MEDIA INFORMATION
2025 UIM-ABP European Continental Aquabike Championship
MEZIÈRE, REGGIANI, DRANGE, MORGAN PORET AND PEREZ EARN GRAND PRIX OF MIRA VICTORIES IN PORTUGAL
Sunday, July 6: Sunday afternoon’s final session of the Grand Prix of Mira determined the winners of the remaining categories after an enthralling weekend’s racing hosted by the FPM and Aquabike Promotion in Portugal.
Frenchman Mathys Mezière kickstarted the afternoon’s action by confirming victory in the Ski GP4 category and then it was the turn of Italian Manuel Reggiani to confirm the Grand Prix laurels in Runabout GP2.
That paved the way for the remaining heavyweight categories to be decided in four thrilling Motos to determine the outcome of the Ski Ladies GP1, Ski GP1, Runabout GP1 and Freestyle classes.
Norway’s Benedicte Drange enjoyed a sensational return to the Ski Ladies GP1 category with a clean sweep of Moto wins on her way to Grand Prix glory. Morgan Poret fended off a fierce challenge from his brother Mickael and Oliver Koch Hansen to win the Grand Prix in Ski GP1. Jéremy Perez cruised to the finish of an accident-interrupted third Moto in second place to confirm Grand Prix victory in the Runabout GP1 class.
Mezière seals Ski GP4 GP win
Mathys Mezière had secured victory in Motos 1 and 2 in Ski GP4 and lined up ahead of Daniils Potrivailo, Grantas Gurkšnys and Lucas Mouchotte for the final showdown. He had a six-point lead over his closest Latvian rival.
Mezière started the brighter, edged ahead of Potrivailo and began to stretch his lead. The gap was up to 19.95 seconds through lap three and the Frenchman was never troubled from then on. He passed the chequered flag 49.12 seconds ahead of Potrivailo to secure Grand Prix success and extend his considerable lead in the European Championship to 28 points.
Potrivailo earned the silver medal at the Grand Prix and moved into second place in the series’ standings ahead of third-placed Gurkšnys and Mouchotte.
Runabout GP2 GP success for Reggiani; Prats Palau wins Moto 3
Manuel Reggiani took the start of the third Runabout GP2 Moto with a five-point lead over Tom Claerhout in the duel for Grand Peix honours. Series leader Domantas Vasnys was down in ninth place in the weekend’s rankings, while Alejandro Prats Palau had pole position for Moto 3 from Reggiani and Claerhout.
Prats Palau made the best start and headed through the opening lap ahead of Stefano Castronovo, Reggiani and Daniel Hernández with Claerhout down in fifth and Vasnys climbing rapidly from ninth to sixth. Claerhout passed Hernández to grab fourth but the running order for the remainder of the field remained unchanged into lap four.
Reggiani was safe in the knowledge that a top three would be sufficient to seal the Grand Prix win and Prats Palau was able to stay out in front of Reggiani, Claerhout, Vasnys and Castronovo to reach the chequered flag with a lead of 4.02 seconds. The result gave the Spaniard the runner-up spot in the Grand Prix with third-placed Claerhout taking the bronze medal.
Scoring no points in Moto 2 on Saturday proved costly for fourth-placed Vasnys and he ceded his European Championship lead to Claerhout with Prats Palau moving up to third.
Drange secures Ski Ladies GP1 Grand Prix success
Benedicte Drange had missed the opening round of the European Championship through illness but she bounced back strongly to win the opening two Motos in Portugal. Those results gave the girl from Bergen a 10-point cushion over a tying Estelle Poret, Jasmiin Ypraus and Jessica Chavanne in the battle for Grand Prix honours.
She lined up ahead of Ypraus, Chavanne, Poret, Virginie Morlaes and Joana Graça for the 15-minute Moto. Lou Dardillat was a non-starter. Drange again started well and held off Poret, Chavanne, Morlaes and Benini through the opening turns with Ypraus down in sixth and facing a fight back through the field.
Drange stormed clear of her rivals and has opened up a lead of 12.52 seconds by lap three. With renewed confidence, the Norwegian stayed ahead of all her adversaries to record a third straight Moto win by 20.88 seconds to seal Grand Prix victory from Poret and Chavanne. Ypraus and Morlaes came home in fourth and fifth places in the Moto ahead of Benini and Graça.
The result enabled Chavanne (135 points) to extend her European Championship lead to 24 points over second-placed Morlaes with Ypraus moving up to third.
Grand Prix winner Drange said: “It was just amazing. I took the hole shot, led the whole way, the ski was fantastic and thanks to my mechanics.”
Morgan Poret takes Moto 3 to win Ski GP1 Grand Prix
Morgan Poret and Oliver Koch Hansen headed into Ski GP2’s Moto 3 showdown tied on 47 points apiece with Mickael Poret nine points behind in third. Koch Hansen had won Moto 2 and had pole position for the final heat from Morgan Poret, Mickael and Jéremy Poret and Matteo Benini. Mickael Poret continued to lead the European Championship.
Of the 22 entrants, only Valentin Dardillat and Quinten Bossche failed to make the start. The pace was fierce with Morgan and Mickael Poret hitting the front from Koch Hansen, Alec Enderli, Jéremy Poret, Thomas Bento and Maxence Russel. Morgan managed to stay just ahead of his older brother through the opening laps, although Koch Hansen was also in close pursuit on his Pro Watercraft ski. Frenchman Paul Thomas retired after just one lap.
Morgan began to edge away from his rivals as the Moto progressed and the Frenchman maintained his nerve and composure to clinch a vital victory by just 2.38 seconds from his brother Mickael. Koch Hansen came home in third ahead of Enderli, Bento and Russel. Jéremy Poret and Jéremy Rathoin pulled out after four laps.
The Moto victory confirmed Grand Prix success for Morgan over Koch Hansen and Mickael Poret, although the latter continues to lead the European Championship by 11 points from a tying Koch Hansen and his brother Morgan.
Morgan Poret said: “A win this weekend. I am very happy. A big thanks to everyone who helped me. This place is fantastic. It was so good.”
Perez wins Runabout GP1 Grand Prix
Jéremy Perez headed into the third of the Runabout GP1 Motos and the last of the on-course racing action of the weekend with a six-point lead over Pierre-François Savelli in the push for Grand Prix success. He lined up ahead of his closest French rival and Robin Laforge, Andrzej Wisniewski, Krzysztof Olszewski and Florian Bardoux for the final heat.
Savelli got the better of his rival from the start and led through the opening turn buoys with Wisniewski, Martin Doulik and Laforge trailing in their wake. But the Moto was red-flagged after local star Lino Araùjo crashed and was hospitalised for medical attention.
Once again, Savelli got the better of Perez from the get-go, as Doulik, Laforge and Dryjak slotted into third, fourth and fifth. Rasmus Koch Hansen didn’t make the restart.
Savelli stormed away from Perez but his rival knew that second place would be enough to take Grand Prix glory and he settled into a pursuing position with Doulik, Laforge and Petr Dryjak running inside the top five.
Savelli was eventually overtaken by a flying Perez with Laforge passing Dryjak to take third. Doulik hit trouble on lap 13 of 15 and slipped back to 12th position.
Perez duly secured Grand Prix success in style with a winning margin of 6.85 seconds in Moto 3 and extended his lead in the European Championship to 33 points with Savelli and Laforge now his closest rivals after two rounds tied on 114 points apiece. Savelli and Laforge also finished second and third in the Grand Prix.
Perez said: “I am very happy to be here in Portugal. I did a good start and I managed my second place and I saw Savelli miss a buoy and I pushed a bit sand tried to pass. I win the race here and I am leading the European Championship before the last two races in Hungary and France.”
Ends