2005 Maxxis 12 Hours of Pont de Vaux, France

[Andy Lagzdins]

This is the Honda TRX-mounted #4 Duncan/ATV World/PAR Homes team of Ricky Tordoff, Nathaniel Camps, and me. Ricky is a top UK racer who has been coming over to the US and racing the GNC's. He has done the PDV many times and was on the team that finished 4th last year. Nathaniel is the current Belgian champion and is also a PDV veteran. I can ride a BMX bike up big hills.

[Andy Lagzdins]

Here is the #1 Duncan/ATV World powerhouse duo of Doug Eichner and John Mitchell. John is from Scotland, and won the PDV last year with Doug. The only 6-time winner of the PDV, and holder of many other titles in the USA, Doug Eichner is the man to beat at this race. Their Laeger Banshee is the winningest machine at the PDV.

[Andy Lagzdins]

Loren Duncan of Duncan Racing and Martin Fletcher of ATV World are very determined to win this event every year, and the dedication has paid off with many wins.

[Andy Lagzdins]

On Friday evening, all the quads are ridden on the street into downtown Pont de Vaux for technical inspection. Then later in the night each team and their quad are brought up onto a stage for photos and an interview. After that, the quads are ridden back to the track and the timed qualifying begins the next morning.

[frank mb]

Originally posted by Andy Lagzdins
This YFZ450-powered quad sports dual radiators and a down-swept pipe mounted onto the nerf bar.

This is the VLS Factory bike of OLD FOX Wil v/d Laan. This is the best steering bike in my opinion and for myself I race a VLS KTM 560 like the other picture. And those two stroke engines are the bomb
And for the number 10 bike, That is a copy of the VLS. They only steer not good and often break down.

And Andy if you race next year in Pont de Vaux let me know I hope I race the 12 hours myself. And not the 2 hours contest race like this year. But it was a great experience.

[Andy Lagzdins]

Timed practice starts at 10am on Saturday and lasts for two hours. During this time any of the teams' riders can take their quad out on the track and cut laps. The lap times for each team are recorded with transponders and the fastest lap is taken and compared to everyone else's to determine start position for each session.
The weather was very dry, and the track was a dustbowl. This photo of riders going down pit lane does no justice to the actual amount of choking dust that was in the air.

[Andy Lagzdins]

Pit lane is very long; at least 1/4 mile. It takes roughly a minute and a half to ride down the entire length of pit lane because of the speed limit, which is enforced by course marshalls. If you are thought to be going too fast, you get a penalty and lose time. Its very difficult to keep your quad barely moving in 1st gear when you have so much adrenaline going.

[Andy Lagzdins]

This is Chad Lohr and Tavis Cain's YFZ450 getting some final gearing adjustments during practice.

[Andy Lagzdins]

Here is the #97 Walsh/Quad Briel KTM 540 ridden by Jeremy Lawson, Josh Creamer, and Cody Grant. This all-American team was accompanied by the #99 Walsh KTM ridden by Cale Downen, Chad Wienen, and Polish rider Gregor Brzozowski.

[Andy Lagzdins]

This is Stuart Walker, a veteran of the PDV both as a rider and team leader. I had the privilege of working with him last year, and his managing was instrumental in our underdog team finishing a respectable 6th place. He was back on the quad for this year's race.