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European MTB Championships - C

Chies d'Alpago, Italy, July 28-30, 2006

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Race 4 - July 30: Elite men/women

Fullana tops Dahle and Absalon adds another jersey

By Steve Medcroft

Marga Fullana (Spain) and Julien Absalon (France) were crowned European Mountain Bike Champions last Sunday in Chies d'Alpago, Italy. Runner-up to defending European Champion Jean-Christoph Péraud (France) in 2005, Athens Olympic Gold medalist and reigning world champion Absalon held off Christoph Sauser (Switzerland) and Ralph Naef (Switzerland) by 28 and 36 seconds respectively to claim his European championship jersey.

Marga Fullana managed to upset the seemingly unbeatable Gunn-Rita Dahle-Flesjaa (Norway) for her victory, proving that the most dominant female mountain biker in recent history is vulnerable to a strong and determined competitor. The victory represents a return to top form for Fullana, who earned a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney but struggled to reach the same peak in seasons since.

Fullana says that she managed to slip ahead of Dahle-Flesjaa in the climbing sections of the course. Dahle-Flesjaa was unable to make up the gaps on the descents an Fullana eventually won with a 1:31 advantage over the reigning world champion. "I dedicate this win to all those that have continued believing in me," she said on her Web site. "I have demonstrated that I am still here, that I am totally recovered and confident that I can return to the top of the podium in all the races that I compete."

Sabine Spitz (Germany), finished third.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Armin M. Kuestenbrueck

Results

Men
 
1 Julien Absalon (France)                    2.01.45
2 Christoph Sauser (Switzerland)                0.28
3 Ralf Naef (Switzerland)                       0.36
4 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Sweden)                   1.16
5 Florian Vogel (Switzerland)                   2.28
6 Roel Paulissen (Belgium)                      3.03
7 Jean-Christophe Peraud (France)               3.09
8 Marek Galinski (Poland)                       3.26
9 Peter Riis Andersen (Denmark)                 3.33
10 Oliver Beckingsale (Great Britain)           3.38
11 Yader Zoli (Italy)                           4.13
12 Cedric Ravanel (France)                      4.25
13 Johann Pallhuber (Italy)                     4.44
14 Andreas Kugler (Switzerland)                 5.06
15 Lado Fumic (Germany)                         5.21
16 Bas Peters (Netherlands)                     5.52
17 Christoph Soukup (Austria)                   6.18
18 Nicolas Filippi (France)                     6.37
19 Manuel Fumic (Germany)                       7.08
20 Jelmer Pietersma (Netherlands)               7.49
21 Martin Gujan (Switzerland)                   8.13
22 Torsten Marx (Germany)                       8.27
23 Geroen De Knegt (Netherlands)                8.39
24 Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Spain)               8.50
25 Mirko Pirazzoli (Italy)                      9.08
26 Martino Fruet (Italy)                        9.53
27 Marzio Deho (Italy)                         10.01
28 Ramon Bianchi (Italy)                       10.03
29 Tim Bohme (Germany)                         10.25
30 Jochen Kass (Germany)                       11.44
31 Milan Spesny (Czech Republic)               12.29
32 Martin Kraler (Austria)                     12.57
33 Thijs Al (Netherlands)                      13.26
34 Karl Markt (Austria)                        13.37
35 Karl Platt (Germany)                        13.52
36 Philip Spencer (Great Britain)              14.03
37 Filip Meirhaeghe (Belgium)                  14.35
38 Milan Barenyi (Slovakia)                    14.48
39 Leonardo Zanotti (Italy)                    15.10
40 Ludovic Dubau (France)                      2 laps
41 Sergiy Rysenko (Ukraine)
42 Filip Eberl (Czech Republic)
43 Frank Schotman (Netherlands)
44 Caspar Austa (Estonia)
45 Ivan Seledkov (Russia)
46 Inaki Lejarreta Errasti (Spain)             3 laps
47 Sven Nijs (Belgium)
48 Stefan Sahm (Germany)
49 Andras Parti (Hungary)
50 Klaus Nielsen (Denmark)
51 Marton Blazso (Hungary)
52 Eero Jappinen (Finland)
53 Raivo Maimre (Estonia)
54 Ovidiu-Tudor Oprea (Romania)
55 Mike Felderer (Italy)
56 Lenart Noc (Slovenia)
57 Pavel Boudny (Czech Republic)
58 Maxim Gogolev (Russia)
59 Alejandro Diaz De La Pena (Spain)           4 laps
60 Vaclav Jezek (Czech Republic)
61 Anze Bizjak (Slovenia)
62 Igor Bodgan (Ukraine)
63 Helmet Tamkorv (Estonia)
64 Bilal Akgul (Turkey)
65 Pavao Roset (Croatia)
66 Nicolas Carlos Coloma (Spain)               5 laps
67 Alexey Medvedev (Russia)
68 Moritz Milatz (Germany)
69 Silvio Bundi (Switzerland)
70 Michael Weis (Austria)
71 Szilard Buruczki (Hungary)
72 Tomas Vokrouhlik (Czech Republic)
73 Robin Seymour (Ireland)
74 Balz Weber (Switzerland)
75 Vladimir Smirnov (Lithuania)
76 Ivica Mesaric (Croatia)
77 Mehmet Sevinc (Turkey)
78 Dror Pekatch (Israel)
79 Mehmet Kurt (Turkey)
80 Marko Curcic (SCG)
81 Zoran Zivkovic (SCG)
82 Davor Svecnjak (Croatia)
83 Miha Solar (Slovenia)                       6 laps
84 Marcin Karczynski (Poland)                  7 laps
85 Hannes Metzler (Austria)
86 Hakon Austad (Norway)
DNF Jose Herminda Ramos (Spain)
 
Women
 
1 Margarita Fullana Riera (Spain)            1.41.37
2 Gunn Dahle Flesjaa (Norway)                   1.31
3 Sabine Spitz (Germany)                        2.30
4 Petra Henzi (Switzerland)                     5.11
5 Anna Szafraniec (Poland)                      5.40
6 Maja Wloszczowska (Poland)                    6.19
7 Magdalena Sadlecka (Poland)                   6.54
8 Irina Kalentyeva (Russia)                     7.51
9 Elsbeth Van Rooy-Vink (Netherlands)           8.14
10 Blaza Klemencic (Slovenia)                   8.29
11 Nina Gohl (Germany)                          8.43
12 Severine Hansen (France)                     9.37
13 Lene Byberg (Norway)                        11.17
14 Daniela Louis (Switzerland)                 11.24
15 Ivonne Kraft (Germany)                      11.44
16 Katrin Leumann (Switzerland)                12.35
17 Maria Ostergren (Sweden)                    12.48
18 Cecile Rode (France)                        13.34
19 Janka Stevkova (Slovakia)                   14.13
20 Maroussia Rusca (Switzerland)               14.28
21 Elena Gaddoni (Italy)                       14.38
22 Laura Turpijn (Netherlands)                 14.42
23 Arielle Van Meurs (Netherlands)             14.48
24 Katrin Schwing (Germany)                    17.26
25 Hanka Kupfernagel (Germany)                 2 laps
26 Rocio Gamonal Ferrera (Spain)
27 Helene Marcouyre (France)
28 Pavla Havlikova (Czech Republic)
29 Jenny Copnall (Great Britain)
30 Saskia Elemans (Netherlands)
31 Ruth Moll Marques (Spain)
32 Githa Michiels (Belgium)
33 Elina Sophocleous (Cyprus)
34 Carina Ketonen (Finland)
35 Eszter Erdelyi (Hungary)                    3 laps
36 Inbar Ronen (Israel)
37 Sabrina Enaux (France)
38 Ivanda Eiduka (Latvia)
39 Lubomira Kalinova (Slovakia)
DNF Tarja Owens (Ireland)
DNF Gagoleva E Babikova (Russia)
DNF Franziska Rothlin (Switzerland)