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.

Balboa and Guerrero inherit the throne at Río Negro. Quiñanao dominated the K1

Left to right: Guerrero, Balboa, Pérez and Scalesi. Photo: Official web

If days 3 and 4 represented a turn upside down in the K2 standings at Río Negro Regatta, no less were the last two stages arriving to Viedma, final destination of the great Argentinian race. On the final day, the very young Franco Balboa and José Luis Guerrero claimed the overall victory, inheriting the throne left by Pinta and Mozzicafredo after having escorted them last year in the twelfth crown of the former kings of the regatta.

On the other hand, the misfortune came to Santiago Scalesi and Spanish Luis Amado Pérez, who were leaders until the last day, but saw how the final victory eluded them a few kilometers from the finish line.

On day 5, from San Javier to Viedma (34 km.)...

Río Negro Regatta: Scalesi and Pérez turn the race upside down after change of starting rules

Santiago Scalesi and Luis Amado Pérez, new leaders. Photo: lmneuquen.com.ar

On the last two days were held in Argentina the third and fourth stages of the Río Negro Regatta, from Choele Choel to Luis Beltran (38 km.) and Don Andrés to General Conesa (43 km.). And there has been a very big change in the K2 races due to the incidents in the front bunch on the first two stages. To avoid them, the officials decided that the Senior Men K2 would startone by one every 30 seconds, in a controverted decision that could change completely the pace of the race. As it finally did.

The lucky draw set Juan Manuel Scalesi and Julian Algañaraz to start first, while Santiago Scalesi and Luis Amado went 30 seconds later. It wasn't long before they joined together to pull forward. Behind,  Balboa and Guerrero started on sixth position, so there were three other theoretically slower boats ahead that could be their reference to reach the Scalesis. And in fact, at half race they were pulling of a second group after the leading duo.

Balboa and Guerrero set the first Stone at Río Negro Regatta

Balboa and Guerrero lead the race after Day 2. Photo: rionegro.com.ar

Last Saturday, a new edition of the Río Negro Regatta (ARG) started with the first stage between Neuquen and General Roca, of 46 km. With the withdrawal of the Río Negro kings, Néstor Pinta and Martín Mozzicafredo, after their 12th victory on a row in 2013, several couples aim this year to sit on their empty throne.

With the usual heat (races start at 3PM) and a slightly shallower river than in former editions, paddlers must take care of their strenght if the want to go all the way down through the Patagonia until arriving in Viedma next saturday. In fact, after two stages, times are about 15 minutes higher than last year over the same course.

There were five couples commanding the race in K2 from the start of Day 1: Franco Balboa and José Guerrero, Santiago Scalesi and Luis Amado Pérez (ESP), Agustín Reyes and Guillermo di Renzo, Juan Manuel Scalesi and Julián Algañaraz and, finally, brothers Mauricio and Rodrigo Caffa.

Tomas Slovak and Cyrille Carré win the Ardèche Marathon in France. Kiko Vega takes the singles title.

The moments before the start. Photo: Canoë-Kayak Magazine

After the cancellation due to flood conditions in 2012, it was held last Saturday a new edition of the International Marathon of Ardeche, in the French region of Rhône-Alpes , on a medium-low water level, which was no obstacle for a great show.

1,472 paddlers gathered under a fine sunny day that made the delight of competitors and spectators. Among the favorites, big names in the international scene, with all sights set on the current world champion and Olympic medalist in K1 1000m Max Hoff, who returned to his first discipline (river descent) with his teammate Tobias Bong. Having already won the Ardèche three times with Stiefenhofer , he tried again this time commanding a K2 that...

South Africans rule at the Eurochallenge

Left to right: Sean Rice, Dawid Mocke and Jasper Mocke

This past weekend was held at Villajoyosa (Spain) the Eurochallenge 2013 of surfski. Crowded field, but it was missed some more foreign participation, which in previous years had been abundant. Anyway, that foreign participation was of very high quality, as evidenced by the podium conquered by South African stars, all of them from Fish Hoek, Sean Rice, Dawid Mocke and Jasper Mocke.

That was the order in both races, the downwind North course on Saturday, of the two prepared depending on weather conditions. 20 kilometer run in line along the coast heading Southwest and finishing in Villajoyosa. And the classical race on Sunday.

Sean Rice, recent winner of the South African trials, both in 1,000 meters and surfski, stood alone doing much of the race at the downwind. As recognized after by Dawid Mocke, trying to follow him was a ticket to get sore muscles. Rice got a three minutes advantage over Dawid Mocke and five over Jasper. Walter Bouzán came in fourth place very closed to Jasper Mocke and heading the European field, where the Dutchman Joep van Bakel was fifth and Daniel Sanchez Viloria, who arrived as second Spanish, added himself to Walter in the list of our representatives in the Surfski World Championships to be held this coming July in Portugal.