On a sunny Saturday, a sizeable assembly congregated at the Pôle Mécanique to partake in the 9th instalment of the 24MX Alestrem.
24MX Alestrem is the first major race for the extreme enduro racing specialists. The event begins with a technical selection special at the Pôle Mécanique d’Alès and the first 100 riders are selected for the prologue, an artificial route located in the center of the city, on the banks of the Gardon river. The prologue ranking determines the starting order of the first 100 riders the next day on the heights from Mercoirol. On Sunday, they must complete 3 laps during which the difficulties will increase. The race is neutralized at 6:30 p.m.
It was under bright sunshine that the large crowd gathered on Saturday at the Pôle Mécanique which is located on the banks of the Gardon to attend the first day of the 9th edition of the 24MX Alestrem.
This was Teodor Kabakchiev’s first race on a Sherco, Teodor wins his first victory in the prologue, in front of his teammate and multiple winner of the event Mario Roman. Two Sherco’s in the first two places!
The next day, the 8-hour race day was very intense. After a slow start Kabakchiev overtook the competitors who preceded him and took the lead until the second lap. Roman rode strategically, he had his hand operated on just two weeks ago, so he rode the first two laps cautiously to conserve himself. On the third and final lap he accelerated and developed a fast rhythm. He made a nice pass on Wade Young which lasted until the foot of the last climb, the two riders raced wheel to wheel, and Mario ended up finishing second!
Kabakchiev, who was recovering from a virus he contracted 10 days ago, was unable to maintain his very good pace from the start of the race, but he finished in a good 4th place, a good omen for the season which is just beginning.
Teodor Kabakchiev: “It was my first race for Sherco, and I managed to win the prologue and finish fourth in the 8-hour main race. It was a solid start and I’m sure we will only progress in the next race!”
Mario Roman: “I am very happy with the result of the weekend, finishing second in the prologue and the main race. Of course, I would have liked to have won because Alestrem is very important for us. It’s one of my favorite races and I am one of the best riders in this type of event, but I came with a finger injury, I had surgery only two weeks ago. During the first two laps I saved myself and tried to find the right pace. The other riders were very fast. On the third lap I accelerated and quickly caught up with Wade and Teodor on the first climbs. I gave everything until the checkered flag, we were wheel to wheel at the foot of the final climb. In my opinion, given the conditions, just two weeks after my operation, it’s like a victory, because I gave my maximum, and I didn’t know when I started if my finger would allow me to last until the finish.”
