | Sherco | 74 | 6 T |
9 | INT | BILLEUX/MONFORT/DEBROUX | HUSQVARNA | 74 | 2:15.040 |
10 | INT | THAIN/COEN/LOUIS | KAWASAKI | 74 | 2:31.831 |
11 | INT | TOURNEUR/DUSSART/BREWER | KTM | 73 | 7 T |
12 | INT | SCHULER/DESPRECHIN/DEVILLERS | HUSQVARNA | 72 | 8 T |
13 | NAT | ROUGRAFF/MAYNE/WESTER | YAMAHA | 72 | 0:24.121 |
14 | NAT | RAIWET/MARYNS/ODY | KTM | 72 | 3:08.670 |
15 | NAT | VUKCEVIC/GAUNIAUX/SENTE | Sherco | 71 | 9 T |
16 | NAT | FIORENTINO/DIVOY/VANDERGUYTEN | 71 | 3:34.059 | |
17 | NAT | FELIX/SERVAIS/LAGAMME | YAMAHA | 71 | 6:24.494 |
18 | NAT | TICHOUX/DEGREGNE/BRANCHE | YAMAHA | 71 | 7:34.016 |
19 | WHO WE | GLOTZ/VANDERHEYDEN/GERVOIS/COLART | HUSQVARNA | 70 | 10 T |
20 | NAT | ROBERT/ROBERT/ROBERT | HUSQVARNA | 70 | 1:17.364 |
21 | INT | HUSSIN/MORONE/BILLY | HUSQVARNA | 69 | 11 T |
22 | NAT | JANSSENS/JANSSENS/VAN DUN | HUSQVARNA | 69 | 3:07.621 |
23 | WHO WE | TAVERN/NEIRYNCH/VOETS | HUSQVARNA | 69 | 4:07.123 |
24 | NAT | ROLAND/HAXHE/BEBRONNE | HUSQVARNA/KTM | 69 | 7:33.768 |
25 | INT | BULENS/SCHOONYANS/MEUWIS | KTM | 67 | 13 T |
26 | WHO WE | DUQUENNE/DUQUENNE/LANIS/COLLINET | HUSQVARNA | 67 | 2:39.805 |
27 | WHO WE | VANBELLINGHEN/ANDREOLLI/CRUSENAIRE/STALLON | YAMAHA | 66 | 14 T |
28 | WHO WE | CARPENTIER/FORGIARINI/MISCELLANEOUS | HUSQVARNA | 66 | 1:13.058 |
29 | NAT | VALENDUC/VINKEN/HAUTENNE | HUSQVARNA | 66 | 2:27.202 |
30 | GEN | DESPONTIN/HALLET/FAVEAUX/HAVELANGE | KTM | 65 | 15 T |
31 | NAT | GILLARD/WAUTIER/WANET | HUSQVARNA | 65 | 1:05.487 |
32 | INT | FRASELLE/DESPONTIN/FRASELLE | KTM | 65 | 2:51.251 |
33 | NAT | KNIT/KNIT/KNIT | HUSQVARNA | 64 | 16 T |
34 | YOU | BARNICH/BÉCU/MAROIT | YAMAHA | 64 | 0:07.561 |
35 | WHO WE | DECOUX/VAN HOE/JOURNÉE/VANDERGUGTEN | KTM | 64 | 0:37.892 |
36 | NAT | WAEZEGGERS/HERMANS/LACASSE | TM | 64 | 1:59.057 |
37 | WHO WE | DERSE/HERMAN/MEULDERS/JAEGERS | HUSQVARNA | 64 | 7:19.659 |
38 | NAT | MARTIN/LAFORGE/DERMINE | AJP | 64 | 8:18.114 |
39 | WHO WE | CHARLOTTEAUX/WILMART/LEVÊQUE | HOUSE GUARDS | 63 | 17 T |
40 | WHO WE | TONOLLI/DETIMMERMAN/BRONZEART | Sherco | 63 | 2:09.173 |
41 | GEN | MISSOTTEN/CORNET/FLOURH/JOBKENNE | KTM | 63 | 3:00.321 |
42 | WHO WE | CHILDHOOD/RICH/GOODNESS | KTM/HUSQVARNA | 62 | 18 T |
43 | WHO WE | DENIS/CLOSE/MALHERBE | KTM | 62 | 1:09.937 |
44 | WHO WE | LAEREMANS/GRAUX/LEBRUN | HUSQVARNA | 62 | 4:35.214 |
45 | NAT | FLEURQUIN/MARIAULLE/FAYT | HUSQVARNA | 62 | 4:59.831 |
46 | WHO WE | BOULANGER/BOULANGER/LADRIERE/DUFRASNE | Sherco | 62 | 5:52.737 |
47 | WHO WE | BREYER/VANDAMME/GILLARD/DEROME | KTM | 61 | 19 T |
48 | NAT | DANIELS/LORIAUX/MINNE | HUSQVARNA | 61 | 2:38.533 |
49 | WHO WE | DAUTREMONT/COLLIN/MAZY/COLLIN | YAMAHA | 61 | 4:12.666 |
50 | NAT | STROYVEN/PROWER/DELAITEMPS | HUSQVARNA | 60 | 20 T |
51 | WHO WE | GUEUR/SIBILLE/MARIEVOET | Sherco | 59 | 21 T |
52 | GEN | BECKERS/TBER/MASSART | TM | 58 | 22 T |
53 | WHO WE | LENAIN/LAMBERT/GILSOUL/FAYT | YAMAHA | 57 | 23 T |
54 | WHO WE | PERSONS/DUBOIS/DURAND/CARON | KTM/YAMAHA | 57 | 7:20.208 |
55 | WHO WE | CHILIADE/THE HAGUE/PAUWELS/NAZE | ASIAN WING | 56 | 24 T |
56 | WHO WE | MORE/MORE/MASSART/HENQUIN | KTM | 56 | 1:26.023 |
57 | WHO WE | BORGNET/COLLIN/TACHAT/PINTONELLO | YAMAHA | 56 | 2:58.639 |
58 | GEN | REMOUCHAMPS/CLEMENT/LEBOUTTE/KINIF | KTM | 56 | 7:18.978 |
59 | WHO WE | TOUSSAINT/LAMBEAU/COLIGNON/BERGHMAN | KTM | 56 | 10:31.540 |
60 | WHO WE | LEMAITRE/SANDRI/MAGNIETTE/ROLAND | HUSQVARNA/GAS GAS | 55 | 25 T |
61 | WHO WE | BERNY/GOBERT/PIRSON/PIRSON | GAS | 54 | 26 T |
62 | WHO WE | BOAR/BOAR | HUSQVARNA | 54 | 0:20.062 |
63 | WHO WE | VAN DEN/VAN DEN/FOSTY/BIETLOT | KTM | 35 | 45 T |
Photos: Plan-B
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