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Cyclo-Cross World Cup #8 - CDM
Roubaix, France, January 18, 2009
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Race 3 - January 18: Elite Women, 40 minutes
Cobblestone for Compton
World champion Kupfernagel wins World Cup
By Brecht Decaluwé in Roubaix, France
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With only two weeks left until the cyclo-cross world championships, Katie Compton left her mark at the legendary vélodrome in Roubaix, France. The American national champion overcame what looked like a bad start, moved back to the front and out-classed the rest of the field in the mud.
World champion Hanka Kupfernagel finished second and wins the World Cup series. The German never finished worse than second place in World Cup events and with one more round to go her points lead is insurmountable. Dutch champion Daphny van den Brand struggled with the cold in Roubaix and finished third.
"I'm very happy with this win. It was so hard today as it was so muddy, making for a challenging course," Compton said. It is already the third World Cup victory of the season for Compton although winning a race on the vélodrome of Roubaix surely is more special than the other two rounds she won. "It's very special to race here. I always saw Paris-Roubaix on TV. Now I actually got to see the track and I even won on it," Compton said.
Compton had to battle hard for the victory and things didn't look great right after the start. "It was a false start," Compton claimed. "I hesitated to follow which made things worse; it was a false start where Hanka took a full bike length. It took me a lap to get back near the front," Compton said.
The 30 year-old from Colorado Springs bridged up to the leader's group after the first passage on the Roubaix vélodrome. World champion Hanka Kupfernagel and Dutchwomen Marianne Vos and Daphny van den Brand probably realized that the odds weren't good for them. During the second lap Compton steamed to the front with a smart move at the pit zone and a few moments later she attacked the leader's group. Young Vos got dropped and Van den Brand lost contact with the leaders after a small crash. Kupfernagel was the last one to get dropped and Compton started to build up an impressive lead over the rest of the field. "It was never easy but it felt good. I made a couple of mistakes but overall I liked it here," Compton said.
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Kupfernagel didn't take time to talk to the press after the race but in her newsletter she said that she trained very hard this week. "It's fantastic to secure the overall win in the World Cup on a legendary place like the vélodrome in Roubaix," Kupfernagel wrote. While Kupfernagel didn't speak to the press, third place finisher Daphny van den Brand did and was clearly struggling with the cold after the race. "It was very cold. I had problems with the icy water on the course. It was so cold when my legs came in contact with it. After a few laps I got going but by then Hanka was too far away for me," Van den Brand said.
Marianne Vos held on to fourth place despite lacking form and the skills that were needed on a demanding course like the one in Roubaix. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau was the first local rider in sixth ahead of Helen Wyman and Rachel Lloyd, who finished as second American in seventh place.
The last World Cup round of the season will be held in Milano, Italy, next week. For the overall classification there's not much excitement to be expected. The top three will remain the same since Compton said she wouldn't be competing in Italy. "With my leg injury in mind, flying there would take away five training days and with the world championships coming up in two weeks I can't do that," Compton said. The US-champion also added that she wasn't happy with a late decision from the Roubaix organization and UCI to take out the steep downhill for the women's race. "They want to treat women's cyclo-cross equally to men's cross and then they make the course easier. Then again, there was enough left to make the difference. I have the power like all others but I have more skills," Compton said.
Photos coming!
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Cyclingnews.com
- Gabriella Day (Vision) finished 24th.
- Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) negotiates the barriers.
- Katie Compton (Spike) clears the barriers on her way to a first place finish.
- Daphny van den Brand handles the barriers.
- Drivetrains took a beating in the mud and slop at Roubaix.
- Elite women's riders circle the Roubaix velodrome.
- Katie Compton (Spike) solos to victory in Roubaix.
- Katie Compton (Spike) wins her third World Cup of the season.
- A muddy post-race face was a familiar sight in Roubaix.
- The women's podium (l-r) Hanka Kupfernagel (Itera-Stevens, 2nd), Katie Compton (Spike, 1st) and Daphny van den Brand (ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida, 3rd).
- Katie Compton (Spike) atop the podium while her national anthem plays.
- Katie Compton (Spike) with her piece of Roubaix cobblestone.
Images by Mitch Clinton/www.clintonphoto.com
- Katie Compton and Hanka Kupfernagel jump over the hurdles.
- Katie Compton on her way to a muddy victory.
- Hanka Kupfernagel defended her lead in the World Cup.
- Marianne Voss ended the day in fourth place.
- Marylinne Salvetat (l) and Helen Wyman tackle the jump.
- Hanka Kupfernagel on her way to second.
- Katie Compton found the deep mudholes in Roubaix, but won anyway.
- This is what you call a real cyclo-cross.
- Katie Compton wins it in the velodrome of Robaix.
- A muddy Daphny Van Den Brand
Images by Fabrice Lambert
- Hanka Kupfernagel arrives in the velodrome.
- Marianne Vos got her legs covered in mud.
- Marianne Vos takes out one foot for balance on the slippery slopes.
- Maryline Salvetat balances.
- Maryline Salvetat over the obstacles.
- Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel.
- Nadia Triquet takes the hurdles with ease.
- Camille Darcel turns left.
- Christelle Ferrier Bruneau takes the corner.
- Christelle Ferrier Bruneau is happy with her fifth place.
- Daphny Van Den Brand on the clay part of the course.
- Compton in control
- Katherine Compton slipped in the final lap
- Hanka Kupfernagel rode tough .
- Hanka Kupfernagel on the left hand bend.
- Katherine Compton on the podium.
- Lucie Lefčvre.
- Maryline Salvetat in the deep sand section.
- The women's podium (l-r) with Kupfernagel, Compton and Van Den Brand.
- Katherine Compton wins again.
- Camille Darcel in the sand pit
- Caroline Mani (France).
- Daphny Van Den Brand rolls through.
- Hanka Kupfernagel after the start.
- Hanka Kupfernagel in the sand pit.
- Hanka Kupfernagel won the World Cup.
Results
1 Katherine Compton (USA) Spike 41.48 2 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Itera-Stevens 0.09 3 Daphny van den Brand (Ned) ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida 0.42 4 Marianne Vos (Ned) DSB Bank Ladies Cycling-Team - VVHP 0.53 5 Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) France 1.01 6 Helen Wyman (GBr) Vision 1 Racing 1.37 7 Rachel Lloyd (USA) California Giant Cycling Team 1.47 8 Maryline Salvetat (Fra) France 1.51 9 Caroline Mani (Fra) France 1.59 10 Sanne Cant (Bel) A.D.S. Selle Italia Guerciotti 2.06 11 Sanne van Paassen (Ned) ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida 2.07 12 Nadia Triquet-Claude (Fra) France 2.21 13 Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel (Ned) 2.22 14 Saskia Elemans (Ned) Team Flexpoint 2.46 15 Wendy Simms (Can) Kona Cyclocross Team 2.54 16 Pavla Havlikova (Cze) KC Kooperativa SG Jablonec 3.08 17 Reza Hormes (Ned) Team ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida 3.48 18 Joyce Vanderbeken (Bel) J&G Cycling Team 3.49 19 Abke Francissen (Ned) Team Brabant 2000 4.02 20 Nikki Harris (GBr) Sprinters Malderen 4.16 21 Katrin Leumann (Swi) Switzerland 4.40 22 Veerle Ingels (Bel) AVB - Cycling Team 5.05 23 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Team Ton Van Bemmelen Sports-Merida 5.11 24 Gabriella Day (GBr) Vision 1 Racing 5.12 25 Sabrina Schweizer (Ger) Rad-Union 191 26 Susan Butler (USA) MonaVieCannondale.com 5.13 27 Daniela Bresciani (Ita) Italy 5.39 28 Eva Lechner (Ita) Italy 5.40 29 Mika Ogishima (Jpn) 5.43 30 Nicolle De Bie-Leyten (Bel) AVB - Cycling Team 5.45 31 Susanne Juranek (Ger) RSC Oldenburg v. 196 5.48 32 Camille Darcel (Fra) VC Dinannais 5.55 33 Elke Riedl (Aut) Team Vorarlberg Corratec 5.59 34 Natasha Elliott (Can) EMD Serono-Stevens 6.05 35 Gesa Bruchmann (Ger) 7.10 36 Christine Vardaros (USA) 7.18 37 Nancy Bober (Bel) Casa Verde Race Factory 7.30 38 Lucie Lefevre (Fra) CC Etupes le Doubs pays de Montbéliard 7.36 39 Katrien Pauwels (Bel) Empella Czech Team 7.49 40 Jana Kyptova (Cze) Johnson Controls AS MB 8.10 41 Patsy Larno (Bel) Sport En Vermaak - Maarke-Kerkem 8.16 One lap behind 42 Gertie Willems (Bel) Wielerclub De Sprinters Malderen 43 Lise Müller (Swi) Switzerland
World Cup standings after seven rounds 1 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) Itera-Stevens 370 pts 2 Daphny van den Brand (Ned) ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida 305 3 Katherine Compton (USA) Spike 270 4 Pavla Havlikova (Cze) KC Kooperativa SG Jablonec 209 5 Maryline Salvetat (Fra) VSLL Castres 199 6 Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) 195 7 Helen Wyman (GBr) Vision 180 8 Sanne van Paassen (Ned) ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida 173 9 Saskia Elemans (Ned) Team Flexpoint 168 10 Nadia Triquet-Claude (Fra) 145 11 Marianne Vos (Ned) DSB Bank Ladies Cycling-Team - VVHP 128 12 Sanne Cant (Bel) A.D.S. Selle Italia Guerciotti 128 13 Wendy Simms (Can) Kona Cyclocross Team 127 14 Caroline Mani (Fra) Vienne Futuroscope 126 15 Veerle Ingels (Bel) AVB - Cycling Team 109 16 Joyce Vanderbeken (Bel) J&G Cycling Team 96 17 Rachel Lloyd (USA) California Giant Cycling Team 82 18 Gabriella Day (GBr) Vision 80 19 Reza Hormes (Ned) Team ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida 75 20 Arenda Grimberg (Ned) Team Ton Van Bemmelen Sports-Merida 68 21 Georgia Gould (USA) Luna 67 22 Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel 53 23 Jana Kyptova (Cze) Johnson Controls AS MB 50 24 Eva Lechner (Ita) C.S. Esercito - Colnago Cap 48 25 Katerina Nash (Cze) 45 26 Abke Francissen (Ned) Team Brabant 2000 43 27 Veronica Alessio (Ita) Team Colnago Arreghini 38 28 Nikki Harris (GBr) Sprinters Malderen 34 29 Linda Van Rijen (Ned) 32 30 Susan Butler (USA) MonaVieCannondale.com 31 31 Loes Gunnewijk (Ned) RTC De Stofwolk 31 32 Mika Ogishima (Jpn) 25 33 Birgit Hollmann (Ger) BRC Zugvogel Berlin 22 34 Elke Riedl (Aut) Team Vorarlberg Corratec 19 35 Natasha Elliott (Can) EMD Serono-Stevens 18 36 Daniela Bresciani (Ita) Team Colnago Cap Arreghini 17 37 Loes Sels (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Thompson Lad 16 38 Laura Van Gilder (USA) 15 39 Gertie Willems (Bel) Wielerclub De Sprinters Malderen 13 40 Jitka Skarnitzlova (Cze) 12 41 Katrin Leumann (Swi) goldwurst-power Sputnik 12 42 Lise Müller (Swi) BMC-Seppey-Teker-Hottinger 12 43 Deidre Winfield (USA) 10 44 Christine Vardaros (USA) 9 45 Nicolle De Bie-Leyten (Bel) AVB - Cycling Team 9 46 Nancy Bober (Bel) Casa Verde Race Factory 8 47 Susanne Juranek (Ger) RSC Oldenburg v. 196 8 48 Sabrina Schweizer (Ger) Rad-Union 191 6 49 Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) AC Bazancourt Reims 6 50 Jennifer Sagesser (Swi) 6 51 Zuzana Vojtasova (Svk) 5 52 Tessa Van Nieuwpoort (Ned) Team Flexpoint 5 53 Martina Zwick (Ger) 4 54 Maureen Guichardot (Fra) 4 55 Marzena Wasiuk (Pol) Primus Lódz 4 56 Anne Arnouts (Bel) Redsun Cycling Team 4 57 Francis Keizer (Ned) 3 58 Jana Süß (Ger) 1a-crossteam 2 59 Katrien Pauwels (Bel) 1
