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The first race of the traditional Pyrenees Cup races was held this Saturday and Sunday in La Seu d’Urgell and the second will follow next weekend in Pau. Both races are also part of the 2022 ECA European Open Canoe Slalom Cup race series.

 

Paddlers from eleven countries (Spain, Andorra, France, Ireland, Great Britain, Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Croatia, Iran and Venezuela) took on the challenge of the River Segre rapids. Monica Doria Vilarrubla from Andorra took advantage of home course and won in both women’s finals. She produced a penalty free run in kayak and won with a 1.61 seconds advantage over Laia Sorribes from Spain, who had a touch which cost her win. Last year’s C1 European Champion Miren Lazkano was third in kayak.

 

Monica Doria Vilarrubla was unbeatable in canoe final. She had six penalty seconds yet she still won securely, 2.64 seconds ahead of Ainhoa Lameiro and Miren Lazkano (both Spain) was third.

 

The winner of men’s kayak final was Manuel Ochoa from Spain, who beat young French kayaker Leo Vuitton. Miquel Trave finished the final in third position, after picking up two penalty seconds and producing 4.31 seconds slower time than his teammate Ochoa.

 

Trave reached podium also in canoe, like in kayak, he was third in this event too. It was Liam Jegou from Ireland who navigated through the gates the fastest and celebrated the win ahead of Ander Elosegi from Spain.

 

In extreme slalom Laura Pellicer Chica from Andorra won ahead of Marta Barba (ESP) and Monica Doria Vilarrubla (AND) in women’s event, and Leo Vuitton (FRA) beat Alex Segura and Markel Imaz (both ESP) for the win men’s extreme slalom.

 

The next two races in the 2022 ECA European Open Canoe Slalom Cup series will be held next weekend in Pau and Liptovsky Mikulaš.