Italian rider Sara Cabrini took Gold in the second round of the eSkootr Championship (eSC) to become the first female winner of the world’s inaugural micromobility series.
The race took place in the blazing sunshine on the streets of Sion, Switzerland.
Having led every lap of the final, Cabrini took the chequered flag almost five seconds ahead of Frenchman Aymard Vernay, with Marc Luna clinching third.
Cabrini for Helbiz Racing had just 12 seconds of power boost left going into the six-lapper final, while Murphy Scooters rider Marc Luna began the final race with 40 seconds of boost.
But a mistake at the tricky Turn 8/9 chicane on lap four caused the Spaniard to momentarily dismount his eSkootr giving Citizens racer Vernay second place. Vernay however could not close the gap on Cabrini.
“This is amazing. I’m very, very happy for me and for the team,” said Cabrini. “Marc and I had a really good battle in the quarter final and another really good one in the final. He even bumped into me but I said ‘not this time’, and kept in front. I was a little nervous in the opening laps but when I saw there was nobody behind me, I knew I could push for the line.”
In the semi-final, Luna manoeuvred a brilliant pass on Cabrini at the start of lap three but he could not repeat the feat in the main event.
“My plan for the final was exactly the same as in the quarter finals and the semi-final,” said Luna. “You know, Sara really flies on the eSkootr and it’s really hard to get in front of her at the start. So I got into second place and waited for a chance to overtake. I’d tried to force her into an error or find a way past with my extra boost – but she was just too quick.”
Cabrini is now fourth place in the riders standings overall. It is Carlin’s Anish Shetty who leads the championship after the Swiss race. He finished fourth in Sion and third-place in the opening race in London.
eSC’s third round takes place in Italy on 15-16 July, 2022.