Pérez-Llorens and Llamedo, winners of the Asturias Championship of Cross-Canoe

The winners on their first portage. Photo: Cope Ribadesella

This last weekend was finally held at Ribadesella the Asturias Championship of Cross-Canoe, which was postponed last February due to a storm. Weather was not actually good again at this time, but at least the race could take place normally.

After the usual start running from the far end of the beach, the first to hit the water on their kayaks were eventually those who would claim victory, in this case Luis Amado Pérez and Miguel Llorens (SCD Ribadesella) in K2 and Emilio Llamedo (Los Rápidos - Jayre Aventura) in K1, who together led both laps to the course with two portages included again on the beach.

Emilio Llamedo starts the 2014 season in victory

Llamedo leading the final sprint. Photo: Paco (Club de Mar de Avilés)

Current Spanish Winter Champion, Emilio "Milin" Llamedo, seems to go on the correct way to renew his title next month in Seville 2014 after his victory last Sunday in the Miguel Ángel Pérez Memorial race, held in Trasona (Asturias) under the organization of Club Náutico Ensidesa. It was on this occasion the 25th anniversary of a race that has always been the unofficial kick out of Asturian season and has already become the second event in number of participants in the region after the Sella Descent.

According to those present, wonderful spring day in the Asturian dam. The big news apart from winners and the results themselves, were the presence of more than 500 paddlers on the water, which speaks of good canoeing health in Asturias apart from the current pressing economic problems. It is gratifying to see that, despite the difficulties, the courage and the will always remain present to jump onto the water .

Over a distance of 4,500 meters (3,000 for women, canoes and children) were competed the different races, with different batches for the U14, after which were gradually

Emilio Llamedo claims gold in a spectacular 5000m Spanish Championships race

Emilio Llamedo, "Milín", got crowned once again at the Winter Championships in Spain getting his fourth title in 5,000m after a brilliant race that he ended up surpassing Javier Hernanz and Francisco Cubelos in a long and tight sprint, entering commanding a long row of paddlers who reported the good health of current senior category in Spain. Not surprisingly 19 of them finished below 21 minutes, with a 20'02 " gold medal time.

Four Winter Championships for Llamedo at just 25 years old. Foto: E. Durán

Under a very nice weather, the senior K1 race was the highlight of a Sunday  morning that we will comment in successive entries. After a hectic start, as usual with the 70 best paddlers from the qualifying on Saturday over 2,000 meters (and it must be said, somewhat like a "pretty bad start" by the officials), the lead was divided into two arrow points, one with the main favorites on the left bank, with Hernanz, Cosgaya and Cubelos, while the center lined was leaded by Olympic Champion Carlos Perez Rial with Carlos Garrote and Rodrigo Germade on his wash. Meanwhile, an explosive Joan Ardit tried it himself on the right.

Finally, under Barqueta bridge, the race surrendered to the pace set by Javier Hernanz, who leaded the return of the first lap followed by a large group of at least a dozen paddlers with all favorites except perhaps Emilio Merchán, who came in a very large second group led by Kiko Vega, just 30 meters off the lead.

Manuel Busto and Emilio Llamedo in K2 and David R. Dorado in K1, winners at Spanish Rivers Cup Race 2

Under a heavy sun and hot weather, last Saturday it was held at River Tajo, Aranjuez (Spain), the 40th edition of the Raphel del Tajo, second race of the Spanish Rivers Cup, where the paddlers compete over 18 km. (9 upstream and then back downstream) with two compulsory portages.

Winners Busto and Llamedo

Before the race everybody was looking forward to one of the bests K2 entry lists of the year, after the Sella Descent. Despite some non-showing boats, at the start line we could see top Spanish couples like Busto-Llamedo, Alonso-Guerrero (in their expected return to the K2), Merchán-Baños, Carril-Peiteado, Moreno-Valle, Portela-Martínez, Pérez-Hernández, Salas-Martínez, Morillas-Poyatos, Santos-Machado.

The start was extremely quickly, headed by Julio Moreno and Juan Antonio Valle, who made a leading group which started losing components after the first flatwater kilometres. Some of them, who decided going on a Sprint kayak (under the hull rudder) had problems trying to avoid the weed concentrated at the banks when trying to seize them going upstream, and a couple of the top K2 decided to give up when the weed was already too much to kep on going. That was the case for Portela-Martínez or Merchán-Baños. Meanwhile, the leading bunch, after 5 kilometres, was facing the pure river itself upstream, with some tricky curves of strong stream who made them go one by one approaching the bank as much as possible. It was then when the ten times marathon world champion Manuel Busto and his new partner Emilio Llamedo (Piragüismo Astur) opened a small gap. As soon as they realized their contestants were in problems to keep the pace, they made a strong push towards the first portage, just a hundred metres before the turn to complete the race downstream. At this point, the prosecutors were just two boats, now, those composed by Alonso-Guerrero (Palentino) and Moreno-Valle (Iuxtanam).

Francisco Cubelos, David Cal and Eva Barrios, Spanish champions on 5.000 metres

Photo: David Cal beats Tono Campos (Europa Press)

In a sunny morning in Seville, with great races on all the categories, Francisco Cubelos (Club Talavera Talak) in K1 Senior, David Cal (Club de Mar Ría de Aldán - Hermanos Gandón) in C1 Senior and Eva Barrios (Club Deportivo Durius Tecozam - Viajes Sanabria) in K1 Women Senior are the new Spanish Winter Champions over the distance of 5.000 metres.

At the main category, the K1 Men Senior showed the great moment that our Olympic hopes are going through, with an outstanding performance by "Paco" Cubelos and Javier Hernanz finishing under 20 minutes. The 19-year-old Cubelos stopped the clock at 19'56", just two seconds ahead Hernanz after a memorable sprint. The two London qualifiers nominees have shown their great shape this weekend, as on Saturday were also leading the 2.000 metres trials.