This Is Guernsey

FRANKIE BROUARD claimed an excellent sixth place at the first meeting of the FFM Brittany Championships for motocross.

Conditions deteriorated throughout the day at Hennebont, which is just outside Lorient, and by the afternoon the track was extremely slippery and there were several casualties.

The 10-year-old Guernsey rider was on his Holeshot KTM 65cc and in the first race, for which the track was fairly dry, he had good start and managed to stay up with the leaders to finish in eighth position. Then the rain came down and the track got so bad they had to miss one section out as it was too dangerous.

Brouard loves racing in the mud and had a really good start once again, but, unfortunately, he too became a casualty in this race.

However, he picked his bike up straight away and got going again, managing to grab back places to finish sixth.

At the presentation at the end of the event, to the delight of his family Brouard had finished a very respectable sixth.

That was his best result at the Hennebont track and he was also the highest placed Channel Islander in this group, there being three Jersey riders in his class.

‘It was great to get the season started. I’ve been really looking forward to it. It was a shame the weather wasn’t a bit better,’ Brouard said.

‘The track was perfect for the two practices in the morning and also for the first race but it was so slippery by the time we had our last race later on in the afternoon because it started pouring with rain just after lunch.

‘I thought I rode well and was pleased with my sixth place for the first meeting of the season.

‘I’ve got two meetings this weekend so I hope I can get good results then.’