MEDIA INFORMATION
2024 UIM-ABP European Continental Aquabike Championship
DARDILLAT AND PEREZ EARN MOTO 2 VICTORIES IN SKI GP1 AND RUNABOUT GP1 IN MIRA
Sunday, September 29: Valentin Dardillat and Jérémy Perez battled hard to seal Moto 2 victories in the Ski Division GP1 and Runabout GP1 categories at the Grand Prix of Mira in Portugal on Sunday. The two Frenchmen now head into the afternoon’s final Motos in pole position to secure their respective European Championship titles.
Dardillat takes second Moto win in Ski Division GP1
Valentin Dardillat headed into the second of the weekend’s Ski Division GP1 Motos with a three-point cushion over Morgan Poret in the quest for the European Championship title. The Frenchman lined up on pole for Moto 3 from Oliver Koch Hansen, Morgan Poret, Alec Enderli, Mickaël Poret and Matteo Benini.
Dardillat was again in fine form and managed to keep his advantage and extend his lead to 3.74 seconds over Oliver Koch Hansen through lap two. Morgan Poret, Enderli, Felix Helgeson, Mickaël Poret and Axel Courtois were in close contention among the 17 starters. Neither Matteo Valente nor Mads Koch Hansen made the race.
Anthony Beernaut displaced Courtois and moved up to seventh but the leading positions remained unchanged as the Moto entered its final few minutes. Dardillat was able to keep a safe distance between himself, Mads Koch Hansen and Morgan Poret and he reached the chequered flag to confirm a hard-fought 1.90-second victory. The result moved the Spectrum rider eight points clear of Morgan Poret in the points’ standings, as Koch Hansen and Morgan Poret finished second and third in the Moto. Enderli, Helgeson and Mickaël Poret were fourth, fifth and sixth.
Perez storms to second Runabout GP1 Moto win
A new engine had given Jérémy Perez the boost he needed to win the opening Runabout GP1 Moto and the Frenchman headed 13 rivals in Moto 2. Samuel Johansson had finished second in the opening heat and was hell bent on defending a 15-point championship lead as he lined up ahead of defending World Champion François Medori, Andrzej Wisniewski, Martin Doulík Junior and Linus Lindberg.
Perez made a flying start to what would develop into a pulsating contest. He led from Medori, Wisniewski and Doulík Junior through the opening turn buoys, although Johansson moved up to fourth after lap one, as the leaders held their positions through the next few tours of the demanding high-speed course. But Medori continued to apply the pressure on Perez in the battle for the lead and he passed his fellow Frenchman to take the lead and began to edge away from his rival.
But there was drama behind when Johansson hit trouble, lost fourth place and plummeted out of contention after eight laps and threw the European Championship title race wide open. But it was not to be a winning start to the day for Medori either and the Frenchman fell foul of his own technical issues on lap 13, was sidelined and Perez regained the lead he held to the finish of a barn-storming encounter.
Perez finished 46.32sec in front of runner-up Wisniewski with Lino Araújo climbing on the podium and Doulík Junior, Manuel Reggiani and Guillaume Hemain rounding off the top six. Both Lindberg and Ruben Jimenez Riquelme were penalised with 25-second penalties for start infringements and, as a result of the retirements and the on-water mayhem, Perez now has a 10-point lead over Wisniewski in the battle for Grand Prix honours, More importantly, Perez now leads the European Championship by six points from Doulík Junior with Johansson, Lindberg and Araújo still in contention for the title and a top three finish.
Perez said: “He (Medori) was faster than me. I tried to stay first and then he passed me after six or seven laps. I feel sad for him but it’s good for the overall of the championship. I am leading now. We will see in the afternoon….”
Ends
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