PONS AND MACCLUGAGE COMPLETE WIN-DOUBLE
Story and Photos: Aquabike World Championships
Sunday, 7 September, IBIZA: Teddy Pons and Chris MacClugage completed the perfect weekend to win Mediterranean Grand Prix titles in their respective categories after taking their second heat wins, with the Ladies title going to Spain’s Sandra Fernandez and the Freestyle to Rok Florjancic.It was a second impressive performance by Pons who first had to fend off an early challenge from Sweden’s Lars Sebastian Akerblom and then from lap 8 of 17 his main Championship rival, Jeremy Perez.Despite the constant pressure from Perez, Pons held on to win by five seconds, today’s result moving him seven points clear in the Championship standings, with Akerblom unable to match and stay with the pace of the front two but coming home for his best result on the UIM-ABP tour in third and take third overall.Yousef Al Abdulrazzaq and Francois Medori enjoyed their own personal tussle, Medori getting ahead on lap five, Abdulrazzaq getting fourth place back on lap 16, Alejandro Molina the first Spanish rider to take the chequered flag completing the top six.In Ski it was another brilliant start and dominant performance by the American MacClugage whose second win of the weekend over arch-rival Jeremy Poret has moved him into second place and closed the gap in the Championship standings to 16 points.MacClugage was able to control the race from the front, running out the winner by 11 seconds with Poret unable to respond and more focussed on having to fend off the attentions of Spain’s Nacho Armillas.France’s Steven Loiodice was another to produce one of his best showings with a steady run in fourth finishing ahead of a spirited showing by Alberto Monti, moving up from 13th to fifth, Croatia’s Tomaz Kete completing the top six.In Ski Ladies, Championship leader Jennifer Menard took the heat win over Fernandez and Sorrentino, but it was Fernandez who claimed the title thanks to her win in heat 1, with Rok Florjancic maintaining his perfect record and unbeaten in 11 Grand Prix, brother Nac taking second over Roberto Mariani. [fblike layout_style='standard' show_faces='false' verb='like' font='arial' color_scheme='light']