MEDIA INFORMATION
2025 UIM-ABP European Continental Aquabike Championship
MEZIÈRE, REGGIANI, DRANGE, MORGAN PORET AND PEREZ SECURE MOTO 1 SUCCESSES IN MIRA
Saturday, July 5: Mathys Mezière, Manuel Reggiani, Benedicte Drange, Morgan Poret and Jéremy Perez triumphed in the remaining Moto 1s at the Grand Prix of Mira on Saturday morning. They won their respective Ski GP4, Runabout GP2, Ski Ladies GP1, Ski GP1 and Runabout GP1 heats in warm, sunny conditions in Portugal.
Comfortable Ski GP4 Moto 1 win for Mezière
Series leader Mathys Mezière lined up on pole ahead of Daniils Potrivailo, Grantas Gurkšnys and Lucas Mouchotte for the first of the Ski GP4 Motos. The Frenchman quickly got into his stride and managed to pull well clear of his three rivals by the end of lap one.
After three laps, Mezière’s lead had grown to 18.90 seconds and he eventually cruised to the chequered flag after 10 laps to win the Moto by 49.82 seconds and extend his European Championship advantage. Potrivailo, Gurkšnys and Mouchotte rounded off the finishers.
Reggiani nets Runabout GP2 Moto 1 win
Belgian Tom Claerhout lined up on pole position ahead of Manuel Reggiani and Alejandro Prats Palau for the first of the Runabout GP2 Motos. Penalties after qualifying had pushed series leader Domantas Vaznys down the starting order into seventh.
The impressive Vaznys made a sensational start and managed to claw his way through the field to snatch the lead after the opening lap with Reggiani and Miguel de Oliveira trailing in his wake. Fábio Costa was fourth and Claerhout was down in fifth.
Vaznys continued to edge away from his rivals as the Moto progressed and the Lithuanian strengthened his grip on the European Championship on his Seadoo. But he slipped back to fourth after five laps of the heat and Reggiani snatched the lead from De Oliveira and Claerhout with Costa in fifth of the nine runners. Reggiani held on to claim the win by 9.54 seconds with Claerhout, De Oliveira, Vasnys and Daniel Hernández rounding off the top five.
De Oliveira was later docked a lap for a jump start and that lifted Vasnys and Hernández into third and fourth and Costa into fifth.
Drange secures opening Ski Ladies GP1 Moto success
Jasmiin Ypraus lined up ahead of Benedicte Drange, Jessica Chavanne, Estelle Poret and Virginie Morlaes for the first of the Ski Ladies GP1 Motos. Chavanne was out to defend her 11-point European Championship lead against formidable opposition.
Surprisingly, Drange emerged from the opening sprint in the lead and Poret also passed Ypraus on the opening lap with Drange heading into lap two 6.36 seconds up on Poret. Behind Ypraus, Chavanne held fourth from Lou Dardillat, Virginie Morlaes, Jana Graça and Naomi Benini.
Drange fended off her rivals for the remainder of the Moto to earn a 16.30-second win on her Fast Powersports ski with Poret, Chavanne, Ypraus and Dardillat completing the top five. The podium finish enabled Chavanne to increase her lead in the championship standings on her Kommander.
A delighted Drange said: “The race was really good from the start. I got the hole shot and got to lead the whole way. It’s really good to be back. I haven’t been on a GP1 ski in four and a half months due to sickness. To be back here and to do so good is amazing.”
Morgan Poret wins Ski GP1 opener
Defending World Champion Quinten Bossche hoped to benefit from his pole position at the start of the opening Ski GP1 Moto. A formidable line-up of riders trailed in his wake led by Morgan Poret, Valentin Dardillat, series leader Mickael Poret and Alec Enderli, Oliver Koch Hansen and Jéremy Poret following close behind.
The flying Bossche held his nerve after a restart and stayed ahead of both Morgan and Mickael Poret, Enderli and Oliver Koch Hansen. Young Estonian Ander-Hubert Lauri was not among the 21 starters.
Bossche continued to press ahead at the expense of the two Poret brothers but the Belgian bomber hit terminal engine trouble on lap seven and plummeted down the rankings and out of the Moto. Morgan Poret held off Koch Hansen and Mickael Poret to claim the win by 3.15 seconds on his Kommander with Enderli, Valentin Dardillat, Kase Kerto and Jéremy Poret wrapping up the top seven. Bossche’s fellow Belgian Yoni Hamelin retired after two laps. The result enabled Mickael Poret to tighten his grip on the European Championship lead.
Morgan Poret said: “Crazy, my new ski and my engine are fantastic. Thanks to Kommander. I made a very good start but Quinten passed me on the first turn after the split. There is a lot of respect between Quinten and me. He passed on my inside but I pushed to follow him and then I saw that he had broken the engine, I think, so I just did my race and I am happy to win.”
Runabout GP1 success for series leader Perez
Jéremy Perez headed into the opening Portuguese Moto in pole position and as the leader of the European Championship. Martin Doulik, Rasmus Koch Hansen, Florian Bardoux and Pierre-François Savelli line dup behind the Frenchman with Andrzej Wisniewski,
Robin Laforge, Lino Araùjo and Petr Dryjak in close attendance.
Perez had a perfect opportunity to increase his European Championship lead but the Frenchman lost out to fellow countryman Savelli at the start and found himself playing catch up from the outset. Araùjo and Laforge climbed to second and third at the expense of Koch Hansen and Bardoux. Doulik slipped to eighth.
Savelli managed to stay ahead of Perez but Koch Hansen withdrew after three laps. Doulik began to climb through the field and was back up to fifth through lap five.
Perez continued to apply the pressure on Savelli and was able to find a way past to snatch the Moto win on his Seadoo. He finished 4.17 seconds ahead of Savelli with Araùjo, Laforge, Doulik and Dryjak rounding off the top six.
Perez said: “The race was good. I start second. Savvy (Savelli) was first and he did a good start and I managed to stay behind him. After half the race, I saw an opportunity to pass and I pushed and passed him. He did a good race also. It was a France one-two and good points for the weekend.”
Ends