Europe tour 2010 wrap

World Champs - historic AUS team 5th in Teams Sprint as crowds look on

Matt Dalziel - best Australian place at World Champs and looks like he wasn´t even trying.....!

Stew Bennett finishing strongly at Worlds....watch this space over the next few years

Ben Maynard.....so stable in Valtellina ITA World Cup with 8th place

The Wildwater racing season in Europe for 2010 has come to an end, and Hobart TAS was in the thick of it with 4 competitors. Here´s the highlights:

http://www.canoe.org.au/?Page=19540

http://www.canoe.org.au/default.asp?Page=19448

http://www.canoe.org.au/default.asp?Page=19414


Dan Hall

5th World Championhips Sprint Teams - Sort, Spain

Stewart Bennett

1st Soca International Classic - Kobarid, Slovenia

2 x 5th World Championships Sprint and Classic Teams - Sort, Spain
18th individual classic

Matt Dalziel

5th World Champiosnhips Classic Teams - Sort, Spain
17th individual classic
World Masters Champion Classic

Ben Maynard

2 x 9th Pyrenees Cup Sprint and Classic - Sort, Spain
3rd Austrian Championships Classic on the Steyr River
6th Soca International Sprint - Kobarid, Slovenia

2 x 5th World Championships Sprint and Classic Teams - Sort, Spain
20th individual Classic
22nd individual sprint

19th World Cup 1 Classic - Bovec, Slovenia
21st World Cup 2 Sprint

14th World Cup 3 Classic - Valtellina, Italy
8th World Cup 4 Sprint

16th World Cup 5 Sprint - Lofer, Austria
22nd World Cup 6 Classic

Overall World Cup rank 18th


A big thanks to everyone involved with the team this year, see you on a river soon......

Europe 2010 update 2

Soca X boater-cross - the start platform! PIC - Gerald Filzwieser

Hi everyone,

After the Steyr I had a week of training in Graz before another AUT champs race on the Mur River, where I was a distant 4th...never really felt good on the course. Directly afterwards we left for a 7 day training camp in Sort, Spain - this was an excellent week in preparation for the World Championships, left totally tired but very positive about the course.

Soca X boater-cross - tight around the first turn! I am number 18. PIC - Gerald Filzwieser

An easy few days back in Austria, and we left for another training camp in Slovenia, the site of 2 World Cup races in late June. During this time we had 3 races, wildwater classic and sprint (2 x 6th places) and X boater-cross (knocked out before the money round!).

Soca wildwater classic - near the finish. PIC - Gerald Filzwieser

Back in Graz now until next Wednesday when we leave for the World Championships, June 7-13. Thanks for the messages, we will go our hardest in Spain!

Cheers,

Ben

Europe 2010 update 1

Podium classic race, Steyr, AUT

Hi all,

Stew and I are in Europe getting ready for the wildwater racing season. I´ve been here for 3 weeks and done 2 weekends of racing.

First up was the international race ´Pyrenees Cup´in Sort, Spain (Noguera Pallaresa river - site of the Worlds in June):

CLASSIC top 10

1 TASTARD RONAN FRANCE 20:30.562
2 BONNETAIN QUENTIN FRANCE 20:46.302
3 ZNIDARCIC NEJC SLOVENIA 20:48.124
4 SCHMID GERHARD AUSTRIA 20:50.370
5 VYNISALE LOÏC FRANCE 20:54.026
6 FILZWIESER MANUEL AUSTRIA 21:11.433
7 HUDETZ HARALD AUSTRIA 21:14.682
8 DEVARD THÉO FRANCE 21:21.564
9 MAYNARD BEN AUSTRALIA 21:26.361
10 MARTIN SCHEUBER SWITZERLAND 21:32.888

SPRINT top 10

1 ZNIDARCIC NEJC SLOVENIA 3:18.562
2 DEVARD THÉO FRANCE 3:20.459
3 TASTARD RONAN FRANCE 3:24.088
4 BONNETAIN QUENTIN FRANCE 3:26.622
5 SCHMID GERHARD AUSTRIA 3:26.707
6 HUDETZ HARALD AUSTRIA 3:27.948
7 FILZWIESER MANUEL AUSTRIA 3:30.508
8 ARAKAMA ESTEBAN SPAIN 3:31.655
9 MAYNARD BEN AUSTRALIA 3:32.625
10 MIRALLES PRATS XAVIER SPAIN 3:34.938

Sprint course, Steyr, AUT

Last weekend was the Austrian Sprint Championship and race 2 of their Classic Championship (Steyr River):

SPRINT top 5 (combined times 2 runs)

Gerhard Schmid 1.57.33
Manuel Filzwieser 2.00.22
Harald Hudetz 2.00.27
Ben Maynard 2.01.82
Gunther Briedl 2.03.26

CLASSIC top 5

Gerhard Schmid 8.50.34
Harald Hudetz 8.51.74
Ben Maynard 8.55.52
Manual Filzwieser 9.01.63
Gunther Briedl 9.28.53

I´m in Graz, AUT for this week before a training camp in Sort next week. Stew is in Sort right now and will be there next week as well. After that we both come back east to AUT for a few days, then to the Soca in SLO for another training camp, before some tune-up days in Graz again prior to taking on the World Champs in Spain.

All for now, Cheers!
Ben

2009 Wildwater World Cup – Rapid Descent Racing summary

Rick Eaves Photography
http://www.rickeaves.com/

Rick Eaves Photography
http://www.rickeaves.com/

Equipment signage by Freestyle FX
fx.signs@bigpond.net.au

The Advocate

The Examiner

The Advocate

The Advocate

The Examiner

The Mercury

2009 Wildwater World Cup – Rapid Descent Racing summary

Recently, the annual six-race Wildwater World Cup was held in Tasmania. Following a successful host bid in 2007, Tasmania got the opportunity to run the World Cup outside of Europe for only the 3^rd time in its history.

Over 70 competitors from 15 countries took part in the series that used the Mersey River, Brady’s Lake Whitewater Course, Ouse River and Cataract Gorge. Whitewater, sunshine and wild places enabled spectacular racing that showcased the sport at its best, captured massive media attention and inspired another generation of young paddlers.

The Tasmanian-based Rapid Descent Racing team of Dan Hall, Ben Maynard and Stewart Bennett were part of a 13-person Australian team at the World Cup, and produced some career-best performances on their home courses in front of a parochial home crowd. Dan Hall opened his account with 2 medals and was consistently in medal contention throughout the World Cup, finishing an outstanding 6^th overall. Ben Maynard placed in the top 6 on three occasions and finished in 10^th. Stewart Bennett, in only his 3^rd year of a comeback to the sport, placed 21^st overall.

Highlights include:

World Cup Race	Dan Hall	Ben Maynard	Stewart Bennett
1	2* (PB)	13 (PB)	18
2	3* (PB)	6 (PB)
3	9	5 (PB)	15
4	5	20
5		6	16
6	9	16
Overall ranking	6 (PB)	10 (PB)	21

* Medal, (PB) Personal best

Following the World Cup, the Australian Championships for Xtreme Kayaking were held on Cataract Gorge, Launceston. Dan Hall enjoyed a continuation of his good form to beat a star-studded field and walk away with his 3^rd consecutive Cataract Xtreme title.

The RDR crew has had a well-earned break during November, and has been back on deck since December training for their next campaign. This will be the 2010 Wildwater World Championships in Sort, Spain during June, followed by World Cups in Slovenia, Italy and Austria during July. Most of the Australian summer will be spent training locally for these events, prior to departure for Europe in April/May.

For all the action from the recent World Cup, check out the website:

http://www.wildwatertasmania.canoe.org.au/

The RDR crew would like to sincerely thank all sponsors and supporters for their assistance during 2009. We look forward to working with you in 2010.

Cheers,

Ben, Dan and Stew