This past weekend in Olbia, Sardinia wrapped up the European leg of the UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship with a blur of whitewater, horsepower, and high drama. The first stop in Porto Rotondo brought out a deep international field, with new faces and first-time winners taking the spotlight across multiple classes — a reminder that the sport’s next generation is charging hard.
But when the tour moved north to Olbia for the Regione Sardegna Grand Prix of Italy, the veterans made sure everyone remembered their names. Norway’s Benedicte Drange scored her first-ever Ski Ladies GP1 Grand Prix win after holding off Estelle Poret, while France’s François Medori took command in Runabout GP1 — controlling every lap and extending his World Championship lead heading into Qatar.
The Poret family name loomed large again as Mickael Poret clinched Ski GP1 Grand Prix honors, fending off a hard-charging field that included his brother Jéremy and Austrian standout Kevin Reiterer. Still, the day’s biggest fireworks came from Belgium’s Quinten Bossche, who rocketed from the back of the pack to win the final moto in one of the most impressive comeback rides of the season.
With just one round left, the pressure now shifts to Qatar, where every point will matter. Medori’s margin in Runabout GP1 remains slim, the Ski GP1 leaderboard is a knife fight between the Porets, Reiterer, and Bossche, and the women’s championship may well come down to who keeps their ski running clean in Doha.
From the newcomers who broke through in Porto Rotondo to the powerhouses who answered back in Olbia, Sardinia served up the perfect setup for a high-stakes finale — and by the time the tour hits Qatar, there’s no doubt every title contender will be ready to let it all fly.
But when the tour moved north to Olbia for the Regione Sardegna Grand Prix of Italy, the veterans made sure everyone remembered their names. Norway’s Benedicte Drange scored her first-ever Ski Ladies GP1 Grand Prix win after holding off Estelle Poret, while France’s François Medori took command in Runabout GP1 — controlling every lap and extending his World Championship lead heading into Qatar.
The Poret family name loomed large again as Mickael Poret clinched Ski GP1 Grand Prix honors, fending off a hard-charging field that included his brother Jéremy and Austrian standout Kevin Reiterer. Still, the day’s biggest fireworks came from Belgium’s Quinten Bossche, who rocketed from the back of the pack to win the final moto in one of the most impressive comeback rides of the season.
With just one round left, the pressure now shifts to Qatar, where every point will matter. Medori’s margin in Runabout GP1 remains slim, the Ski GP1 leaderboard is a knife fight between the Porets, Reiterer, and Bossche, and the women’s championship may well come down to who keeps their ski running clean in Doha.
From the newcomers who broke through in Porto Rotondo to the powerhouses who answered back in Olbia, Sardinia served up the perfect setup for a high-stakes finale — and by the time the tour hits Qatar, there’s no doubt every title contender will be ready to put it all on the line.
