Global Champions Tour Cannes
Hotting up at GCT Cannes as Frenchman Rozier wins
French rider Philippe Rozier sent the temperature rising on the Riviera with a determined victory at the GCT in Cannes ahead of tonight’s Grand Prix.
Philippe had to beat a blistering round by German Philipp Weishaupt who finished on 59.50 after a remarkable display of speed on his bay stallion Leoville 2. But with only a few riders to go in the 5* class, Philippe was faster at the halfway mark and took the outside turn to the final Jaeger-LeCoultre fence but at a super fast pace to finish in 58.96.
Philippe, riding his chestnut mare Akita, said: “It is a great pleasure to win here at the GCT in Cannes and very special to win in France. I decided not to take the inside turn to the last but I went very fast to the last.”
Philippe Rozier © (Photo credits: Sportfot/GCT)
The final rider to go, speed supremo Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil on HH Palouchin, put up a courageous challenge but was placed third in 60.44. Four out of the first six positions were taken by home riders with Simon Delestre, Eugenie Angot and Pénélope Leprevost in fourth, fifth and six places.
Talented speed riders Sergio Alvarez Moya and Roger-Yves Bost both fell victim at the Spring Garden double combination knocking down the vertical rail.
The atmosphere and the temperature have been rising throughout the day in anticipation of the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix where the world’s star riders will be pulling out all the stops for all-important GCT ranking points and the richest prize money in the sport.
Quelle: Pressemeldung
