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Pirates Steal Show in Thrilling 2020 GCL Opener at Al Shaqab

St Tropez Pirates kicked off their 2020 Global Champions League campaign in determined style at the Longines Arena at Al Shaqab, member of Qatar Foundation, combining speed and pinpoint accuracy to take the lead going into Saturday’s showdown.

8 teams finished on a zero score after this nail-biting first round, with some blisteringly fast rounds from St Tropez Pirates, Scandinavian Vikings and London Knights.

New signing Daniel Deusser joined St Tropez Pirates team stalwart Pieter Devos for the first time at this opening leg in Qatar, and the team’s strategy paid off. Devos praised his new teammate. “We had a very good start, a nice clear. I’m very happy with my new teammate, Daniel, who gave us a lot of confidence for the start of the season,” he said.

Speaking of his new team’s chances, after today's dramatic display of firepower, Deusser said: “It’s a new season, new challenge, new team, we have a very good team but we need to produce the results”.

With half of the teams jumping double clears around Frank Rothenberger’s 1.50/1.55m exciting track, motivation is high among the team riders, owners and managers from day one of the GCL team championship at this opening leg in Doha, and it will be all to play for in Saturday’s final round.

This season’s teams are stronger than ever, with more horsepower and new talent being added, and some exciting transfers as the battle gets under way.

It was clear from the start today that this year’s teams are fiercely competitive in the race for the 2020 championship, and high caliber combinations not only delivered clear rounds, but also threw down the gauntlet for the fastest times, with Scott Brash, for New York Empire, posting the fastest round in today’s team competition.

The teams are eager to make their mark at this early stage of the season, and on Saturday, the GCL Doha Champions will be crowned in what is sure to be a thrilling finale.

Tickets for days two and three are available online at https://www.q-tickets.com/ or through the Al Shaqab website (www.alshaqab.com).

For the convenience of spectators attending the event, Al Shaqab is providing a free shuttle bus service from the Al Shaqab metro station on the Green Line to the Longines Arena at Al Shaqab. The service will run at 10-minute intervals during the competition.