Torrente And Al-Mansoori Take XCAT Points Lead With Win China

ByMatt Trulio

Team Abu Dhabi 4’s Shaun Torrente and Faleh Al-Mansoori earned a second successive victory in race two of the Hangzhou Grand Prix on the Qiantang River this weekend in Hangzhou, China. They now lead the UIM XCAT World Championship by nine points.

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With a win in race No. 2 during this weekend’s XCAT stop in China, Shaun Torrente and Faleh Al-Mansoori, moved another step closer to a world title.

Completing another sensational weekend for the team running out of the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC), Team Abu Dhabi 5’s Rashed Al-Tayer and Majed Al-Mansoori reached the chequered flag in second place to complete the second stunning 1-2 finish for the team in a week after a similar success in race two in Shanghai last Sunday.

Torrente and Al-Mansoori mastered their long lap strategy to perfection and led from start-to-finish to see off their rivals and continue a remarkable turnaround in fortunes in what is developing into a thrilling XCAT season finale with four races yet to come in Xiamen and Dubai.

The Dubai Police crew of Nadir Bin Hendi and Arif Saif Al-Zafeen recovered from a slow start to close in on Team Abu Dhabi 5 and seal the final podium position, while the 222 Offshore crew of Italy’s Giovanni Carpitella and Australia’s Darren Nicholson were fourth. Team Australia’s Blue Roo crew of crew of Pål-Virik Nilsen and Jan Trygve Braaten suffered engine issues that dented their title ambitions and they struggled to the finish in eighth place.

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Said Torrente (right with Al-Mansoori): “We are in the driver’s seat now.”

“I am very happy with my friend Shaun,” said Al-Mansoori. “He did a good job today. The World Championship is not easy. We work hard every time and this is another fantastic result for us.”

Added Torrente, “We are in the driver’s seat now. We are not playing catch up. This championship is in our hands and is ours to lose. We will enjoy this win, but we must retain our concentration and focus for the next races.”

Related Story: XCAT Shanghai GP Ends With Impressive One-Two Finish From Team Abu Dhabi