Team France keep home hopes alive

After finishing as runners up in last year’s FIM X-Trial des Nations, team France again arrived on home soil in the southern coastal city of Nice with high hopes resting on the shoulders of this year’s two-man team. Alexandre Ferrer, who was part of the 2015 success story, was this time partnered by Benoit Bincaz following a rule change that now specifies that one rider in each national squad must be under the age of twenty-five years old.  
 
Showing no real signs of nerves Bincaz raced the host country into third spot during the initial sprint that gave them a prime starting position from which to amount their attack on the title for a second year in a row. Locked on a single mark apiece alongside defending champions Spain for a share of the lead after the initial six sections, understandably expectations for the French pairing amongst the noisy home crowd grew considerably during the mid-time interval.
 
Whilst not quite able to remain in touch with Spain, who went on to lift the title for a tenth time, France’s hopeful duo maintained home pride as they rounded out the team competition with a strong showing to secure second spot for the second year in a row. They will now have to wait until 2017 to see if they can go one better next time around.

FIM Communications