Sunday, March 24: Estonian Jessica Ypraus and Belgian racer Quinten Bossche sealed overall Ski Ladies GP1 and Ski Division GP1 victories in the Grand Prix of Bình Định-Vietnam with wins in the third of the Motos in Quy Nhon on Saturday afternoon.
Ypraus’s second Moto win of the weekend sealed the overall Grand Prix victory for the Estonian and gave her a 12-point lead over Estelle Poret in the Ski Ladies GP1 World Championship standings after Jessica Chavanne’s spectacular retirement early in the race with a broken engine.
The delighted Estonian said: “The race was different. It was emotional for her because I know how much she pushes and I love our close battles, But, right now, it was only me left on the water with the waves and I am happy that I finished the race with good times. Even for us, five minutes before the start, my ski was not working so I am so grateful for my mechanics and all the people who helped me make it work for the start.”
Quinten Bossche sealed a clean sweep of Moto wins to claim the Grand Prix victory in the Ski Division GP1 category in Vietnam. The Belgian was pushed hard throughout the nine-lap race but he was able to fend off the Dane and reached the chequered flag 3,314sec ahead of the Dane.
Bossche said: “Very good. Honestly, we didn’t train that much this winter. We came here and the first Moto I got the win. Maybe I got lucky but then I got a win in the second Moto as well. So I thought that maybe I am in shape enough to win this race. That’s what we did. We had another amazing race. Koch Hansen was there the whole way. I had to push hard and that was a little bit out of my comfort zone. But I managed to keep him behind me and I am so happy for my team, my family, my girlfriend and everybody back home.
Ypraus seals Moto 3 and Grand Prix win in Ski Ladies GP1 after heartbreak for Chavanne
Chavanne and Ypraus lined up at the start of the final Moto in a winner-takes-all scenario after a win and second place apiece in the opening two Motos. Benedicte Drange and Estelle Poret were tied in third place, nine points adrift, and Sofie Borgström was out on her own in fifth. A miserable weekend’s racing thus far had pushed former champion Emma-Nellie Ortendahl down to the foot of the rankings in 11th. Lisa Caussin Battaglia survived a late scare when her ski refused to start before the Moto started.
Chavanne was like a greyhound out of the blocks and managed to stay clear of Ypraus, Poret and Drange, although the French racer had to close the door on a hard-charging Ypraus on the opening lap. The defending World Champion looked set to finish the opening lap in front until she dramatically crashed into the water with a blown engine, the incident handing Ypraus the race lead and ruining the French girl’s chance of winning the Grand Prix.
Ypraus completed lap one 4.710 seconds in front of Poret with Drange, Borgström and Ortendahl completing the top five. Mechanical issues made it impossible for Chavanne to continue and her dream ended when the ski was towed back to the pontoon. Ypraus extended her cushion over Poret to 7.117 seconds on lap two and the remainder of the top five held station. River Varner, Joana Graca, Naomi Benini, Janina Johansson and Battaglia rounded off the top 10.
Ortendahl overtook Swedish rival Borgström to snatch fourth but Ypraus was remorseless at the front of the field and continued to extend her lead over Poret. The Estonian led by 13.237 seconds into lap five, but Ortendahl was the girl on the move and the 10-time Swedish champion passed Drange to take third place.
Ypraus stayed clear of any late disasters and romped to the Moto win, victory in the Grand Prix and the early lead in the World Championship with a 17.468-second victory over Poret – the French girl confirming second in the Grand Prix and a similar position in the World Championship.
Varner managed to overtake Borgström to snatch fifth place, as Ortendahl sealed the final place on the Moto podium. Drange went down on lap seven and dropped behind both Varner and Borgström, with the American finishing the race in fourth and Borgström, Drange, Graca, Johansson, Benini and Battaglia rounding off the 10 finishers. Despite slipping to sixth, Drange confirmed third place in the Grand Prix behind Ypraus and Poret. Chavanne slipped to fifth in the points’ standings behind Borgström.
Bossche takes clean sweep of Moto wins to seal Ski Division GP1 glory
Quinten Bossche lined up alongside Kevin Reiterer at the start of Moto 3 with a six-point advantage in the fight for Ski Division GP1 Grand Prix honours and an early lead in the World Championship. Morgan Poret was a further four points behind in third and Oliver Koch Hansen was a distant fourth. Dag Martin Drange suffered technical issues on the pontoon minutes before the start and was sidelined, while Daniel Svae Andersen had replaced a broken battery lead that cost him dearly in Moto 2.
Bossche continued where he left off in the morning’s Moto and the Belgian stormed into the lead. He was followed by a hard-charging Oliver Koch Hansen, Morgan Poret, Reiterer and Jeremy Poret through the opening turns. The Ostende driver was 2.911 seconds ahead of Koch Hansen through lap two with the top five holding their lines, ahead of sixth-placed Toshi Ohara, Anthony Beernaut, Mickael Poret, Alec Enderli and Matteo Benini after Axel Courtois dropped out after two laps
Reiterer began to pressurise Morgan Poret for third and Bossche was not able to shake off the advances of Koch Hansen with eight minutes on the clock. Reiterer’s persistence was rewarded and the Austrian moved ahead of Morgan Poret and into third with the rest of the top 10 holding station.
Jeremy Poret passed his brother Morgan after four laps and held fourth, as Bossche and Koch Hansen were embroiled in their own little contest and were running well clear of third-placed Reiterer.
Bossche held off Koch Hansen to confirm a hat-trick of Moto victories and he sealed the Grand Prix with a maximum 75 points. Third place was enough for Reiterer to finish the Grand Prix weekend in second place and Morgan Poret confirmed third in the race and the points’ standings with fifth overall behind his brother Jeremy in Moto 3.
Ohara came home in sixth, Beernaut passed Mickael Poret to take seventh and the Frenchman lost further ground and slipped behind Valentin Dardillat and into ninth. Enderli rounded off the top 10.