Aquabike Grand Prix Sardinia-Ogliastra win to Balzer

by aquabike.net on 30 May 2011 Sardinia-Ogliastra Aquabike Grand Prix saw riders Francois Medori, Jeremy Poret and Romain Stampers, and Italy’s Stefania Balzer achieve overall victories in their respective classes.

Victory in today’s second heat in Runabout F1 gave Francois Medori of France the Grand Prix title over the Italian Fracasso while Jeremy Poret enjoyed his third win of the year in Ski Division F1.

Stefania Balzer saw her first victory yesterday, giving the young Italian her first Grand Prix title in Ski Ladies F1, after heat two 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 one 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 one 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 focused 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 two 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 two

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 two 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 two

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 two 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 two

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 two 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 two

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

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