Tuesday February 17, 2026 at 11:53am
British rider Claire Winthrop delivered an impressive performance at the iconic Le Touquet sand race, finishing inside the top eight in the women’s class at one of the toughest beach races on the international calendar.
Despite challenging weather conditions, Winthrop showed determination and consistency throughout the event. During the weekend she was also invited to attend the FIM Women’s Commission riders’ meeting, where she met fellow female sand racers and FIM President Jorge Viegas. The opportunity was arranged by FIM Women’s representative for Enduro, Rally and Sand Racing Imane Laraichi who added,
“The meeting focused on reviewing the development of women’s sand racing while gathering direct feedback from riders regarding both sporting and structural needs. A central priority is ensuring full sporting equality with the men’s categories, while strengthening the international communication and promotion of the championship.
We are also actively working to expand recruitment ahead of the Women’s World Cup by identifying new nations and emerging female talent, with the objective of growing the discipline globally.
The discussions were highly constructive and reflect a shared commitment to the sustainable growth of women’s cross-country and sand racing at the highest international level”.
Reflecting on the event, Winthrop said:
“Le Touquet lived up to all my expectations and I’m delighted to tick ‘Le Touquet Finisher’ off the bucket list. The weekend started strong and I was privileged to be invited on Saturday to join the FIM Women’s Commission meeting to meet the other sand race women and FIM President Jorge Viegas.
The weather made for some savage race conditions on Sunday, but I’m super happy to have finished eighth in the women’s category. The icing on the cake was being awarded second overall in the French Amateur Women’s Beach Race Series.”
The ACU congratulates Claire Winthrop on her achievement and wishes her continued success representing Britain in international off-road competition.