The Enduropale, or Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais (called Enduro des Sables in its first year and Enduro du Touquet until 2005), is a motorcycle race held annually since 1975 at the beginning of the year on the Opal Coast on the beaches of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage and Stella-Plage in the Pas-de-Calais region. It has now become the largest enduro race in Europe and the longest sand race in the world at 15km. It is the finale of the French Sand Racing Championship (Championnat de France des sables) (CFS).
Since 2023 the Enduropale has been a round of the Sand Races World Championship, organized by the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), which was inaugurated in that year,
For the 50th anniversary in 2025, the circuit for the main event was extended from 13 to .
History While watching the documentary On Any Sunday, which highlights off-road motorcycling in wide-open spaces, Thierry Sabine, communications officer at Le Touquet town hall, had the idea of bringing the mass-participation enduro races that were very popular in the United States to France. The first running of the event, named the Enduro des Sables, took place on 16 February 16, 1975 with 286 competitors. The "Touquet" was initially run in two heats. It was the experience and success achieved at the Enduro du Touquet that motivated Thierry Sabine to create the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1979, based on the same principle of competition open to all.
Until 1981, the course of the race called "Enduro des sables" was partly run in the dunes, then following complaints from nature protection associations, the race was run on the beach exclusively.
The year 1991, the Gulf War prevented the event from being organized.
In 2005, Amaury Sport Organisation, owner of TSO (Thierry Sabine Organisation), withdrew from organizing the race. For two years the French Motorcycling Federation took over organising the event.
Frenchman Mickaël Kavaliauskas entered the 2008 event on a Honda CBR900RR Fireblade modified as a motocross machine. He won the holeshot and was timed at an average speed over along the beach.
The competition has become a major event at the European level, with 2,450 competitors (in 2020) and 500,000 visitors.
The 2021 event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 2022 event, initially scheduled for the 28-30 January, was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic to 25-27 February.
In 2023, the premier motorcycle event, the Enduropale, took place for the first time on Saturday instead of Sunday, the usual day since 1975 due to the time of high tide. The Enduropale was included in the first World Cup of Sand Racing, organised by the FIM, and was the first round of this World Cup which consisted of three events, with the Enduro del Verano in Argentina at the end of February and the Monte Gordo Beach Algarve in Portugal, in the town of Monte Gordo in November. The main race returned to Sunday in 2024.
Economic benefits As the event is free, the municipality's revenue comes from partnerships (32 in 2022), fees for street vendors and an of entry fee of €300 per participant.
For the 2022 event, the municipality of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage estimated the economic impact, at the local and regional level, at €6.3 million, of which €4.8 million is for the organizing municipality. The occupancy rate of the town's hotels (1,100 rooms) is 100% during the three days of the Enduropale.
Rankings Men's category
YearEnduro du Touquet / EnduropaleQuaduropaleEnduro JuniorsEnduro EspoirsEnduro VintageRiderConstructorRiderConstructorRiderConstructorRiderConstructorRiderConstructor 1975 OssaNot runNot runNot runNot run 1976 Maico 1977 Husqvarna 1978 Husqvarna 1979 Håkan CarlqvistHusqvarna 1980 Yamaha 1981 Yamaha 1982 Kees van der VenKTM 1983 Kees van der VenKTM 1984 Kees van der VenKTM 1985 Kees van der VenKTM 1986 Kees van der VenKTM 1987 Leif PerssonYamaha 1988 Eric GeboersHonda 1989 Eric GeboersHonda 1990 Eric GeboersHonda 1991Event cancelled(Gulf war) 1992 Yann GuédardKawasaki 1993 Honda 1994 Honda 1995 Arnaud DemeesterYamaha 1996 Arnaud DemeesterYamaha 1997 David HauquierHonda Pascal Rochereau Jean-Charles TonusYamaha 1998 Arnaud DemeesterYamaha Wilhelmus Van Der Laan Éric GaillardKTM 1999 Jean-Claude MousséYamaha Pascal Rochereau Jean-Charles TonusYamaha 2000 Honda Gilles Abgrall Alex BrusselersEML 2001 Honda Pascal Rochereau Paul WinrowYamaha 2002 Arnaud DemeesterYamaha Vincent PinchonYamaha 2003 Honda Vincent PinchonYamaha 2004 Jean-Claude MousséHonda Pascal De PalmaYamaha 2005 Arnaud DemeesterYamaha Yamaha 2006 Timoteï PotisekHonda Yamaha 2007 Arnaud DemeesterYamaha Yamaha 2008 Arnaud DemeesterYamaha Yamaha 2009 Timoteï PotisekHonda Yamaha 2010 Mickaël PichonHonda Can Am Arnaud AubinYamaha 2011 Steve RamonSuzuki Can Am Dylan FerrandisKawasaki 2012 Jean-Claude MousséYamaha Can Am Julien LieberKTM 2013 Jean-Claude MousséYamaha Jérôme BricheuxKTM Daymond MartensKTM Antoine LemaireYamaha 2014 Adrien van BeverenYamaha Yamaha Ben WatsonKTM Alexis CollignonHonda 2015 Adrien van BeverenYamaha Yamaha Maxime RenauxYamaha Alexis CollignonHonda Johan BoonenHusaberg 2016 Adrien van BeverenYamaha Yamaha Anthony BourdonHusqvarna Mathéo MiotKawasaki Kawasaki 2017 Daymond MartensYamaha Yamaha Jérémy HauquierKTM Florian MiotYamaha Sven BreugelmansHonda 2018 Milko PotisekYamaha Jérémy ForestierYamaha Alexis CollignonHonda Arnaud ZoldosKTM Sven BreugelmansHonda 2019 Nathan WatsonKTM MOatthieu TernynckYamaha Mathéo MiotKTM Adrien PetitHusqvarna Rudy VergrieteHonda 2020 Milko PotisekYamaha Randy NaveauxYamaha Florian MiotKTM Marc Antoine RossiKTM Rudy VergrieteHonda 2021Event cancelled (Covid-19) 2022 Milko PotisekYamaha Randy NaveauxYamaha Quentin PrugnièresKawasaki Mano FaureHusqvarna Maxime SotYamaha 2023 Todd KellettYamaha Randy NaveauxYamaha Adrien PetitYamaha Sleny GoyerKTM Adrien van BeverenHonda 2024 Todd KellettYamaha Randy NaveauxYamaha Mathis ValinKawasaki Sleny GoyerGas Gas David HerbreteauHonda 2025 Todd Kellett Yamaha Randy Naveaux Yamaha Damien Knuiman Gas Gas Jenairo Beerens KTM Adrien van Beveren Honda 2025 Todd Kellett Yamaha Harry Walker Dragon Quad Racing Tom Caneele KTM Tim Lopes Kawasaki Florian Miot Honda Sources:
Women's category
YearEnduro du Touquet / EnduropaleQuaduropaleEnduro JuniorsEnduro EspoirsEnduro VintageRiderConstructorRiderConstructorRiderConstructorRiderConstructorRiderConstructor 2010 Mahault BonnartYamaha Justine LesselingueYamaha ? ? Not run Not run 2011 Nicky Van WordragenYamaha Camille HaesaertW-Tec Constance MorelHonda 2012 Mathilde DelsauxKTM Justine Lesselingue? ? ? 2013 Livia LancelotKawasaki Gwen FiquetYamaha Justine CharrouxYamaha Manon BacheletYamaha 2014 Livia LancelotKawasaki Émilie BourgeoisYamaha Mathilde DenisYamaha Elsa GalandSuzuki 2015 Julie PeyssardHusqvarna Kelly VerbraekenW-Tec Mathilde DenisYamaha Morgane SoulierKTM ? ? 2016 Daniëlle van KempenYamaha Justine LesselingueYamaha Manon HaudoireYamaha Angèle BoulayKTM ? ? 2017 Daniëlle van KempenYamaha Émilie BourgeoisYamaha Manon HaudoireYamaha Angèle BoulayKTM ? ? 2018 Mégane LombardYamaha Justine LesselingueYamaha Manon HaudoireYamaha Flavie LobbedezHusqvarna ? ? 2019 Mégane LombardYamaha Émilie BourgeoisYamaha Manon HaudoireYamaha Leelou LobbedezHusqvarna Anne France DupontYamaha 2020 Manon HaudoireYamaha Émilie BourgeoisYamaha Laurine HuguesHusqvarna Léa ChapputKTM Anne Charlotte TillietteHonda 2021Event cancelled Covid-19 2022 Mathilde DenisYamaha Émilie BourgeoisYamaha ? ? Malhory DuprontHusqvarna ? ? 2023 Amandine VerstappenYamaha Nathanaëlle AbgrallYamaha Leelou LobbedezGas Gas Léa LesoilKTM ? ? 2024 Amandine VerstappenYamaha Kelly VerbraekenW-Tec April FranzoniKTM Léa AbrahamKTM ? ? 2025 Amandine Verstappen Yamaha Camille Petit Kawasaki Sarah Leroy Kawasaki Thelma Boudier-Damex Kawasaki No women participated 2026 Mathilde Martinez Honda Camille Petit KTM Léa Lesoil Yamaha Thelma Boudier Damex Yamaha No women participated
See also Beach racing in France Bibione Sand Storm Enduro del Invierno Enduro del Verano Monte Gordo Sand Race Weston Beach Race
Notes
References
External links