Río Negro, final stage: Pinta and Mozzicafredo reign over Río Negro for the 13th time. Alonso claims his first victory

Río Negro saw yesterday afternoon  the final of the XL edition of its Regatta with the traditional stage between San Javier and Viedma, with the arrival to a crowded river promenade full of people who could enjoy a great sunny day by the river.

Néstor Pinta and Martín Mozzicafredo celebrate their record 13th absolute victory in Río Negro. Photo: DeViedma.info

In the race itself, no surprises. The last stage followed the expected script. On the entrance to Viedma there was a leading group of five boats, where Balboa and Guerrero marked the pace downstream, looking for the buoy where they would have to return back to Viedma to face the finish line upstream.

It was clear that they were tightening the pace and the group started losing units. Finally, three K2s faced the sprint in front of the crowd at the Viedma shore.

Río Negro, day 5: The Regatta, almost decided after longest stage

The 67 km of the fifth and longest stage of Río Negro Regatta, left the race almost ready for the final podium, unless unexpected accidents, and followed the script written by the leaders through all this week. Néstor Pinta and Martín Mozzicafredo kept stuck to their conservative tactics and left again the weight of the race on Balboa and Guerrero, who finally took again the partial victory, but scratching just 5 seconds to those from Patagones, virtual winners of the Regatta, as it would be very difficult for them to lose their 4'30" advantage. On this occasion, the third K2 on the podium, Jonathan Muñoz and Andrés Roth, managed to complete the entire part in the group head, finishing 12 seconds after the winners.

Alonso will achieve today his first title at Río Negro. Photo: Diario Río Negro

Interesting was the race in K1. Iván Alonso (ESP) with its title secured, opted this time for a conservative pace that would allow to...

Río Negro, day 4: Pinta and Mozzicafredo, one step closer to final victory

The 4th stage of Río Negro saw how its route, by problems with the access to the river, and modality were changed on the intended plan by the organizers, finally been raced over 57 km (14 more than the stipulated) and with a elapsed start every 15 seconds for senior K1 and K2, which was something initially programmed for the 3rd stage.

Balboa - Guerrero (left) and Pinta - Mozzicafredo (right) during yesterday's stage. Photo: Diario Río Negro

So, after the draw, the fact was that Balboa and Guerrero were meant to start just 15 seconds ahead of Pinta and Mozzicafredo. They had no other chance, then, to push hard and try to put some pressure on their rivals.

Río Negro, day 3: Pyrrhic victory of Balboa and Guerrero after a time penalty

The third stage of Río Negro Regatta, after the first day off, made the 38 kilometers between Luis Beltrán and Choele Choel, again under a blazing sun.

On the water, little news. Again a tight marking between the two favorite  K2s. Balboa and Guerrero became winners again of the stage, but followed only 5 seconds away by Pinta and Mozzicafredo who look to have the young champions under control. In addition, the rest day was used by the organization to set up a report with the penalties imposed on the second stage, where Balboa and Guerrero were penalized with one minute for skipping a buoy getting advantage. This eventually causes the difference in overall after this third stage is increased in 55 seconds for Pinta and Mozzicafredo.

Salvo and Alonso entering the finish line. Photo: César Daniel Nahuelcura

In the K1s, several penalties of 15 seconds for the same reason, but with no major changes in the first positions. The senior category lived another day of transition, with the Spanish Iván Alonso comfortably leading the race, this time accompanied all the entire stage by the U23 Nicolás Salvo, merit the Spaniard recognized at the finish coming together and hand by hand with the youngster from Neuquén, among the applause of the crowd. And that does not mean at all that this third day was a walk at the park for these guys. Keep in mind that in a stage of 38 km these two K1s arrived within four minutes of the first K2s, which certainly speaks well of the strong pace they managed to sustain.

Results after 3 days:
STAGE
OVERALL

Río Negro, day 2: Spaniard Iván Alonso crushes the race in K1

Finished the first third of Black River with the arrival yesterday to Villa Regina and, regarding the K1s, the race is already virtually decided except further surprises. Iván Alonso put the hammer down and showed his quality along the 59 km. of the stage. Since the eighth kilometre made a solo paddle in the absence of rivals that could hang up on his wash. His companion on the first stage, the U23 Nicolás Salvo, yesterday finished second more than 7 minutes away from Alonso.

Photo: Diario Río Negro

It was not that clear the race of the K2s, where Pinta and Mozzicafredo this time were second behind Balboa and Guerrero. The defending champions did not make the mistake of the first day and all the first half of this long second session (they went up to three hours at the finish line) was performed in a compact group that had up to eight boats. Gradually, of course, they were losing effectives until midway Balboa and Guerrero decided to attack after two hours of paddling in the bunch.

Río Negro, day 1: Victorious return of Pinta and Mozzicafredo

Pinta and Mozzicafredo facing the finish line. Photo: Matías Subat

The first stage of the 40th edition of the Río Negro Regatta (Argentina) recovered the starring of the river kings, Néstor Pinta and Martin Mozzicafredo. The 12-time champions returned to the water after an absence of two years and cutted from its roots the expectations about their duel with the defending champions, Franco Balboa and José Luis Guerrero, who yesterday, in the first assault, lost more than three minutes despite being the second boat through the finish line.

For the second time in history, the race began in the town of Cipolleti and not in Neuquen, the usual starting point. With some unstable and cloudy weather, Balboa and Guerrero took the lead just after the start and set a blistering pace.

Kayak Tudense and Breogán O Grove, clubs taking the main titles at Galicia regional Winter Championships

Left to right: Millán, Rodríguez, Piña and Alonso. Image: Aurora Santomé

It was held in the dam of Verducido (Galicia) the Galician Winter Championship. As usual , great participation in all categories in a cool, windy day, which caused a little problem at the starts, especially the K1 Senior Men, as explained below.

As in all the championships being held these days prior to national Spanish Winter Championships in Seville , there were many races for all the categories throughout Saturday, beginning at U12 and preceding the main categories.

Spain take the doubles medals two by two in Men while Jeannette Løvborg and Henriette Engel Hansen claim the world title at home

Sunday, September 22^nd, was the final day of the ICF Marathon World Championships in Copenhagen. After the emotions experienced in the previous two days, there were high expectations  when at 9:30 started the Women Senior K2 and Men Senior C2.

However, the first surprise jumped out just before the first kilometer. And never better said, because in the K2 of ones of the favorites for the medals, South Africans Michele Eray and Bridgitte Hartley , one of the rudder roulette screws jumped out, leaving them off the race. So the first leading bunch, facing the first portage, included one K2 from each of the following teams: Danish, Hungarian, Czech, British and Spanish Nuria Villacé and Raquel Carbajo. The other Spanish crew, formed by the very young and Begoña Lazcano and Amaia Benavente, was forced to leave after having done most of the first round in that group due to some sickness suffered by Lazcano. A pity, but a boat to keep in mind for the future and not just at Marathon, but also at Sprint.

Csay/Bara lead one of the portages with Løvborg/Hansen behind. Pic: Jan N

Meanwhile , ahead the selection started from the first portage . It was clear that the Hungarian crew of Renata Csay/Alexandra Bara and the Danish of Jeannette Løvborg/Henriette Engel Hansen were step by step tightening the rope, so after one third of the race thay both remained ahead just along with the Czechs Anna Adamova (Kova now) and Lenka Hrochova, the only ones who could keep on their wash. Behind, the chase group was led by the current European gold and silver medalists, Lizzie Lamph and Fay Broughton (GBR) and Nuria Villacé and Raquel Carbajo (ESP), who were for a long part of the race pulling from a group that included some other strong boats, like the Italiana Anna Alberti and Stefania Cicali and the Belgians and Lize Broekx and Hermien Peters, among others. In the last laps, British and Spaniards managed tu pull away and the fourth place went finally to Lamph/Broughton (GBR).

Csay, McGregor and Kavar were the Marathon World Champions in singles

Very similar races the Women Senior K1 and the Men Senior C1. In both two pairs of paddlers took the lead from the first lap. Twelve times world champion Renata Csay (HUN) and Anna Kova (CZE) quickly opened a gap that went up to one minute in just two laps. The Italians Stefania Cicali and Anna Alberti took the responsibility in the chase group, but never managed to hold the gap. U23 champion Teneale Hatton (NZL) dropped from the group at half race, maybe not recovered 100% of her race on Friday, but made a great comeback and was again in the fight for the bronze medal after the last portage.

Renata Csay in the center, yellow boat. Picture: Jan N

Meanwhile, Renata Csay pulled away from Anna Kova in the fifth portage and made a solo last lap, entering the finish line with more than one minute of advantage. Anna Kova got the silver medal and Stefania Cicali, after a good sixth portage, entered in third position leading the group of five she had led for most of the race.

Antonio Campos (ESP) and Marton Kavar (HUN) decided in the C1 race that they didn’d want a large group around and pushed hard from the start, managing to make the gap bigger on every lap over a group of four that was more into the fight for bronze than into the chase for the leaders. Not far from them, Tamas Kiss (HUN) and David Mosquera (ESP) were fighting for bronze without losing the perspective of a virtual comeback to the leading par, but after 4 laps it was clear that gold and silver were unreachable. 

European Marathon Championships: Final day chronicle

In collaboration with Sportscene. Photos by Carolyn J. Cooper

Today was the day for K2 and C2, starting with the K2 Senior Women and the C2 early in the morning, in wet and fresh weather in Vila Verde, Portugal.
 
From the very start of the Women’s K2 it was seen that the English crew of Fay Lamph and Lizzie Broughton were attacking the race with determination. They were the only ones just focused on the K2, not having competed in K1 before, and that made the difference between them and the rest of the field. Only the U23 Spanish pair of Raquel Carbajo and Nuria Villacé could keep up with their pace, while the favorite Hungarian crews were together in the second group, slowly losing seconds. At the halfway point the difference was already about a minute.

The two crews in the front seemed to take it easy; the Danish Jeanette Løvborg and Annemia Pretzmann caught up to the second group while Hungarians Petra Tóth and Edina Csernák dropped behind. This meant the Danish were now fighting for bronze with the other Hungarian pair of Alexandra Bara and Vanda Kiszli.

Everything looked quiet until the fifth portage when Carbajo and Villacé, with their water pump not working, tried to empty the kayak while running and pushed the British against the fences. For a moment there was some tension; the judges were just in front but they agreed the action was unintentional and let the Spanish go with no penalty. However, the issue helped the prosecutors close the gap a little. During the last lap they were only around 30 seconds behind the leaders. At the last portage, Lamph and Broughton re-entered the water with decisiveness and took off while the Spaniards stopped to empty water from their K2. No final sprint was needed to see the British claim the European title and Carbajo and Villacé arrived in the silver medal position about fifty meters behind. In the sprint for the bronze medal, Bara and Kiszli took it for Hungary ahead of the Danish Løvborg and Pretzmann after keeping the 10 meter gap made up in the portage.

European Marathon Championships: Saturday's races chronicle

In collaboration with Sportscene

In the Senior C1, current World Champion Antonio Campos (ESP), decided to control the race from the very start, followed by his teammate Manuel Garrido and German Matthias Erbhardt, who fell off the group by the first portage. It was then a head to head race, with the two Spanish paddlers controlling the race with only a difference of around 100m. They maintained this for many kilometres while Erbhardt was caught by Jakub Brezina (CZE), making another head to head race. But this was not going to rival the two frontrunners who knew that being from the same country, they just needed some cooperation to get gold and silver. They continued an easy pace until the fifth lap. With just one and a half laps to go, Antonio Campos pushed really hard and managed to drop Garrido from his wash to make the final part of the race his own and claim gold in a race full of power and determination. Manuel Garrido got silver and Matthias Erbhardt (GER) managed to get the bronze, leaving Brezina off the podium.

In the Women’s K1 race, Gwendoline Morel (FRA), a sprint specialist, had a tremendous start but favourites Susanna Cicali (ITA) and Hungarians Edina Csernák and Alexandra Bara, quickly came up to the lead with Lenka Hrochova (CZE) and Jeanette Løvborg (DEN) suffering the second wash. They fell off the group at the first portage, but in the third lap, Cicali quit the race and Hrochova managed to gain the lead, with Løvborg having a solo race less than a minute behind. But at the fifth portage, Løvborg made a nice comeback and closed the gap to just 15 seconds, because Hrochova had problems at the put in and lost some precious metres from the Hungarians.

In the last portage, Bara and Hrochova pushed very hard and Csernák had to watch them run away leaving her in bronze. Just after the last kilometre, both leaders had a very long sprint with gold going to Alexandra Bara (HUN) and silver to Lenka Hrochova (CZE).

The last race of the day was the Senior Men’s K1. There was a good field with world champions and medalists like Iván Alonso (ESP), current world champion: José Ramalho (POR), current European champion; Istvan Salga and Mate Petrovics (HUN); Ben Brown (GBR); Emilio Merchán (ESP); Mathias Hamar (NOR) and Joep van Bakel (NED).

New World Champion Iván Alonso takes another double victory at Canal de Castilla (Spain)

The brand new double Marathon World Champion, Iván Alonso, got last Sunday another two victories at the Canal de Castilla International Regatta, held at Melgar de Fernamental (central Spain). The also world champions at Rome, Antonio Campos and Eva Barrios were the winners in the C1 and Women races, in that order. The K2 Senior Men was comfortably claimed by Rome gold medalists Emilio Merchán and Iván Alonso, as a perfect end for their amazing season.

Some of the best Spanish marathonians, also with clubs from Portugal and the Hungarian National Team, dated at the Spanish Channel of Castilla. The K1 race was with no doubt the most competed of the day, with four world champions in the five boats leading bunch, including Merchán, Iván Alonso, Jorge Alonso and Fiuza, plus the young promising David R. Dorado. After the second portage, just Merchán, Fiuza and Iván Alonso managed to stay in the lead, while Jorge Alonso and Dorado stayed a few metres behind fighting for a comeback. Fiuza, suffered at the third and fourth prtages, where he finally lost contact. That made a two paddlers sprint won by Iván Alonso, with Merchán in second place and Fiuza finally third.

Renata Csay gets 12th gold medal and Spain remain as best Men team ever at World Marathon Championships

This is the article we have written in colaboration with Sportscene.tv, where you can read it and see all the results archive and pictures of the championships. Check it at this link. 

 


Renata Csay seems to have no limit after winning her 12th gold medal this morning at the Marathon World Championships with her team-mate Ramóna Farkasdi. On a sunny morning in Rome, again the start was very strong by the Hungarians, who clearly wanted to tighten the gap to avoid a pile-up of boats going into the portage at the same time. Only the South African crew, Alexa Cole and Eloise Van Gysen, seemed to be able to follow the terrific pace, but were finally caught again by the onslaught behind.

Italians Stefenia Cicali and Anna Alberti were not in the trailing group, but slowly started to come back. After two laps leaders Csay and Farkasdi decided to wait for the main group and fellow Hungarians Hagymási and Kiszli, perhaps due to team tactics.

The race was fought over the next few laps. At the fourth portage, when a bad decision by the two South Africans split the race, both kayaks tried to pull out of the portage on the same side crossing positions, alas no one was able to recommence paddling.

Renata Csay steps into legend at Rome. Campos and Alonso, new marathon world champions in C1 and K1

This is the article we have written in colabroation with Sportscene.tv, where you can read it and see all the results archive and pictures of the championships. Check it at this link.

Renata Csay (HUN) this morning at Rome

This morning Hungarian legend Renata Csay won her 11th world title in the K1 Senior Women's race, becoming the most decorated marathon paddler ever, just surpassing another legend, Spanish Manuel Busto, who has ten golds so far. In the other two races Spain has showed its potential in this discipline by taking another two gold medals; Manuel Antonio 'Tono' Campos is the new world champion in C1 Senior Men and Iván Alonso is the same in K1 Men.

Races started in fair weather with an exciting starting list, where marathon experts met some sprinters after finishing their Sprint season in London. Marathon paddlers draw on their valuable experience and today was not an exception.

K1 Women

In the women's race, we could see from the start that, with Renata Csay (HUN) around, other contestants were only limited to go for silver.

The 35 year old mother of two refused a tactical race from the very start and just paddled away doing the whole 6 laps on her own. With a firm pace, seconds started to pull away from the chasing group, composed of locals Stefania Cicali and Anna Alberti (ITA), London 2012 Olympian Henriette Engel Hansen (DEN), Berenike Faldum (BUL) and Krizstina Bedoecs (AUT). Already on the second lap, they split and only Cicali and Faldum remained chasing Csay, while Hansen, Bedoecs and Alberti stayed together in the third group. Not much followed after that, with Csay widening the gap to one and a half minutes, so the interest was in the fight for silver between Cicali and Faldum. The Italian tried twice at the portages to escape, but she was caught again in the water. On the third attempt and with one lap to go, Stefania Cicali managed to assure second place while Renata Csay, already touching gold, slowed her pace down a bit.

Spanish Marathon Championships (II): Iván Alonso claims a great K1 victory

The day before, Saturday, it was time for the K1s, where the local Iván Alonso was the main favorite, as he already won in spring the Spanish Cup and the World Cup at Copenhaguen. At the start line, fighting for their chance, were some other great paddlers like Jorge Alonso, José Julián Becerro, Rafael Carril, Xabier Ruíz de Aretxabaleta, David Rodríguez Dorado and even Julio Martínez, paddling again on a K1 since a long time ago.

From the first lap, all of this favorites were in the leading group, except surprisingly Julio Martínez and José Julián Becerro, suffering just a few metres behind, and José María Pariente, Spanish Champion just two years ago, who didn’t look like having his best day. The positive surprise was the appearance among the best ones of Julio Moreno, one of the outsiders of the race.

The very steep bank for the portage. Photo: Fotoyos

At half of the competition, more or less, it was pretty clear who would be the candidates for the two quota places for Rome, es there were four solid leaders (Xabier Ruiz de Aretxabaleta, Iván Alonso, Jorge Alonso y David Rodríguez Dorado) and three paddlers who went forth and back on each lap, suffering to much to be considered in good position for the medals (Rafael Carril, Julio Moreno y José Julián Becerro). This last one, Becerro, finally retired and only Carril managed to stay forward until the end.

Spanish Marathon Championships (I): Bouzán & Fiuza win and will be at Rome to defend their title

Spain has got its representatives at the Marathon World Championships to be held in 3 weeks at Rome (Italy), after a great National Championship which took place at Tuy (Galicia). Walter Bouzán and Álvaro F. Fiuza managed to add one new title to their impressive career by beating in the final sprint Emilio Merchán and Iván Alonso, who will be the second couple at the Worlds.


After a first lap at the course with a really crowded group on the lead, up to 10 K2s, Bouzán/Fiuza started with their usual tactics of pushing before every portage not to find a busy pontoon. They arrived in first position and even despite the large room at the pontoon, after the portage only 6 boats managed to stay at the front group.

The pace settled down again and that was the time for the rest of K2s to come back again to the main bunch. But lap after lap they were fewer crews the ones strong enough to do it. Among those pairs were the del Teso brothers, who finally paid the effort; León/Castañón, who never gave up and got their reward; and the new crew of Becerro/Ruíz de Aretxabaleta, who didn’t start very well, maybe due to the lack of training together, but made an extraordinary comeback to the leading group.

Marathon World Cup in Denmark (part I): Spanish Iván Alonso claims gold in K1

Last weekend was held at Lake Bagsværd (Copenhague, Denmark) the Marathon World Cup 2012, as a prelude for the Marathon World Championships that will take place at the same spot next year 2013, getting the relay from Rome 2012. And once again, Spain had a strong presence in the final standings, claiming gold in both main categories, the senior Men K1 and K2, through Iván Alonso and the couple Walter Bouzán-Álvaro Fiuza, current world champions for two years in a row. But despite some absences, like South Africa or Hungary, the battle was hard, with many tight endings along the weekend.

On the right, Morten Minde (NOR) leads a crowded group at Lake Bagsværd

With an early start on Saturday, the juniors already gave the crowd a nice race. In the K1 Men, seven boats were in a close fight for the whole race, but finally finished with a sprint between the four on the lead and medals went to Casper Pretzmann (DEN), gold; Miguel Llorens (ESP), silver; and Hynek Chroust (CZE), bronze. In the Women race, another local victory in a tight finish, with Amalie Thomsen (DEN) claiming gold, Amy Ward (GBR) went for silver and Carolina Massagues (ESP) took bronze.

After the juniors it was turn for the canoeists. In a pretty windy day, some had troubles, most of all at turns and the portage entry, where wind blowed sidewards. Then, current U23 world champion, Spanish Manuel Garrido, fell in the water and had to give up, while Nuno Barros (POR) showed a strong performance that finally gave him a comfortable gold medal, followed by Matthias Erbhardt (GER) in silver and Jakub Brezina (CZE) in bronze.

Walter Bouzán and Álvaro F. Fiuza (K2) and Iván Alonso (K1), winners of the Spanish Marathon Cup

Walter Bouzán y Álvaro F. Fiuza won the Spanish Marathon Cup held this last Saturday at Ribadesella (Asturias). Meanwhile, Iván Alonso claimed victory on K1 after a superb race.

Walter Bouzán and Álvaro F. Fiuza paddling to victory

In a quite bad day due to cold and rainy weather, the 4 kilometres course got crowded to see the evolutions of some of the world top paddlers fighting to go into the national team that will represent Spain at Marathon World Cup in Copenhagen (Denmark) in June. It was also highly expected the performance of the new couple formed by marathon legend Manuel Busto and his 24 year old partner Emilio Llamedo, who were also trying to qualify and win this Cup in their first official appearance.