38 / 44
BUMPER TURNOUT FOR
UIM-ABP AQUABIKE EUROPEAN
CHAMPIONSHIP IN PENAFIEL
massive
95
rider turnout
battled it out
over two days
and 3 motos
at the UIM-
ABP Aquabike
E u r o p e a n
Championship in Penafiel in the Douro region
of Portugal in July, with titles up for grabs in
Runabout GP1, 2 & 4, Ski GP1, Ski GP1 Ladies,
GP2, GP 3, Ski Veterans and Ski Juniors, who
would also be fighting for the world title.
The impressive line-up of international stars
included a clutch of World and European
Champions as well as the current leaders of
the UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship
in Runabout GP1 & Ski Ladies, France’s
Jeremy Perez and Latvia’s Krista Uzare.
Perez kicked-off his weekend posting the
fastest time in qualifying, outpacing Spaniard
Roberto Alexander by 1.807s, with Portugal’s
Christophe Agostinho third quickest, but
Uzare was off the pace in fifth and outgunned
by defending world champion Emma-Nellie
Ortendahl who posted a best 1:45.923s lap
in front of Jasmiin Yprause, Katriin Nilbe and
Jonna Borgstrom.
In Ski GP1 young Estonian rider Marten Manni
was quickest and gave defending European
Champion Raphael Maurin something to
think about, with Ulrik Berntsen third fastest,
Portuguese riders Rui Sousa and Goncalo
Rodrigues topping the time sheets in GP2&3,
Egon Ypraus fastest in Veterans.
Ismael Rojas and rising star Samuel Johansson
were the pace setters in Runabout GP2 & 4,
with Anders-Hubert Lauri in Ski GP3.2 and
Vitorino Rodrigues in Ski GP3.3 the fastest
juniors on the water.
The Runabout GP1 title went to Portugal’s
Christophe Agostinho who overturned a four
point deficit in the final moto to seal overall
victory.
Moto 2 winner Agostinho was tied in second
place with Sweden’s Johan Johansson behind
points’ leader and Moto 1 winner Patrice
Pellier going into the decider and sealed
overall victory finishing in second place.
Johansson also jumped Pellier after finishing
in fourth with Pellier managing only seventh
but completing the championship podium.
After finishing in third in moto 1 Jeremy
Perez’s hopes of a fifth title faltered in moto
2 after retiring but he hit back to win the final
moto to take fifth overall behind Roberto
AQUABIKE
A
AQUABIKE
n° 3 SEPTEMBER | 2018
38