Saturday 20th July
Report: Matt Pearce / All photos: Svetlana Romantsova / Video: Adam Sims
The Main Event here at the GKA Freestyle World Cup Fuerteventura begins today – First Possible Start – 12:00.
Men’s Round One Round Up
After a couple of false starts due to changeable conditions, the event got underway at 12:30 today. The riders had seven trick attempts available, and heat winners would progress on to round three while second and third place would go again in round two.
Adeuri Corniel stormed the first heat with an impressive opening salvo that included a BS 317 and a double heart attack AND a slim 7 to secure the win and then Gianmaria Coccoluto regained his composure after a slow start to win the second heat.
Colombian rider Juan Rodriguez has been really impressive this season, and he had a great start to today, kicking off his heat with a BS 315 and a double heart attack to win against Louka Pitot and Arthur Guillebert.
After that, Maxime Chabloz put in an absolutely spell binding effort. He not only scored a perfect 10 for a backmobe 7, but he also walked away with the highest combined score too of 32.34. You can bet Carlos Mario was watching that one!
Two more performances of note came from former World Champs Liam Whaley and Carlos Mario. Whaley put together a diverse, complete display with some more technical tricks like his high scoring BS317 for 7.57 points, but he was also opting for stylish moves and he did a double s-bend to blind which was ultra smooth
Carlos was up in the final heat of round one against fellow Brazilian Alex Neto, and this was a super charged one. Neto opened with a double heart attack, and Mario matched him with a bigger, cleaner one to pull ahead (by just 0.13 points). The barrage continued with yet more high scores, and Mario landed a front blind mobe which Neto answered with a crowmobe 5.
It was tight, but Mario then drilled home a BS 315, a KGB and a 317 (none of his points scored less than a six) and he took the win.
Mens Round Two Round Up
This round was crucial for the riders who’d failed to win their round one heats. Last chance to stay in the single eliminations and everything to play for.
Stefan Spiessberger scored a convincing win in the opening heat of the round with a crowmobe and a slim chance early in the heat and he won with a trick still in hand.
Louka Pitot then beat Luis Calcano and Arthur Guillebert after Arthur ended up needing the medic’s attention after a heavy crash put him out of action.
The wind had picked up by this point up to around 25 knots and there were some nasty slams as the riders trucked into tricks fully powered.
Nico Delmas put in one of the most consistent performances of the day in the final heat of the round. As the end of the heat neared he’d landed every trick attempt, but Guiliano, Neto and Teixeira were locked in a battle for second and regularly changing places.
Set Teixeira clinched it in the end, and was getting very close to closing down Delmas too but it wasn’t to be.
Nico took it, and it was on to round three.
Mens Round Three Round Up
The pressure increased in this round – the quarter finals stage of the single eliminations.
Adeuri amassed a massive points lead in the first heat and was the only other rider (alongside Maxime Chabloz) who managed a combined score above 30 today with a total tally of 31.77. The only rider who might have caught him was Gianmaria Coccoluto, but Adueri’s final trick – a double heart attack – put paid to that.
In the next heat, Louka Pitot opened up with a front blind mobe, crowmobe and heart attack to take an early lead while Maxime Chabloz had a shakier start with a low scoring BS 313.
However, a clean backmobe 5 followed up with a 317 brought him back into contention and then a front blind mobe pushed him passed Pitot into the lead.
He didn’t land his last trick, but he didn’t have to. He’d already won and he was the standout rider today.
Liam Whaley opened with a BS 317 that scored him a sturdy 7.47 points and he never stepped off the gas from there to win the heat. Today’s cross-off conditions were reminiscent of the famously challenging Levante winds he rides in at home in Tarifa, and he looked more than comfortable out there. He rode tactically, and was watching his competitors to see just how far he’d need to push it to win.
Colombian rider Valentin Rodriguez mounted a late challenge against him and he landed a couple of high scoring tricks, but he wasn’t landing them as readily as Liam and, in competition, that’s what matters.
Carlos Mario lead from the start in the last heat of the round. It looked like he was holding back a little, perhaps saving his riskier tricks for the semi-finals, but he stuck a double heart attack followed by a front blind mobe and a KGB without missing a beat. He’s a force of nature.
He followed that up with a BS 315 to secure his position, but he landed his last trick still (potentially) within reach of Nico Delmas who had a stellar day on the water today and finished second to also go through to the semis.
No huge scores from Carlos, but no crashes and a very consistent run. Maybe he’s holding something back for tomorrow? We will see!
Today’s action finished at the end of Mens Round Three with the eight semi-finalists confirmed. See who made it through below.
MEN’S SEMI-FINALISTS
SEMIS 1
Valentin Rodriguez
Nico Delmas
Adeuri Corniel
Maxime Chabloz
SEMIS 2
Gianmaria Coccoluto
Louka Pitot
Liam Whaley
Carlos Mario
