Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Harrie Smolders win LGCT Team event at Valkenswaard 2015

The International Centre in Valkenswaard opened the tenth Longines Global Champions Tour, with 15 teams competing over 1.555m in two rounds with a jump-off.
Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Harrie Smolders were the victorious team as Team Madrid, they took the win over Edwina Tops-Alexander and Henk van de Pol who finished in second place as Team Chantilly, with Daniel Deusser and Christina Liebherr taking third for Team Hamburg.
Ludger Beerbaum and Kevin Staut, with Team London looked the team to beat but that pairing could manage fifth while Team Rome were a place behind. Fourth were Team Cannes on what was a highly-competitive and entertaining event full of tactics and excellent performances from the world’s top riders.
Jan Tops – President of Longines Global Champions Tour, praised the riders and course director the Italian Uliano Vezzani for ensuring the event was a success in front of a packed crowd. Looking ahead the competition will feature from next year with 15 events throughout the year offering 7.5m euros in prize money. Each class will have 200,000 euros up for grabs for what will become a regular Friday night date.
Team standings: http://eventcontent.hippoonline.de/1065/docs/04FinalResult_Komplett.pdf
In another CSI5* on Friday the 1.50m with jump-off was won by the Scot Scott Brash on Hello Forever (For Pleasure) with the world number one finishing with 0 penalities in 39.55 seconds.
The Swiss rider Pènelope Lèprevost on Nice Stephanie finished second ahead of compatriot Simon Delestre on Chesall.
4° Bertram Allen IRL Belmonde
5° Edwina Tops-Alexander AUS Caretina de Joter
6° Roger Yves Bost FRA Sydney Une Prince
7° LUCA MARIA MONETA ITA CONNERY
8° Federico Fernandez MEX Guru
9° Harrie Smolders NED Don VHP Z
10°Abdel Said EGY Hope van Scherpen Donder
Full list: http://eventcontent.hippoonline.de/1065/sta_erg/03_ergENG.htm?style=long…
photo: Stefano Grasso / LGCT
www.globalchampionstour.com