LA SAUZAIE, Brétignolles-sur-Mer – FRANCE (Friday, April 20, 2012) ? The ASP 3-Star Protest Vendee Pro completed its second day of competition today which started at 9am this morning at the backup venue of Les Dunes. Conditions allowed the Top Seeds entering the competition in its third Round to display their fantastic abilities to the public?s eyes.
Vincent Duvignac (FRA) 24, was on fire this morning in the first heat of the day opening up with an incredible 9.33 out of 10, and confirming his overwhelming lead with a 8.33 to put his three opponents in a combination zone, needing two scores to try and get the first place.
«It?s a good start for me in this contest.» Vincent Said. «The conditions are once again not easy with waves breaking all over the place but I know this type of condition, I?ve surfed in Les Sables d?Olonne a lot and there?s the same kind of break.»
Confirming his great form later on by winning his Round of 32 confrontation, Vincent Duvignac showed his extreme motivation to move through the next rounds of competition and get closer to the final rounds.
«I just lost my major sponsor because they stopped their activity in Europe so it?s been tough for me. I had the opportunity to enter the prime events because I had a good season last year, and so far I?ve lost in Brazil and Australia in the first rounds at both events. I?m going to go to Trestles next but then because I don?t really have enough money to follow the international tour I?ll focus more on the European Tour».
Joan Duru (FRA) 23, was the other standout in today?s action, claiming two heat wins and netting the third highest heat total of the event so far, an excellent 16.50 out of 20. The Landes region native has been a force to reckon with for the past couple of years on the European and International stage and confirms he will be one to watch in 2012 !
«My first heat today went well, I had a decent wave from the start and it?s pretty hard to find the right ones that double up and offer a clean wall..» Stated Joan. «My last wave was fun too I had it way out the back and I did three good turns on it, I?m just a little dissapointed I fell at the end of it.»
Joan eventually qualified for the quarter-finals this afternoon and imposed his power in the cleaner sets at La Sauzaie. A serious contender for the 2012 Event win, Joan keeps his head in the game and sees further ahead with a hypothetical World Championship Tour qualification that he?s been eyeing for a couple years now.
«I came here to try to win obviously like every event I surf, and in the long term this year my main goal is qualification for the World Championship Tour. I?m going to have to give my everything, it?s harder and harder every year I think with all the progressive kids coming up. I surfed a lot this winter and traveled to Hawaii, Brazil where I surfed in the quarter-finals of the prime event, and Australia».
Romain Cloitre (FRA) 23, the 2011 ASP European Champion navigated through today?s rounds of competition with a clear objective of getting to the business end of this event. After an excellent season last year, the young Reunion Island ambassador is looking to confirm his status of Europe?s favourite up-and-comer by placing high in this Protest Vendee Pro.
«It went great for me I found some fun waves.» Commented Romain. «My tactic was to concentrate on wave selection and I managed to get three good scores so I lead the heat from the beginning. I was tough with the cold, specially cause I don?t like surfing in boots so I went without and it?s quite hard ! I had to actually put wax on my board after every two waves out there..»
Today the conditions were cleaner at La Sauzaie, but a bumpy lineup still provided the surfers with a hard task at hands trying to place themselves in the best spot when a set of waves came rolling by. Originating from Britanny and with experience in all kind of conditions, Romain Cloitre managed to find the waves offering a higher scoring potential.
«I?m not an expert of La Sauzaie but I?ve been coming here for a few years now and I get used to it. This tide is probably the most complicated because waves can either break way outside or close to the shore, and it all changes very fast with the tide moving in.. I had my best waves out the back, and with a little luck they even reformed in the inside.»
Tomorrow event officials will reconvene at 2pm at the main site of La Sauzaie to decide when to start the quarter-finals. A champion might be crowned tomorrow as conditions may not be favourable on sunday. The Protest Vendee Pro is scheduled from April 19-22, 2012. For more information, and all upcoming results, photos, video highlights, press releases and LIVE webcast log-on to www.aspeurope.com
ASP 3-STAR PROTEST VENDEE PRO UPCOMING QUARTER-FINALS
Heat 1: Vincent Duvignac (FRA), Jayce Robinson (GBR), Justin Mujica (PRT), Indar Unanue (EUK) Heat 2: Txaber Trojaola (EUK), William Aliotti (FRA), Joan Duru (FRA) Yannick De Jager (NDL) Heat 3: Romain Cloitre (FRA), Jatyr Berasaluce (EUK), Charles Martin (GLP), Gordon Fontaine (FRA) Heat 4: Marlon Lipke (DEU), Frederico Morais (PRT), Steven Pierson (PYF) Nic Von Rupp (DEU)
ASP 3-STAR PROTEST VENDEE PRO ROUND OF 32 MATCH-UPS
Heat 1: Vincent Duvignac (FRA) 11.47, William Aliotti (FRA) 9.10, Vicente Romero (ESP) 7.30, Medi Veminardi (REU) 4.77 Heat 2: Justin Mujica (PRT) 9.77, Yannick De Jager (NDL) 8.67, Tim Boal (FRA) 7.70, Borja Agote (EUK) 7.67 Heat 3: Txaber Trojaola (EUK) 9.23, Jayce Robinson (GBR) 8.83, Pierre-Valentin Laborde (FRA) 8.70, Eneko Acero (EUK) 5.60 Heat 4: Joan Duru (FRA) 16.50, Indar Unanue (EUK) 8.33, Filipe Jervis (PRT) 7.97, Stuart Campbell (GBR) 5.86 Heat 5: Romain Cloitre (FRA) 11.00, Frederico Morais (PRT) 8.34, Abdel El Harim (MOR) 6.73, Francisco Alves (PRT) 1.70 Heat 6: Charles Martin (GLP) 11.50, Nic Von Rupp (DEU) 11.40, Ruben Gonzalez (PRT) 7.87, Edouard Delpero (FRA) 5.47 Heat 7: Marlon Lipke (DEU) 14.34, Jatyr Berasaluce (EUK) 9.97, Yassine Ramdani (MOR) 8.50, Lars Musschoot (BEL) 7.17 Heat 8: Steven Pierson (PYF) 11.56, Gordon Fontaine (FRA) 9.16, Adrien Toyon (REU) 9.03, Aduardo Fernandes (PRT) 3.90
ASP 3-STAR PROTEST VENDEE PRO ROUND OF 64 MATCH-UPS
Heat 1: Vincent Duvignac (FRA) 17.66, Yannick De Jager (NDL) 9.73, David Tereva (PYF) 7.97, Nicolas Remi (FRA) 7.33 Heat 2: Medi Veminardi (REU) 14.33, Borja Agote (EUK) 8.10, Rafael Pereira (VEN) 7.30, Toby Donachie (GBR) 6.47 Heat 3: Justin Mujica (PRT) 12.40, Vicente Romero (ESP) 11.10, Pablo Gutierrez (ESP) 9.56, Jules Thomet (FRA) 9.33 Heat 4: Tim Boal (FRA) 11.67, William Aliotti (FRA) 10.74, Rudy Marechal (FRA) 8.96, Luis Eyre (GBR) 8.20 Heat 5: Jayce Robinson (GBR) 13.66, Filipe Jervis (PRT) 12.63, Didier Piter (FRA) 7.10, Hugo Dubosc (FRA) 6.20 Heat 6: Eneko Acero (EUK) 10.44, Stuart Campbell (GBR) 10.06, Tom Bellevergue (FRA) 6.37, Alexander El Naib (DEU) 0.80 Heat 7: Indar Unanue (EUK) 9.00, Txaber Trojaola (EUK) 8.20, Adrien Valero (FRA) 7.10, Vincent Primel (FRA) 4.33 Heat 8: Joan Duru (FRA) 13.93, Pierre-Valentin Laborde (FRA) 12.83, Pedro Correia (PRT) 10.20, Harry Timson (GBR) 9.26 Heat 9: Romain Cloitre (FRA) 14.50, Charles Martin (GLP) 10.50, Tristan Guilbaud (FRA) 7.90, Gregory Pastusiak (FRA) 7.20 Heat 10: Francisco Alves (PRT) 9.50, Ruben Gonzalez (PRT) 8.37, Jose Ferreira (PRT) 7.13, Romain Laulhe (FRA) 6.04 Heat 11: Nic Von Rupp (DEU) 11.57, Abdel El Harim (MOR) 9.14, Rowan Aish (NZL) 6.54, Ronald Reyes (VEN) 5.93 Heat 12: Edouard Delpero (FRA) 10.90, Frederico Morais (PRT) 9.66, Thomas Bady (FRA) 5.74, Hugo Palmarini (FRA) 5.70 Heat 13: Marlon Lipke (DEU) 13.27, Eduardo Fernandes (PRT) 7.70, Thimothy Latte (SWE) 6.07, Frederic Robin (FRA) 5.86 Heat 14: Lars Musschoot (BEL) 8.74, Steven Pierson (PYF) 8.40, Joao Guedes (PRT) 7.66, Roland Lefeuvre (FRA) 6.53 Heat 15: Gordon Fontaine (FRA) 11.67, Yassine Ramdani (MOR) 6.70, Norman Landa (EUK) 6.70, Pierre Rollet (FRA) 3.98 Heat 16: Adrien Toyon (REU) 9.17, Jatyr Berasaluce (EUK) 9.03, Ian Fontaine (FRA) 8.37, Luis Rodriguez (ESP) 7.13
