Dirt Skate Cross in Liège (Belgium)

A real first

The track

The best skaters of the world made the trip for that two-star event of the WSX Series, which goes off the beaten tracks. The competition took place in the suburbs of Liège, in Herstal. The track is covered and small, so that the opening to the public is impossible for safety reasons. The dirt track is composed of various bumps and bank bends on abrasive asphalt: doubles, pros, tables…

Forces involved

39 men and 7 women entered the competition: Mainly French but also Belgians, Dutch, Germans, Italians, Ukrainians, Russians, Portuguese, Swiss, Senegalese and Czech. The best skaters of the discipline were there, especially: Anthony Avella (RSCT), Christian Montavon (Roller.Ch) the organizer of the Lausanne competition who figures in the Top-10, Harry Perna (Lyon Riders) the winner of the Skate Cross at the Lugdunum Contest. There is also, obviously, Anthony Pottier, the local skater who has a great knowledge of that track… since it is his training place! Last but not least, let’s also count on Russian Ilya Sukhenko, the winner of the 2013 Series.

Saturday April, 12th – 6PM: First acquaintance with the track

The track is officially open to the skaters on Saturday at 6PM for a 2-hour survey session.

First observation: Dust is everywhere and it is hard to breathe. Everyone has their own technique: masks for the far-sighted, scarfs for the smart or bare face for the rest. The organization had thought ahead and covered all electronic devices (sound system, computers) with plastic and supplied each registered skater with a plastic bag so that they could protect their personal belongings.

Second observation: The dirt track is very atypical and disconcerts the skaters at first. As the session goes on, the track deteriorates and gets hollowed out so that wooden pallets have to be placed in the hollows in order to consolidate them.

The training session ends with a welcome drink offered by the organization, enabling the skaters to debrief on that atypical track.

Sunday April, 13th

Let’s open the ball with the two qualification runs. Times are around 20 seconds. The favorite, Russian Ilya Sukhenko signs the impressive time of 19.303 sec in front of French Anthony Avella (19.952 sec) and local Anthony Pottier.

A lot of French are in ambush over the 20 sec: Harry Perna from Lyon, Flavien Du Peloux from Paris as well as Kevin Quintin and Stéphane Alfano from Marseille.

In the Women’s, three French stand out: Aurore Costabile (25,179), Jessica Billard (25,322) et Lucie Armand (25,462).

Final Phases

The final phases take place after a one-hour lunch break, with 32 men and 7 women divided into groups of 4.

Let’s note the minor fall of Ilya Sukhenko in the first bend during the 8th finals. Still he manages to catch up and qualifies for the next round.

In quarter finals, the competition gets harder and some of the leaders are knocked out: Kevin Quintin, Moritz Nörl and Regis Pottier to name but a few…

Semi-Finals

The phenomenon is on the rise when the competition hits the semi-finals. In the first group, Russian Ilya Sukhenko falls at the exit of the first bend and finishes 4th – it is the main surprise of the weekend. The two French, Flavien Du Peloux and Harry Perna qualify for the final. In the second semi-final group, Anthony Pottier qualifies in front of another French, Anthony Avella, at the expense of compatriot Stéphane Alfano and Dutch Jelle Briggeman.

Finals

The consolation final is won hands up by Russian Ilya Sukhenko in front of Stéphane Alfano.

The final gathers Belgian Anthony Pottier and 3 French: Flavien Du Peloux, Harry Perna and Anthony Avella.

At the exit of the first bend, the Belgian takes the lead, followed by Flavien Du Peloux and Harry Perna. At the end of the straight line, Anthony Pottier wins the final and a photo finish is needed in order to decide between Flavien Du Peloux and Harry Perna. Thanks to his kick of the foot, the latter gets the second place in front of Flavien Du Peloux and Anthony Avella.

Relive the competition with the video below, compiling the final phases of the competition. SOON

Team Cross

A new competition was launched with the Team Cross: two teams of two race against each other, and the team whose skater finishes last loses the run. Strategy is at the heart of that new contest.

In the end, the Darons Team, made of Anthony Avella and Kevin Quintin, won the Team Cross in front of the Pottier Team, with the two brothers Anthony and Régis.

A very positive conclusion for that first stage of the new season. Let’s hope that the number of events on dirt tracks will increase. The next Skate Cross competition will take place in Rennes during the Rennes sue Roulettes event, on May 24th and 25th.

Results

Men’s ranking

Pos.	Name	Country
1)	Pottier Antony		BEL
2)	Perna Harry		FRA
3)	Du Peloux Flavien		FRA
4)	Avella Anthony		FRA
5)	Sukhenko Ilya		RUS
6)	Alfano Stephane		FRA
7)	Briggeman Jette		NED
8)	Kesler Jérémy		BEL
9)	Santos Trigo Jonatan		ESP
9)	Senelier Cedric		FRA
9)	Quintin Kevin		FRA
9)	Pottier Régis		BEL
13)	Rossignol Wilfried		FRA
13)	Sutnen Patrick		FRA
13)	Nörl Moritz		GER
13)	Molinari Daniel		FRA
17)	Quinger Falko		GER
17)	Siwy Roman		CZE
17)	Heinemann Mathieu		FRA
17)	Montavon Christian		SUI
17)	Mboup lbrahima		SEN
17)	Santos Bruno		POR
17)	Mage Leandre		FRA
17)	Clusaz Maxence		FRA
25)	Latouche Taylor		FRA
25)	Bukowski Frédéric		FRA
25)	Andrieu Aymeric		FRA
25)	Lieurey Thomas		FRA
25)	Verliden Denis		BEL
25)	Cossaro Giorgio		ITA
25)	Duclos Jonathan		FRA
25)	Oguey Damien		FRA

Women’s ranking

Pos.	Name	Country
1)	Amand Lucie		FRA
2)	Costabile Aurore		FRA
3)	Billard Jessica		FRA
4)	Conan Maëliss		FRA
5)	Cochey-Cahuzac Eva		FRA
6)	Anquetin Roxanne		FRA
7)	Borovska Anna		UKR

Links

Check out all the BMX race tracks on spotland.fr

Site des World Skate Cross Series Website

Text and photos : Alexandre Lebrun