MEDIA INFORMATION
2024 UIM-ABP European Continental Aquabike Championship
SAVELLI, MEDORI, YPRAUS AND KOCH HANSEN WIN THEIR GRAND PRIX CATEGORIES IN VICHY
Sunday, July 28: The French duo of Pierre-François Savelli and François Medori, Estonia’s Jasmiin Ypraus and Dane Oliver Koch Hansen confirmed Grand Prix victories in the Runabout GP2, Runabout GP1, Ski Ladies GP1 and Ski GP1 classes on the final afternoon of the Grand Prix of Vichy in France.
The five-day aqua biking bonanza in the stunning Auvergne region of attracted a staggering entry across all the ski disciplines and proved once again that the UIM-ABP European Continental Aquabike and Endurance Championships are the premier racing series’ on the planet.
Savelli seals clean sweep of Runabout GP2 Motos
Pierre-François Savelli had won the opening two Motos and aimed to defend a six-point advantage over Robin Laforge from pole position in Moto 3. Czech Petr Dryjak and Germany’s Justin Patzner were well-placed to battle it out for the podium in a field that also included the likes of Tom Claerhout, Kamil Fadrowski and Julien Venuat.
Savelli made the best start but he was passed by Patzner and the German retained a slender lead through lap two. Laforge then found a way through into second place but Savelli held on to clinch victory in his third Moto by 17.49 seconds, the Grand Prix and increase his lead in the European Championship. Laforge sealed the runner-up spot in Vichy with second place and Patzner pipped Dryjak to take the last step on the podium with third in the Moto.
Dryjak, Claerhout and Fadrowski rounded off the top six in the heat but Venuat retired after three laps. Patzner was then docked four laps for course cutting, slipped to 10th and his resultant penalty lifted Dryjak into third place and enabled the Czech to finish third in the Grand Prix.
Medori wins Runabout GP1 Grand Prix; Perez takes Moto 3
Fresh from claiming the European Endurance GP1 title in the morning, François Medori had already won the opening two Motos and lined up on pole position eager to defend an eight-point Grand Prix lead over great rival and friend Jérémy Perez. The battle for third place was intense with Lino Araújo heading Linus Lindberg by a single point with Martin Doulík Junior two points further behind.
Perez and Samuel Johansson stole a march on Medori in the early stages of the Moto with Florian Bardoux, Guillaume Hemain and Doulík Junior settling into the top six after Araújo pulled out on the opening lap. Medori was clearly in trouble and, by lap five, the Frenchman was down in sixth place with Bardoux moving into third. Medori found a way back into fourth, knowing full well that would be sufficient to keep Perez at bay and earn him the Grand Prix win by a single point.
The determined Frenchman then overtook Bardoux to grab third and he settled in behind Perez and Johansson. Perez hung on to claim the Moto win by 13.27 seconds from Johansson and third place was sufficient for Medori to add the Grand Prix win to his European Endurance title. Perez also finished as runner-up in Vichy with Lindberg pipping Doulík Junior to third on a tie-breaker.
Moto 2 winner Perez said: “I win the last Moto. It was great. I had a good race with Samuel (Johansson). It was close. Congrats to François for his weekend, a good job for him and to all the team at Easy Rider and to Teddy (Pons) and my sponsors and my wife.”
Ypraus secures Ski Ladies GP1 victory in Vichy
Estonia’s Jasmiin Ypraus was tied on 47 points with Benedicte Drange at the start of the third Ski Ladies GP1 Moto and a mere point separated the pair in the European Championship. Naomi Benini and Sofie Borgström were locked in a tussle for third in the Grand Prix before a final Moto that also featured Virginie Morlaes, Janina Johansson and Jessica Chavanne.
Ypraus stormed to the front with Drange giving chase, although the Estonian was 5.81 seconds to the good after two laps. Benini held off Borgström in the battle for third in the Grand Prix and Chavanne held fifth from Morlaes and Johansson.
Ypraus crossed the finish to record a 10.18-second win that gave her the Grand Prix victory and a narrow European Championship advantage over runner-up Drange to take to Portugal at the end of September. Chavanne finished the Moto in third but fourth place was enough for Benini to seal the final step on the Grand Prix podium.
Oliver Koch Hansen wins Ski GP1 Grand Prix; Bossche snatches Moto 3
Quinten Bossche’s failure to score points in Moto 2 had thrown the Ski GP1 category wide open and Oliver Koch Hansen’s Moto 2 win saw the Dane line up on pole for the third heat with an 11-point cushion over a three-way tie for third place between Jeremy Poret, Benjamin Scharff and European Championship contender Valentin Dardillat.
Koch Hansen was in inspired form and he was able to stave off fierce pressure from Quinten Bossche through the opening lap to stay ahead. The respite was short-lived, however, and the determined Belgian stormed through on lap two and began to edge clear. Morgan Poret held third from Scharff, Jeremy Poret and Dardillat. Matteo Benini retired on the opening lap.
Bossche held on to win his second Moto of the weekend by 8.57 seconds, second place was enough for Koch Hansen to take the Grand Prix and Scharff sealed the runner-up spot after finishing fourth behind Morgan Poret. Dardillat and Jeremy Poret rounded off the top six in the Moto.
Koch Hansen said: “I am really happy for the win. It was really hard. I got a good start and I had the lead but I saw Quinten behind me and he was faster. I didn’t want to risk anything so I let him through, slowed down and got the victory.”
Ends
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