News
Friday, August 15: After a hectic summer of UIM-ABP European Continental Aquabike Championship racing in Poland, Portugal and Hungary – where many of the world’s finest riders have been fine-tuning their skills and keeping in physical trim – the UIM-ABP World Aquabike Championship finally gets underway on spectacular Lake Toba with the Grand Prix of Indonesia this weekend.
Riders competing in the Runabout GP1, Ski GP1, Ski Ladies GP1 and Freestyle disciplines have arrived in the town of Balige in Sumatra and are counting the hours to the start of free practice and pole position qualifying on Saturday morning. Several of the Runabout GP1 riders have already taken part in the World Endurance Championship, while others have been acclimatising to the time zone and enjoying the warm and friendly Indonesian hospitality.
After this opening round, the championship will then move on to Sardinia in mid-October before what promises to be a thrilling finale with a return to Qatar two weeks later.
Nineteen international riders grace the entry list for the flagship Runabout GP1 category, with the defending Swedish World Champion Samuel Johansson and last year’s runner-up François Medori opting to miss the six endurance Motos earlier this week in favour of preparing fully for the circuit racing on Saturday and Sunday.
Riders competing in Runabout GP1 come from twelve nations and as far afield as the United States, Europe and the Middle East. Hoping to challenge Johansson and Medori for title honours is the American duo of Jay Finliinson and Juan Cruz Lezcano, the European Championship-leading Frenchman Jéremy Perez and his fellow countrymen Pierre-François Savelli, Guillaume Hemain and Jean Baptiste Baldassari.
They will be lining up against Sweden’s Linus Lindberg, the Emirati duo of Mohammed Mohsin and Khalid Al-Maazmi, the experienced Czech Martin Doulík and Poland’s Andrzej Wisniewski. Hungarian György Kasza and Dane Rasmus Koch Hansen both suffered technical issues in the endurance races but will be hoping to return with a vengeance in the shorter circuit Motos.
Lino Araujo, who was putting up a competitive fight in the Endurance Championship until an engine issue caused an early retirement in Moto 5, was unable to fix his bike in time, forcing him to miss this round. Anthony Radetic, who placed third on the podium in the Endurance Championship, has withdrawn from the Runabout race for technical reasons.
Nineteen racers grace the entry list for the highly-competitive Ski GP1 category. Belgian Quinten Bossche is the defending World Champion, but he has faced a fierce challenge in the European Championship so far this season and will lock horns again with Dane Oliver Koch Hansen and the two French Poret brothers, Mickael and Jéremy. Valentin Dardillat, young Benjamin Scharff, Axel Courtois and Alex Barret also represent France.
Swede Felix Helgesson has made the trip to Sumatra alongside the likes of Japan’s Toshi O’Hara and Soshi Sato, the young Belgian duo of Yoni Hamelin and Anthony Beernaut, American rider Jake Pearce, Canada’s Maxence Russel and the talented young Estonian Ander-Hubert Lauri. Portugal’s Thomas Bento, Swiss racer Alec Enderli and the Scandinavian duo of Mads Koch Hansen and Dag Martin Drange round off a formidable field of world class riders.
The fastest 10 female racers on the planet have all made the trip to Sumatra to compete in what promises to be a thrilling three Ski Ladies GP1 Motos to determine the outcome of the Grand Prix of Indonesia.
Jasmiin Ypraus is the defending World Champion, Benedicte Drange is the defending European champion and Jessica Chavanne is a former champion, who currently leads this year’s European Championship after nine Motos.
The Estonian, the Norwegian and the French girl head a field that includes the impressive Estelle Poret of France and the Swede Sofie Borgstrom. Strength in depth throughout the Ski Ladies GP1 field also sees Virginie Morlaes, Joana Graça, Janina Johansson, Naomi Benini and River Varner grace the final entry.
Four Freestyle entrants have made the trip to southeast Asia to challenge for glory in the sporting discipline that is sure to entertain the massive crowds lining the shores of Lake Toba in Balige this weekend.
Team Abu Dhabi’s defending World Champion Rashid Al-Mulla leads the way from the current European Champion Roberto Mariani, Portugal’s Paulo Nuñes and Italian Massimo Accumolo.
Free practice for each of the four sporting disciplines takes centre stage on Lake Toba from 09.00hrs on Saturday morning with pole position qualifying for Moto 1 following on from 10.30hrs.
The first of the Motos will then get the green light from 15.15hrs with the Ski Ladies GP1 entrants first into action, followed by Ski GP1, Runabout GP1 and Freestyle competitors.