Team GB retained the Coupe de l’Avenir Motocross title in Belgium with a fantastic win in the 2024 edition of the event, which is hosted annually in Belgium and is essentially the Under 21 Motocross of Nations in some respects, with the competing Nations choosing their country’s best young riders.
In the Open class, Bill Askew was in formidable form, going 1-1-2 for individual glory, backed up by Raife Broadley, who went 6-5-5 and Jamie Keith with a 7th, 8th and 6th, which saw Team GB win the class over Latvia and Belgium.
There was plenty of drama for the Brits in the 85cc class. Finley Pickering suffered a leg injury following a nasty crash in qualifying and had to be helped on and off the bike for each moto. This kid is made of strong stuff. Pickering’s teammate Hayden Statt would ride a stormer, winning all three motos, while Robbie Daly had a great 4th and a 3rd before a crash put him down to 27th in the third race. Team GB would finish third overall in this behind Latvia and France.
Our riders were on fire in the 65cc category with newly crowned British champ Cohen Jagielski storming to a maximum of three wins from three, backed up admirably by John Slade with a 4th and a 5th and Jett Gardiner with a second and a seventh, which saw them take the team win for their class ahead of France in second and Latvia in third.
In the Overall standings Team GB would edge out Latvia for the title, with France rounding out the podium.
Team GB Manager Dave Willett said if the victory, “Team GB had an amazing weekend of performances! The determination and fighting spirit was truly inspirational to us all. This victory was more than just a win, it showed the strength of talent in our country. Wishing a speedy recovery to our injured riders.”
Sourced from DirtHub.co.uk