Juan did it !

The first stage of the Swiss Inline Cup 2010 was at the same time the first stage of the World Inline Cup in Switzerland, too. As the insolvency of the promoter Event-e-Motion AG in Switzerland had caused some troubles, some traditional racing events as for example Sursee, Engadin and Zug had to be cancelled and IGUANA, the licence and trademark holder, had to concentrate only on the promotion and organization of a few stations to keep especially the Swiss Inline Cup alive.

Only a few weeks before the start, the organizers could begin with the necessary preparations and even the final track was only determined a few days before the race, thanks to the support of the local authorities. It was a real show of strength for the whole team to offer a new racing track in eastern Biel to the freaks of inline sport. After several days’ rain, they had to fear the worst. But exactly one hour before the first races of the kids and juniors, the track could dry and presented a perfectly prepared race course to all categories.

The youngsters opened the race on Sunday and the juniors took advantage of their participation here in the Swiss and World Inline Cup event as a last main test before the European Championships. Thus, they put their cards on the table, showed no reserve but very thrilling races.

The top event of the afternoon was the World Inline Cup, where the world’s best athletes were fighting for the victory. Apart from the Colombian stars Chechy Baena and Diego Rosero, everybody who is anybody in the inline scene was represented in Biel. The ladies had to manage 30 laps and the men 35 laps, which meant a distance of 36.0 km or exactly 42.0 km. The race circuit had a length of 1.2 km, which was ideal for the spectators as well as for the athletes, showing a high speed race in front of an enthusiastic crowd, seldom seen up to now.

Comments on the race:
Scott Arlidge (Powerslide Matter World): “That’s exactly the future of inline sport: circuit races close to the spectators, a narrow track and passing several times the finish line. Like the Formula-1 races but on more than four wheels!”

Sabine Uhrig (TeamOwnerin BONT arena Geisingen): “I’ve come here, because I’ve heard that Biel is a race with many bents and in the city centre, but what I experience here is very spectacular and thrilling for the spectators.”

The World Cup teams of Powerslide, Bont, X-Tech, Alessi, Luigino and Rollerblade showed top speeds of about 60 km/h and hard fights for their positions. Almost each team tried to break away and pushed its drivers to the top in order to speed up or to initialize a single breakaway. The boys from Luigino Swiss around the two Swiss top cracks Severin Widmer and Nicolas Iten turned out to be very active with their aggressive pushs to the top. The Powerslide team with the leader of the overall ranking, Yann Guyader, tried to close the gaps again and again and made a good tactical race. Again the BONT arena Geisingen athletes speeded up, but the very attentive X-Tech drivers with the experienced Elio Concu didn’t let them beak away. After the 34^th lap with no single athlete leading, everybody thought of a mass sprint, but this was prevented by the friendly guy Juan Nayib Tobon from BONT arena Geisingen team. He could start the sprint on the final straight from a very good position, impossible to catch up with him, reaching the finish line with a margin of 20 metres. All spectators and the proud team owner Sabine Uhrig with her whole family were delighted by him. After some top rankings in the WIC season in 2009 and the GIC 2010, Juan could celebrate his first victory in a spectacular WIC race with top athletes. On the following positions: 2. Yann Guyader (FRA), extending his lead in the overall ranking with this position before his team-mate Fabio Francolini (ITA).

The ladies didn’t drive as hectically and fast as the men, but in a more tactical manner. Their 30 laps were characterized mainly by team-work. They eyed each other, so that almost each action was neutralized, and were absolutely not impressed by the racing speed train of the men. Soon it became clear – after breakaways had almost been impossible – that the Powerslide team would play an important role on the way to the victory, even if the overall leader Chechy Baena wasn’t there. As usual,Nathalie Barbotin worked extremely hard for her team-mates and didn’t let anybody break away. Even the Alessi ladies as well as the ladies of X-Tech and Vitamine&Co-Ferrara had no successful breakaways. Therefore it came to a final spurt and the German Sabine Berg from Powerslide Matter World won the palm before Giovanna Turcchiarelli (Alessi World) and the New Zealander Nicole Begg (X-Tech MPC).

The excellent Swiss referees around Stefan Neck were always in full command of the race, despite the numerous laps, the lapping and the high speed.

Now it’s time for the WIC and SIC train to take a rest during the European Championships and come back with a spectacular race through the town centre of the Swiss capital Bern. We already look forward to seeing you on the occasion of this big event on Sunday 8 August 2010.