Adrien Escoffier Crowned Inaugural Arenacross World Tour Champion in Abu Dhabi Thriller
Frenchman Adrien Escoffier made history by becoming the first-ever Arenacross World Tour Champion after a dramatic final round at the Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Entering the night with the championship on the line, Escoffier capitalized on a costly late crash from title rival Dean Wilson to seal the crown with a second-place finish aboard his D.A.D / Al Yousuf Yamaha.
The Main Event started with Thomas Ramette out front, but he was quickly overtaken by Wilson. However, racing was red-flagged after just two laps due to a heavy crash involving Cedric Soubeyras and Tommy Searle. Thankfully, both riders escaped serious injury but were ruled out for the rest of the night.
On the restart, Michael Hicks (Stark Future) grabbed the holeshot and led from start to finish. Dean Wilson charged from seventh to second and was on course to secure the title—until disaster struck. A crash in the closing laps dropped him out of contention, handing the advantage to Escoffier, who held firm in second, doing just enough to become world champion.
Jorge Zaragoza, winner of Round 1, completed the podium with a strong ride to third, also aboard a Stark Future machine.
Top 10 AX Pro Main Event
- #460 Michael Hicks (Stark)
- #137 Adrien Escoffier (Yamaha)
- #99 Jorge Zaragoza (Stark)
- #848 Joan Cros (Yamaha)
- #62 Kelana Humphrey (Stark)
- #260 Dylan Woodcock (Triumph)
- #17 Matt Bayliss (Husqvarna)
- #6 Thomas Ramette (Suzuki)
- #7 Eddie Wade (Stark)
- #15 Dean Wilson (Honda)
- #85 Cedric Soubeyras (Kawasaki)
- #100 Tommy Searle (Triumph)
Top 10 AX World Tour Pro Standings
| Positon | Rider | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adrien Escoffier | 58 |
| 2 | Dean Wilson | 56 |
| 3 | Thomas Ramette | 50 |
| 4 | Cedric Soubeyras | 47 |
| 4 | Michael Hicks | 47 |
| 6 | Jorge Zaragoza | 45 |
| 7 | Joan Cros | 40 |
| 8 | Eddie Wade | 38 |
| 9 | Matt Bayliss | 37 |
| 10 | Adam Chatfield | 25 |
