Arnaud Demeester
Arnaud Demeester | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 25, 1973 Dunkirk, Nord Department, France |
| Nickname | Sandman |
| Occupation | Motorcycle sand racer |
| Teams | Yamaha Motors France, Sherco, CAP Racing |
| Championship titles | |
| |
Arnaud Demeester (25 November 1973-), known as the Sandman,[1] is a French motorcycle rider who specialises in sand racing. He has won the French Sand Racing Championship 3 times and the Enduro du Touquet (later named Enduropale) a record 7 times. Although retired from top class racing he continues to compete in the vintage class of the Enduropale.
Biography
[edit]Demeester was born on 25 November 1973 in Dunkirk, France and was introduced to motorcycling by a friend of his parents. He started competing in junior category races in 1986.[2]
In 1989 he entered the Enduro du Touquet. Being only fifteen he was too young to enter so entered under his father's name. Riding a 125 that was too big for him he finished 227th. The following year he lied about his age to enter and finished 52nd. The same year, 1990, he finished 10th in the French Junior Championship.[2]
In 1992, Demeester won his first major sand race, the Rond'Europe à Fort-Mahon, on a Suzuki. His riding caught the attention of Jean-Claude Olivier, head of Yamaha Motors France, who offered Demeester a place as an official rider for the team. Demeester came 7th in the Enduro du Touquet in 1994 and the following year won the event for the first time,[2] becoming the youngest ever winner of the event.[3] He also competed in motocross 1995 and came 6th in the French Elite Championship. He won in Le Touquet for the second time in 1996.[2]
Demeester suffered a fractured ulna during training in early January 1999. Eager to compete at Le Touquet he underwent surgery to insert a metal plate. Riding in pain in the race he finished second but the plate in his arm had failed requiring further surgery and a bone graft. Whilst training at Equihen-Plage in 2000 he felt that something was wrong with his arm. Xrays revealed a further break requiring another graft.[4]
In 2005 Demeester won the inaugural French Sand Racing Championship (CFS), winning it again in 2006 and 2007.[5] He also won the German Cross-Country Championship in 2005 and 2006.[2]
Demeester won at Le Touquet a record seventh time in 2008 and announced his retirement from racing. He took over the management of 2 vehicle inspection centres and a car wash in Dunkirk.[2]
In 2011 Demeester came out of retirement and won the Ronde des Sables Hossegor-Capbreton.[4] At Le Touquet he finished fifth on a Yamaha for the HFP Racing team.[1] The next season he announced that due to problems with his knees he would retire after the Enduropale. However bad weather caused the Le Touquet course to be covered in snow and Demeester decided it was too dangerous to compete.[4]
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of his first win at Le Touquet on a two stroke, Demeester tries to organise a ride on a two stroke bike for the 2015. His first choice, Yamaha, are unable to offer a big enough budget. French manufacturer Sherco, who want to establish themselves in motocross, contacts Demeester to form a team to develop the bike and become a young rider academy. The season goes well with Demeester regularly getting top ten finishes. At Le Touquet he has to retire due to a water leak whilst in 5th position. Continuing with Sherco in 2016, he suffered a heavy fall during trading at Loon-Plage breaking 5 ribs. He recovered enough to complete at the Enduropale where he finished 7th. Sherco are unable to provide funding for 2017 and the team folds.[4]
In 2017 Demeester and former teammate Fred Vialle form CAP Racing to support Vialle's son Tom in his racing. Julien Duhamel also joined the team with Demeester riding a Yamaha and the youngsters riding KTMs. Demeester crashed heavily at Hossegor breaking his wrist and had to sit out the rest of the season.[4]
Demeester became the team manager of the KTM North Europe Racing in 2018, coaching their two riders Petar Petrov and Jeffrey Dewulf.[6] In 2022 Demeester started coaching brothers Florian and Mathéo Miot with support from the Vitamine H dealership who supplied them with 450 cc GasGas bikes to compete in the French Sand Racing Championship.[7]
Competing in the vintage class, for pre-1996 bikes, of the Enduropale Demeester finished 2nd in 2023,[8] 3rd in 2024[9] and 3rd in 2025.[10]
Racing record
[edit]| Year | Results |
|---|---|
| 1989 | 227th Enduro du Touquet |
| 1990 |
|
| 1992 | Winner Rond'Europe à Fort-Mahon |
| 1994 | 7th Enduro du Touquet |
| 1995 |
|
| 1996 |
|
| 1997 |
|
| 1998 |
|
| 1999 | 2nd Enduro du Touquet |
| 2000 |
|
| 2001 |
|
| 2002 |
|
| 2003 |
|
| 2004 |
|
| 2005 |
|
| 2006 |
|
| 2007 |
|
| 2008 |
|
| 2011 |
|
| 2016 | 7th Enduropale du Touquet |
| 2023 | 2nd Enduropale du Touquet Vintage Race |
| 2024 | 3rd Enduropale du Touquet Vintage Race |
| 2025 | 3rd Enduropale du Touquet Vintage Race |
| Sources: [1][2][4][5][8][9][10][11] | |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Nicou, Damien (2 January 2026). "Arnaud Demeester : légende de l'Enduropale et maître du sable" [Arnaud Demeester, the legendary Sandman of sand racing]. Planete Yam Rennes (in French). Retrieved 11 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Histoire pilote : Arnaud Demeester" [Pilot story: Arnaud Demeester]. Le Repaire des Motards (in French). 3 June 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
- ↑ Ducournau, Maël (13 February 2025). "Qui est le roi du Touquet entre Arnaud Demeester vs Todd Kellett ?" [Who is the king of Le Touquet between Arnaud Demeester and Todd Kellett?]. 3AS Racing (in French). Retrieved 11 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Story : Les Touquet d'Arnaud Demeester". Moto-Station (in French). 29 January 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
- 1 2 "Palmarès". Courses sur sable (in French). Retrieved 11 April 2026.
- ↑ "Five minutes with Petar Petrov". mxmag.net. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
- ↑ Demeester, Léo (31 July 2022). "Les frères Miot de retour sur le CFS avec Arnaud Demeester" [The Miot brothers return to the CFS with Arnaud Demeester]. Pilote de Sable (in French). Retrieved 11 April 2026.
- 1 2 "Enduro Vintage 2023 - Enduropale, Quaduro et Vintage 2026". www.enduropale-passion.com. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- 1 2 "Enduropale 2024 Vintage" (PDF). ffmoto.org. 3 February 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- 1 2 "Enduropale 2025 Vintage" (PDF). ffmoto.org. 7 February 2025. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ "Arnaud Demeester". Yamaha Community (in French). 23 January 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2026.