Wednesday, 14 October: Ski GP1 ace Kevin Reiterer stands on the cusp of lifting the coveted UIM-ABP World title in his debut season on the tour.

From young pretender at the season start to champion elect with the final GP of the year in Sharjah in the UAE in December, the 23-year-old Austrian from Wiener Neustadt tops the standings on 111 points, ten clear of Spaniard Nacho Armillas, with 17 and 20 points in hand over Mickael [Poret] and defending World Champion Jeremy Poret.

Reiterer’s reputation arrived before he did and there was much talk in the paddock of his ability when everyone gathered in Qatar back in March.  His opening gambit was mixed, a fourth and a breakdown coupled with losing his number one machine in Doha Bay was not the start he was after, immediately giving his rivals the advantage.

But in Castro, Italy, in tough conditions and on his second string bike, he battled hard and traded wins with Mickael Poret to grab his first Grand Prix title and close the points gap in the title race.

At the last round in Liuzhou in China he was back on his favoured machine and the class act, showed his pace and all round skill to win both heats and collect a second title and, more importantly, take over top spot in the standings. The title is now his to lose.