Maximois Ethan Simionato-Fusztey is the 13-year-old BMX world champion

Crowned European champion 15 days ago, Ethan Simionato-Fusztey has just won the world challenge in the "Boys 13" (13 years old), considered the world championship in the small categories.

After winning the first three preliminary races, the young driver won his ^1/8 final and then finished second in his 1/4 final after hitting the starting grid.

Ethan especially had a big scare during his semi-final by finishing in ^4th place, narrowly avoiding elimination against the Canadian driver ( ^5th ).

A thirst for revenge...

With his ticket to the final validated, he delivered a true masterclass. After speaking to his coaches ⁽¹⁾ on the phone before the final to boost him, the Maximois BMX rider killed the race from the start by putting the gas on.

At the start of the very first climb, he already had a lead over his pursuers. He won this world championship title, leaving behind his runner-up, the Dutchman Van Den Berg ( ^2nd ), more than a second behind and the Belgian Wyns almost two seconds behind.

"I cleared my mind and gave it my all, like a machine," said the new world champion, who could not hold back his tears at the finish line, proof of the emotional rollercoaster he experienced.

"I'd been chasing a world title for three years, and I fell last year when I was first in the 12-year-old final. I felt a sense of revenge, and I said to myself: 'That's it, you've done it!'

From Vidauban to Sainte-Maxime via Le Luc

This fantastic double is a delight for BMX Maximois.

"It's great for Ethan, who, let's remember, started BMX in Vidauban and then went through the Luc club before arriving in Sainte-Maxime several years ago," emphasizes president Franck Chapon.

Elite world champion in 1999, Audrey Pichol is no longer the only one at the club to have a world champion title.

"I'm super happy for him. What surprises me for a young man of his age is his high-level sportsmanship. He stumbled on the grid during his quarter-final, he almost had a disaster in the semi-final, two races full of emotion and then he managed to refocus to clinch a dream final!"

(1) Pierre-Henri Sauze his personal coach and Nathanaël Dieu, assistant coach at the club with Mickey Lavandet.