The German Max Hoff, Olympic champion in K-4 1,000 meters in Rio de Janeiro 2016, as well as a seven-time track world champion and with no less than a dozen continental titles, has been assigned pole position for the eighty-fifth edition of the International Descent of the Sella, forming a pair on this occasion with his compatriot Claas Gebhardt. The German tandem will start first after winning early yesterday morning in the time trial between the San Román bridge and the bridge in the fishing village of Ribadesella, over a route of approximately 4,000 metres, and after spending 12 minutes and 10 seconds to cover that distance.
Behind the Germans, the second best time was that of the host crew of Club El Sella, Alberto Llera Serrano and Roberto Geringer Sallette, with 12.12; The third best record was for the Corverano Miguel Fernández Castañón -twice champion of Sella, once with Julio Martínez, in 2009, and another with José Julián Becerro, in 2019-, who paddled on this occasion with the Cangués Luis Amado Pérez Blanco, both defending the colors of Fluvial O Barco, using 12.14.
For his part, the South African Hank McGregor, eleven times marathon world champion, was fourth, along with his compatriot Hamish Lovemore; and fifth will leave Miguel Llorens López and Alberto Plaza Sagredo (SCD Ribadesella), current runners-up in the marathon world.
Sixth in the starting traps of the 85th International Descent, tomorrow will be Álvaro Fernández Fiuza and Guillermo Fidalgo de León (Oviedo Kayak-La Ribera) and seventh will be the South Africans Andy Birkett and Uli Hart. The Cantabrian Julio Martínez Gómez, eleven times winner of the Sella, will start from eighth place together with the Argentine Julián Daniel Salinas while the current champions, the Frenchmen Quentin Urban and Jeremy Candy, who have just conquered another new title of European marathon champions , they will start ninth. The tenth place on the starting grid will be occupied by another of the favorite K-2s, that of the Danes Mads Brandt Pedersen and Thorbjorn Rask, while from the eleventh stocks the Hungarians Adrian Boros and Bruno Kolozsvari will take the start.
Bouzán, primer K-1
In the K-1 modality, the fastest turned out to be the ten times winner of the Sella International Descent, eight of them in K-2 (with Álvaro Fernández Fiuza), Walter Bouzán Sánchez from Riosella, from the El Sella Canoeing Club, who completed the layout in a time of 12 minutes and 12 seconds. For his part, Javi López (Los Cuervos de Pravia), from Sotobarquán, current champion of Sella, took second place (13.24), with third place for the member of the Argentine national team Manuel Garaycoechea (13.58). In fourth position would be Kiko Vega Suárez from the Ribadesella Cultural and Sports Society (13.58). The Portuguese Leonel Ramalho was unable to take part in the time trial due to being ill and will start from the twentieth stocks.
The thorn of Plaza and Llorens
The Cangués Alberto Plaza won the Sella in K-1 in 2017 and also got on the podium in 2016, third, and 2019, second. Last year he formed the K-2 boat together with Miguel Llorens from Riosella, who had stayed several times at the gates of the podium sharing a canoe with Luis Amado Pérez. And once again the drawer was elusive because in the last edition of Sella, Plaza and Llorens reached the finish line of Ribadesella embedded in the K-2 quartet that ended up risking victory, but finally finished fourth, thousandths of a second from getting on to the podium.
Tomorrow, Llorens and Plaza (SCD Ribadesella), current runners-up in the marathon world and Spanish champions in the specialty, will try to achieve the success they have already achieved in other major competitions in the Descent. An opportunity to try to get rid of what happened in the recent European marathon, in Slavonski Brod, where they overturned in the last portage -when they led the test- and lost all options to get on the box.
“We are very eager and excited to improve on fourth place last year. There is a high level in this Sella, there are ten or twelve K-2s to fight for victory”, comments Llorens. “It will be a Sella with an international level in K-2 that at least I have never seen. We really want to play a good role and enjoy this year,” says Plaza from Cangués.
Another great challenge for Walter Bouzán
Walter Bouzán will fight tomorrow for what would be his third International Descent of the Sella in the K-1 modality, after winning the 2003 and 2009 editions, and after moving to the K-2 (where he had previously been on the podium on four occasions) sharing a canoe with Álvaro Fernández Fiuza to make history with eight consecutive victories between 2010 and 2017.
Regarding the level of water that it has on these dates prior to the big day, Walter Bouzán points out: “I don’t care. I couldn’t tell you if it is better for me with more water or less.” Be that as it may, the kayaker from Riosella has had a really good season, in terms of results, since on July 1 he won the third test of the Spanish Sea Kayak Cup, in Candás, and at the same time obtained a SS-1 place for represent Spain in the World Championship in Australia.
A few dates ago, on July 22, the crew from Riosella made up of Walter Bouzán, Hugo Cueto, Roberto Geringer and Alberto Llera (Club Piragüismo El Sella) won the silver medal in the final A of K-4 1,000 meters, in the LIV Spanish Sprint Championship, which was held in the waters of Verducido (Galicia), staying just 1.75 behind the golden metal, this one won by the Galician Kayak Tudense -with Pedro Vázquez Llenín from Parragués, among its members-. In addition, in K-1 1,000 meters, Walter Bouzán was seventh.
2023-08-04 02:15:00
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