Press release Longines Global Champions Tour – An impressive 9 out of the world’s top 10 riders will be pulling out all the stops for the highly anticipated Longines Global Champions Tour and Global Champions League of Madrid, raising the curtain on the European segment of the 15-event Championship.
From 19th – 21st May, the very best riders in the sport will continue their campaign in the world’s premier show jumping series, heading to the beautiful destination of Club de Campo Villa de Madrid where thousands of spectators will be treated to a dazzling display of top class action and entertainment across three days.
Current LGCT Ranking leader Lorenzo de Luca (ITA) will head to the fourth leg of the Championship stop, hoping to extend his lead against the rest of the field. Currently sitting on 100 points overall, the Italian rider will be fending off the likes of 2014 LGCT Grand Prix of Madrid winner Maikel van der Vleuten (NED) who has a tally of 89 points overall, and the ever-consistent Olympic Gold medallist Scott Brash (GBR), who is just 25 points away from the lead and primed to make history as the only rider to ever win the LGCT Champion of Champions title three times.
Leading the star-studded pack will be newly crowned World Number 1, Kent Farrington (USA), who will compete on his third consecutive leg of the Tour and League Championships. With the high calibre competition testing the top athletes in the sport across the length of the season like no other, World Number 3 Daniel Deusser (GER), World Number 4 Eric Lamaze (CAN) and World Number 5 Christian Ahlmann (GER) have all added their names to the roll-call of contenders taking part in the first European leg of the Tour.
Last year’s LGCT Grand Prix of Madrid winner and World Number 7 Marcus Ehning (GER) will also return to defend his Grand Prix title from 2016, with top French riders Simon Delestre (FRA) and Kevin Staut (FRA) also keen to add their names to the prestigious list of past winners next weekend.
The fourth stage of the Global Champions League will also take place in Madrid as part of a weekend full of world class sport. Current leaders Valkenswaard United bring the formidable duo of Bertram Allen (IRL) and Alberto Zorzi (ITA) to compete alongside teammate Marcus Ehning (GER), and last year’s winners, the Rome Gladiators, will field Laura Kraut (USA) and Abdel Saïd (EGY) alongside Italian Lorenzo de Luca (ITA).
The stunning setting of Club de Campo Villa de Madrid provides another eclectic atmosphere on the 2017 LGCT and GCL calendar. With a galloping grass arena, luxurious facilities including local delicacies and entertainment, and typically perfect temperatures, the Madrid leg of the Championship is a hugely popular event drawing thousands of passionate fans. Available to watch via GCT and GCL TV and on Eurosport, as well as special programming on CNN, the fourth leg of the series will see temperatures rise as the world’s best battle it out for valuable ranking points.
With the likes of Ludger Beerbaum (GER), Pénélope Leprevost (FRA), Roger-Yves Bost (FRA), Harrie Smolders (NED), Tiffany Foster (CAN), Nicola Philippaerts (BEL), Darragh Kenny (IRL), Pedro Veniss (BRA), Marco Kutscher (GER), Jerome Guery (BEL), Julien Epaillard (FRA) and Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani (QAT), it’s set to be another sensational weekend as the fight for the title starts to sizzle.
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Press release LGCT
