Saturday, 19 December, SHARJAH (UAE): Jean-Baptiste Botti, Jeremy Poret and Kylie Ellmers grabbed the advantage in their respective categories in today’s official qualifying and will start heats 1 of the UIM-ABP Aquabike Class Pro Grand Prix of Sharjah from pole position.
The climax to the 21st season of the Aquabike Class Pro World Championship is set for a spectacular and nail-biting showdown tomorrow with 51 riders from 18 countries lining up with the UIM-ABP tour in the Emirate of Sharjah for the first time.
After Grand Prix in Qatar, Italy and China it is now the best-of-the-best who are within touching distance of winning a prestigious UIM world title, ahead of them two deciding heats with 50 points up for grabs.
In Runabout GP1 it is the Middle East versus France, 28 points separating the top six with Qatar’s Thamer Al Darwish ten points clear in the title race, chased by French duo Jeremy Perez and Jean-Baptiste Botti and Kuwait’s Youssef Al Abdulrazzaq.
Four riders are in with a shout in Ski GP1, Spaniard Nacho Armillas and French brothers Mickael and Jeremy Poret all chasing points leader, Austria’s Kevin Reiterer, with Swedish youngster Emma-Nellie Ortendahl leading a two-horse race in the women’s division with a slender three point advantage over France’s Jennifer Menard.
In Freestyle it is clear cut, it is Slovenia’s Florjancic versus Florjancic, Rok versus Nac.
Twenty-two lined up in Runabout for Q1 and Jean-Baptiste Botti will be more than satisfied with his final 10 minute session in Q2, needing just two laps to secure the all-important pole slot with a time of 1:45.07s around the 31-pin anticlockwise circuit on Khalid Lagoon.
Three-time race winner Botti was just one-tenth quicker than 2013 world champion Abdulrazzaq, with Sweden’s Lars Akerblom four seconds off the pace in third.
There may well be some concern in the Qatar camp with points’ leader Al Darwish in fourth and six seconds shy of Botti, with China Grand Prix winner Mohamed Al Heidus struggling with mechanical issues and failing to make it out of Q1 and down in twelfth spot.
Another big surprise was the poor showing by Italy Grand Prix winner, Khalifa Belselah, another big name who failed to make the cut.
In Ski, Jeremy Poret will be by far the happiest posting a time of 1:45.75s and edging out title favourite Kevin Reiterer by three-tenths to take pole, with Nacho Armillas surprisingly over five seconds off the pace but third quickest.
Whilst Poret was more than happy with his performance and machine and his quick thinking, going first out onto the water in Q2 to take advantage of the flat water, both Reiterer and Armillas may have issues to think about, their bikes being worked on after qualifying with both engines out to replace broken parts.
In the ladies division, New Zealand’s Kylie Ellmers could well be the surprise package tomorrow and produced by far her best performance of the season to take the pole with 1:58.23s, over a second quicker than championship leader Emma Nellie Ortendahl and Portugal’s European Champion Beatriz Curtinhal, with defending world champion Jennifer Menard over two seconds of the pole sitter.
In Freestyle two-time world champion Rok Florjancic has the upper hand and on top in two categories, style and variety and notching up 90 points, with Qatar’s Rashid Al Mulla just three points down but ahead of Rok’s brother Nac.
The first of two heats starts at 10.00hrs [local], with the final heats of the season starting at 14.00hrs.
For full set of results: www.aquabike.net