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La Torche Pro France
Eric Terrien is victorious ahead of an international field
samedi 5 mai 2012 –
Toutes les versions de cet article : [English] [français]
As the first European stop for the Stand Up World Series in 2012, it is an important victory for the Frenchman as he prepares to finish the job here at La Torche today in the Beach Race.
Gaeten Sene plays a strategic game to finish in a close 2nd
Strategically drafting from the start in Quimper, Gaeten Sene (Starboard) navigated his way down the course to finish just meters behind fellow Frenchman Eric Terrien. The two Frenchman found their window to break away from the pack, reading the currents to their advantage to finish the 20km course in record Record #sailingrecord time.
Casper Steinfath demonstrates his ability here in France
Casper Steinfath (Naish) from Denmark does his country proud in the long distance, battling his way down this beautiful course to finish in 3rd place. Being able to take advantage of the everchanging currents in the River made for an exciting course for Casper, different from the majority of of the flat water paddling he does at home.
Kai Lenny leads off the start and through the first half
Kai Lenny (Naish) accelerated off the start in Quimper to take the lead for much of the race, followed by a close pack of elite athletes consisting of Eric Terrien, Gaeten Sene (Starboard) and Casper Steinfath (Naish), all battling for position and advantage through the bends and curves of the river. On finishing, Kai compared the reading of the river’s currents to the Ocean, but explained the difficulty and importance of reading them right, as one wrong move can set you back quickly, as he discovered slipping back into 4th in the last section of the race.
Start in Quimper provided a completely unique backdrop
The cathedral of Quimper and its picturesque bridges provided the ideal backdrop to the start of this epic long distance race here at the La Torche Pro with Naish and Hoalen. A packed start saw the athletes jump straight into the central flow of the river and on their way down the 20k course.
Bringing the sport to the center of Quimper was a unique opportunity for the World Series and provided the scenics that you would hope to see during any visit to France, beyond its magnificent beaches.
Bridge run : the first challenge of this spectacular course
To make things more interesing, off the start, the athletes had about 100m to vye for positioning before having to duck and pass under the last bridge in Quimper before the open river. This provided a dynamic open to the race, and a technical obstacle that provided even more color to the already intense race. Here we see Kai Lenny (Naish) taking the lead.
The racing provides an incredible experience for everyone
The beauty of the course combined with the bends, curves and currents that required real strategy and lecture to navigate to advantage provided the ideal opener for the Stand Up World Series here in Europe and an incredible experience for all involved. It also succeeded in showcasing the sport to a new audience, bringing racing to the City, but also connecting it back to the Ocean through the river. Stay tuned for the Beach race coming up today here at the Naish La Torche Pro with Naish and Hoalen. A big thank you to all our sponsors and partners that made this increible race a reality.
Voir en ligne : Press info www.standupworldseries.com
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