Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Tayer was denied back-to-back victories in the Grand Prix of Kuwait today by another dramatic twist in the opening round of the 2020 UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship.
The Emirati rider, who won the previous day’s first Runabout GP1 moto from pole position, made another superb start to moto two and held a comfortable lead from Kuwait’s Yousef Al Abdulrazzaq before being halted by mechanical problems on the eighth of 18 laps.
Four-time world champion Abdulrazzaq went on to win by 28.81 seconds from last year’s championship runner up, Denmark’s Marcus Jorgensen, with reigning world champion Jeremy Perez of France in third.
Team Abu Dhabi were celebrating later, however, when reigning world freestyle champion Rashid Al-Mulla added victory in moto 2 to his success the previous day to clinch his 11th consecutive Grand Prix success.
Al Tayer had been looking to clinch the opening Grand Prix of the season as he did in Portugal last year, and despite today’s setback looks capable of mounting a serious Runabout GP1 title challenge.
It may be some time before Team Abu Dhabi’s Salman Al Awadhi can do the same in Ski GP1. But the 18-year-old underlined his undoubted talent by producing his best finish to date as he took second place in moto 3 behind Victory Team’s defending champion Kevin Reiterer.
Shaken by her finish line collision with fellow-Swede Jonna Borgstrom 24 hours earlier, Team Abu Dhabi’s Emma-Nellie Ortendahl bounced back to take second place in the third Ski Ladies GP1 moto behind France’s Jessica Chavanne, the overall Grand Prix winner.
“I have some bruises and am still a little sore, but we managed to keep it together after some technical issues here,” said three-times world champion Ortendahl, making her team debut.
Results
Runabout GP1 – Moto 2
1. Yousef Al Abdulrazzaq (KWT) 18 laps
2. Marcus Jorgensen (Den) +28.81
3. Jeremy Perez (FRA) +44.30
4. Samuel Johansson (SWE) +1m.02
5. Rasmus Koch Hansen (DEN) L1
6. Ali Allanjawi (UAE) L1
7. Alejandro Molina Miranda(SPA) L1
8. Andrzej Wisniewski (POL) L1
9. Johan Johansson (SWE) L2
10. Frederik Brandao (GER) L2
Ski GP1 – Moto 3
1. Kevin Reiterer (AUT) 12 laps
2. Salman Al Awadhi (UAE) +41.40
3. Stian Schjetlein (NOR) +43.35
4. Barnabas Szabo (HUN) +48.00
5. Nacho Armillas (SPA) +49.50
6. Mickael Poret (FRA) +51.34
7. Daniel Svae Andersen (NOR) +56.46
8. Ulrik Berntsen (NOR) +58.94
9. Abdulla Alhammadi (UAE) +1m.06
10. Gabor Szabo (HUN) +1m.10
Ski Ladies GP1 – Moto 3
1. Jessica Chavanne (FRA) 10 laps
2. Emma-Nellie Ortendahl (SWE) +3.26
3. Jasmiin Ypraus (EST) +19.25
4. Estelle Poret (FRA) +23.79
5. Sofie Borgstrom (SWE) +26.58
6. Krista Uzare (LAT) +29.22
7. Jonna Borgstrom (SWE) +1m.05
8. Lisa Caussin Battagli (MCO) +1m.10
9. Virginie Morlaes (FRA) +1m.32
10. Joana Graca (POR) +1m.52
Overall Grand Prix of Kuwait results and leading championship positions
Runabout GP1
1. Yousef Al Abdulrazzaq (KWT) 45pts
2. Marcus Jorgensen (Den) 44pts
3. Jeremy Perez (FRA) 36pts
4. Samuel Johansson (SWE) 36pts
5. Rasmus Koch Hansen (DEN) 30pts
6. Andrzej Wisniewski (POL) 28pts
7. Rashed Al Tayer (UAE) 25pts
8. Alejandro Molina Miranda(SPA) 23pts
9. Lino Araujo (POR) 23pts
10. Johan Johansson (SWE) 22pts
Ski GP1
1. Stian Schjetlein (NOR) 62pts
2. Nacho Armillas (SPA) 56pts
3. Kevin Reiterer (AUT) 55pts
4. Mickael Poret (FRA) 55pts
5. Barnabas Szabo (HUN) 52pts
6. Salman Al Awadhi (UAE) 48pts
7. Abdulla Alhammadi (UAE) 42pts
8. Axel Courtois (FRA) 35pts
9. Daniel Svae Andersen (NOR) 32pts
10. Andrea Guidi (ITA) 32pts
Ski Ladies GP1
1. Jessica Chavanne (FRA) 66pts
3. Jasmiin Ypraus (EST) 56pts
6. Estelle Poret (FRA) 55pts
8. Lisa Caussin Battagli (MCO) 46pts
5. Emma-Nellie Ortendahl (SWE) 44pts
6. Jonna Borgstrom (SWE) 39pts
7. Joana Graca (POR) 39pts
8. Virginie Morlaes (FRA) 38pts
9. Kylie Ellmers (NZ) 35pts
10. Krista Uzare (LAT) 33pts
