Balzer Takes First Grand Prix Win - But French Riders Still Rule Aquabikes!

UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship TORTOLI-ARBATAX, Sardinia Sunday, 29 May, 2011 header_may29.jpgThe French trio of Francois Medori, Jeremy Poret and Romain Stampers, and Italy's Stefania Balzer celebrated overall class victories in the Sardinia-Ogliastra Aquabike Grand Prix.

A win in today’s second heat in Runabout F1 gave Medori the Grand Prix title over Italian Mattia Fracasso. Jeremy Poret celebrated with his third win of the year in Ski Division F1, with second place for Balzer, after her win yesterday, giving the young Italian her first Grand Prix title in Ski Ladies F1, after heat 2 race winner, Julie Bulteau, was penalised for a jump start, dropping her to fourth place. In Freestyle, Romain Stampers completed a famous win-double over his arch-rival Valerio Calderoni. For Bulteau the penalty was a bitter blow after cruising to what seemed an easy third win from four starts in 2011. The French World Champion left her rivals behind at the start, opening up an eight second lead by the end of the first lap. Slovenia’s Pija Sumer took advantage of a poor start by pole-sitter Balzer to lead the chase, but Bulteau disappeared into the distance, going on to complete the eight laps by a comfortable 11-second margin; the penalty costing her the win and the lead in the overall World Championship standings to Balzer. Bulteau’s penalty gave Pija Sumer her first win of the year, ahead of Balzer, and second place overall in the Grand Prix ahead of Bulteau. Italian Marta Sorrentino coming home a distant third in today’s race. In Ski Division F1 Jeremy Poret took full advantage of heat 1 winner Jean-Baptiste Botti’s miss-fortune, after the Frenchman was forced out of the race, stopping on lap six having opened up a ten second lead. Poret swept into the lead, 35 seconds clear of the chasing pack headed by Christopher Courtois and Mickael Poret; the duo following Poret to the chequered flag to complete the top three. Emanuele Balzer grabbed a second fourth place finish of the weekend after holding off a sustained challenge from Nachete Armillas, with Morgan Poret coming home in sixth place to complete good weekend for the Poret racing dynasty, Jeremy and Mickael taking first and third places in the Grand Prix standings, second place going to Courtois. A win in Runabout F1 for Francois Medori over yesterday’s heat 1 winner Mattia Fracasso gave him the Grand Prix title, with his countryman Jeremy Perez completing the podium after a second top-six finish. Medori led from the start and by mid-race was 22-seconds clear, with Fracasso focussed on holding off the challenge of defending World Champion Cyrille Lemoine who, despite coming from the back off the pack to third place, was unable to go one better and overhaul the Italian. Mathieu Podda produced one of the best performances of the afternoon, moving up from outside the top ten at the end of the opening lap, to eighth on lap four and into fourth place by the end of lap seven. Gory Kazsa was another rider to move through the field, picking up four places to finish in fifth place ahead of Perez. In Freestyle, Roberto Mariani and Sebastien Tchernia found themselves outclassed by the discipline’s two showman Valerio Calderoni and Romain Stampers, who both turned on the style with an array of tricks, Stampers turning the tables on the flamboyant Italian, taking his second win of the weekend and Grand Prix honours. Runabout - Heat 2 results 1. 4 Francois Medori (fra) 12 laps 25 pts 2. 8 Mattia Fracasso (ita) + 9.76secs 20 pts 3. 9 Cyrille Lemoine (fra) + 20.11secs 16 pts 4. 48 Mathieu Podda (fra) + 1lap 13 pts 5. 5 Gory Kazsa (hun) + 1lap 11 pts 6. 88 Jeremy Perez (fra) + 1lap 10 pts Championship Positions after round 2 1. 4 Francois Medori (fra) 74 pts 2. 8 Mattia Fracasso (ita) 67 pts 3. 1 Franky Zapata (fra) 50 pts 4. 9 Cyrille Lemoine (fra) 45 pts 5. 2 Nadir Bin Hendi (UAE) 40 pts 6. Lorenzo Benaglia (ita) 28 pts 7. Jeremy Perez (fra) 26 pts 8. Gory Kasza (hun) 25 pts 9. Gianluca Santi Amantini (ita) 22 pts 10. Mohamad Burbayae (kuw) 19 pts Ski Division F1 - Heat 2 results 1. 72 Jeremy Poret (fra) 10 laps 25 pts 2. 95 Christopher Courtois (fra) + 28.90secs 20 pts 3. 77 Mickael Poret (fra) + 41.71secs 16 pts 4. 222 Emanuele Balzer (ita) + 48.12secs 13 pts 5. 36 Nachete Armillas (esp) + 1:07.50secs 11 pts 6. 5 Morgan Poret (fra) + 1:21.13secs 10 pts Championship Positions after round 2 1. 72 Jeremy Poret (fra) 90 pts 2. 95 Christopher Courtois (fra) 68 pts 3. 85 Jean-Baptiste Botti (fra) 63 pts 4. 36 Nachete Armillas (esp) 52 pts 5. 222 Emanuele Balzer (ita) 42 pts 6. 77 Mickael Poret (fra) 36 pts 7. 5 Morgan Poret (fra) 35 pts 8. Vincent Vilat (fra) 28 pts 9. Olivier Polo (fra) 27 pts 10. 301 Alberto Monti (ita) 22 pts Ski Ladies F1 - Heat 2 results 1. 25 Pija Sumer (slo) 8 laps 25 pts 2. 81 Stefania Balzer (ita) + 1.57secs 20 pts 3. 4 Marta Sorrentino (ita) + 1:54.29secs 16 pts 4. 33 Julie Bulteau (fra) + 1lap 13 pts 5. 61 Patty Gutierrez (esp) + 1lap 11 pts 6. 96 Estelle Poret (fra) + 1lap 10 pts Championship Positions after round 2 1. 81 Stefania Balzer (ita) 85 pts 2. 33 Julie Bulteau (fra) 83 pts 3. 25 Pija Sumer (slo) 73 pts 4. 4 Marta Sorrentino (ita) 55 pts 5. 96 Estelle Poret (fra) 39 pts 6. 61 Patty Gutierrez (esp) 33 pts 7. 94 Lou Dardillat (fra) 19 pts 8. 11 Paola Boggi (ita) 17 pts Freestyle - Heat 2 results 1. 20 Romain Stampers (fra) 25 pts 2. 16 Valerio Calderoni (ita) 20 pts 3. 56 Sebastien Tchernia (fra) 16 pts 4. 70 Roberto Mariani (ita) 13 pts Championship Positions after round 2 1. 16 Valerio Calderoni (ita) 90 pts 2. 20 Romain Stampers (fra) 70 pts 3. 70 Roberto Mariani (ita) 58 pts 4. 32 Khaled Al-Qubaisi (UAE) 33 pts 5. Sebastien Tchernia (fra) 32 pts For further information: http://www.aquabike.net