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MTB World Cup XC #3 & DH #2 - CDM
Champéry, Switzerland, June 9-10, 2007
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Race 2 - June 9: Elite Men Cross Country, 49.9km
Swiss lighten up home race
By Rob Jones in Champéry, Switzerland
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For the men's eight lap (plus start loop) race, the Swiss came out swinging - at one point, seven of the top-10 riders were Swiss, led by U23 World Cup leader and world champion Nino Schurter (Swisspower). A group consisting of Schurter, Sauser, Absalon and Roel Paulissen (Vredestein-Cannondale) established the lead bunch, with Schurter and Sauser setting the pace.
Just behind, Schurter's teammates, Florian Vogel and Thomas Frischknecht, were riding with Jose Hermida (Multivan Merida), Ralph Naef (Multivan Merida), and Cedric Ravanel (Lapierre).
On lap two, it began to rain, and for both Absalon and Sauser this changed the race dynamics completely. "I was pleased when it started raining," admitted Absalon. "I could see that I was stronger on the climbing parts, but the Swiss riders were better in the descents. When it began to rain, that made it so slippery that they could no longer go so fast in the technical parts."
Sauser had exactly the opposite view. "When the rain came, I was thinking &^$#%^! It changes things a lot, and you had to ride like you were on eggs. I knew it would be better for him, but then everything has to be perfect to win against Julien."
The rain stopped on lap four, and by that time, Absalon and Sauser had a one minute lead on Schurter and Paulissen, with Naef a further minute back. Sauser tried an attack on lap six, but Absalon was able to come back, and then on the seventh lap Absalon launched his own attack. Sauser was caught back, but then made a rare mistake on the downhill. "It was a stupid mistake," said Sauser. "I got my pedal stuck in a root," which allowed Absalon to open up the winning gap that he extended to 50 seconds by the finish.
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Schurter dropped Paulissen on lap seven to take third, with Naef finishing off an impressive fifth behind Paulissen after he worked his way up from 35th at the start. American Adam Craig (Giant) had what was probably the most impressive ride of the race to finish 10th, after starting in 63rd.
"What can I say; 'It's June, this is when I get in shape.' " commented Craig. "I was able to move up pretty quick(ly) initially - this course is a lot like the local race series in Bangor, Maine, so it was just like racing on home turf."
Race Notes
- Absalon now has a substantial lead over Sauser in the World Cup - 700 points to 490, with Hermida 10 points behind Sauser.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Rob Jones/www.canadiancyclist.com
- Roel Paulissen (Cannondale-Vredestein)
- Julien Absalon (Orbea)
- Jader Zoli (ASD KTM International Team)
- Thomas Frischknecht (Swisspower MTB Team)
- José Hermida (Multivan Merida Biking Team)
- Fredrik Kessiakoff (Cannondale-Vredestein)
- Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Gary Fisher)
- Jeremiah Bishop (Trek-VW)
- South African Burry Stander.
- Kashi Leuchs (Cannondale-Vredestein)
- Jean-Christophe Peraud (Orbea)
- Filip Meirhaeghe (Versluys-Landbouwkrediet)
- Max Plaxton (Rocky Mountain Haywood)
- Seamus McGrath (Rocky Mountain Haywood)
- American Todd Wells
- Christophe Sauser (Specialized) Nino Schurter (Swisspower MTB Team)
- Nino Schurter (Swisspower MTB Team) and Roel Paulissen (Cannondale-Vredestein)
- Ralph Naef (Multivan Merida Biking Team)
- Christoph Sauser (Specialized)
- Florian Vogel (Swisspower MTB Team)
- Bart Brentjens (Dolphin Bike Team)
- Christoph Sauser (Specialized)
- Cédric Ravanel (Team Lapierre Internation)
- Adam Craig (Giant Mountain Bike Team)
- Kashi Leuchs (Cannondale-Vredestein)
- Todd Wells
- Julien Absalon (Orbea)
- Christoph Sauser (Specialized)
- Roel Paulissen (Cannondale-Vredestein)
- Adam Craig (Giant Mountain Bike Team)
- Julien Absalon (Orbea) wins and extends his World Cup lead.
- Nino Schurter (Swisspower MTB Team) finished third and was the top espoir (under 23 rider).
- The men's podium (l-r): Roel Paulissen, Christophe Sauser, Julien Absalon, Nino Schurter and Ralph Naef.
Results - 47.9km
1 Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea 2.12.44
2 Christoph Sauser (Swi) Specialized 0.50
3 Nino Schurter (Swi) Swisspower MTB Team 2.21
4 Roel Paulissen (Bel) Cannondale-Vredestein 2.49
5 Ralph Naef (Swi) Multivan Merida Biking Team 3.17
6 Cédric Ravanel (Fra) Team Lapierre International 3.41
7 José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spa) Multivan Merida Biking Team 3.49
8 Thomas Frischknecht (Swi) Swisspower MTB Team 4.18
9 Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) 4.27
10 Adam Craig (USA) Giant Mountain Bike Team 4.51
11 Kashi Leuchs (NZl) Cannondale-Vredestein 5.06
12 Florian Vogel (Swi) Swisspower MTB Team 5.13
13 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Cannondale-Vredestein 5.19
14 Jader Zoli (Ita) ASD KTM International Team 5.45
15 Manuel Fumic (Ger) Fumic.Brothers.International 6.03
16 Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Spa) ASD KTM International Team 6.04
17 Lukas Flückiger (Swi) Athleticum MTB Team 6.34
18 Inaki Lejarreta Errasti (Spa) Orbea 6.43
19 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Orbea 7.02
20 Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) 7.08
21 Filip Meirhaeghe (Bel) Versluys-Landbouwkrediet 7.22
22 Martin Gujan (Swi) 7.25
23 Jeremiah Bishop (USA) Trek-VW 7.28
24 Seamus Mcgrath (Can) Rocky Mountain Haywood 7.36
25 Rudi Van Houts (Ned) Dolphin Bike Team 8.13
26 Milan Spesny (Cze) Merida Biking Team 8.51
27 Jürg Graf (Swi) Scott Allianz Suisse 8.53
28 Silvio Bundi (Swi) Giant/Athleticum 8.57
29 Stéphane Tempier (Fra) Gewiss Bianchi 9.05
30 Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 9.22
31 Marek Galinski (Pol) CC-Polsat-Polkowice 9.33
32 Christoph Soukup (Aut) 9.47
33 Rene Tann (Ger) 9.50
34 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Dolphin Bike Team 9.57
35 Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Spa) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica 10.09
36 Hannes Metzler (Aut) 10.10
37 Balz Weber (Swi) Bikepark.Ch Tui 10.20
38 Ludovic Dubau (Fra) Team New Cycling 10.24
39 Peter Riis Andersen (Den) Team ALB-Gold Mountainbike 10.28
40 Bas Peters (Ned) 10.35
41 Bart Brentjens (Ned) Dolphin Bike Team 10.41
42 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Cannondale-Vredestein 10.46
43 Till Marx (Swi) Swisspower MTB Team 10.49
44 Martino Fruet (Ita) 10.54
45 Matthias Flückiger (Swi) 11.04
46 Israel Nunez Baticon (Spa) Massi 11.19
47 Emil Lindgren (Swe) Gewiss Bianchi 12.28
48 Burry Stander (RSA) 12.36
49 Ruben Ruzafa Cueto (Spa) Orbea 12.47
50 Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) 12.58
51 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier 13.37
52 Yury Trofimov (Rus) 15.02
One lap down
53 Gion Manetsch (Swi)
54 Christof Bischof (Swi) Bikin'cyprus Int'l MTB Team
55 Miha Solar (Slo)
56 Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC Racing
57 Alban Lakata (Aut) Trek-VW
58 Sergiy Rysenko (Ukr)
59 Marc Trayter Alemany (Spa) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica
60 Michael Broderick (USA)
61 Fabian Giger (Swi)
62 Lukas Kaufmann (Swi)
63 Tony Longo (Ita)
64 Marc Colom (Fra)
65 Jan Skarnitzl (Cze)
Two laps down
66 Gareth Montgomerie (GBr)
67 Maxim Gogolev (Rus)
68 Nicolas Bazin (Fra) Bh-Sr. Suntour
69 Guillaume Vinit (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier
70 Jelmer Pietersma (Ned) Beone Mountain bike team
71 Michael Weiss (Aut) Bikin'cyprus Int'l MTB Team
72 Patrik Gallati (Swi) Swisspower MTB Team
73 Dario Alejandro Gasco (Arg) Massi
74 Denis Vorontsov (Rus)
75 Ivan Planzer (Swi)
76 François Bailly Maitre (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier
77 Wilko Rochow (Ger)
78 Jiri Friedl (Cze) Merida Biking Team
79 Jelmer Jubbega (Ned) Cannondale-Vredestein
80 Daniel Suter (Swi)
81 Andreas Moser (Swi)
82 Pierre Geoffroy Plantet (Fra) Team Lapierre International
83 Yannick Bernasconi (Swi)
Three laps down
84 Andreas Kugler (Swi) Fischer-BMC
85 Torsten Marx (Ger) Team ALB-Gold Mountainbike
86 Robert Mennen (Ger)
87 Mirko Pirazzoli (Ita)
88 Luka Kodra (Slo)
89 Frank Schotman (Ned)
90 Giuseppe Lamastra (Ita)
91 Marcel Wildhaber (Swi)
92 Shaun Lewis (Aus)
93 Michel Luginbuehl (Swi)
94 Tobias Witzak (Ger)
95 Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) Massi
96 Dries Govaerts (Bel)
97 Robert Gehbauer (Aut) Multivan Merida Biking Team
98 Vivien Legastelois (Fra) Team Lapierre International
99 Karl Markt (Aut)
100 Clinton Robert Avery (NZl)
101 Umberto Corti (Ita)
102 Jiri Novak (Cze)
103 Andras Melts (Hun)
Four laps down
104 Dylan Cooper (Aus)
105 Kohei Yamamoto (Jpn)
106 Oleksandr Yakymenko (Ukr)
107 Maxime Marotte (Fra)
108 Yevgeniy Yakovlev (Kaz)
109 Tom Meeusen (Bel)
110 Daniel Mcconnell (Aus)
111 Nicolas Vermeulen (Bel) Lingier-Versluys Team
112 Lachlan Norris (Aus)
113 Pierre Lebreton (Fra) BH-SR. Suntour
114 Andi Weinhold (Ger)
115 Marcus Roy (NZl)
116 Nicola Rohrbach (Swi)
117 Ivan Schalbetter (Swi)
118 Axel Bult (Ned)
119 Peter Coddens (Bel) Lingier-Versluys Team
120 Bjorn Brems (Bel) Dolphin Bike Team
121 Romain Lejeune (Fra) Team New Cycling
Five laps down
122 Nuno Oliveira (Por)
123 Daniel Schütz (Swi)
124 Andriy Gumenyuk (Ukr)
125 Daniel Braunsteins (Aus)
126 Oliver Aviles Gilabert (Spa) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica
127 Anthony O'Boyle (GBr) Mojo Orange
128 Marco Cellini (Ita)
129 Ivan Grabovskyy (Ukr)
130 Jules Chabanon (Fra) Team New Cycling
131 Daniel Marques (Por)
Six laps down
132 Tim Bohme (Ger) Team ALB-Gold Mountainbike
133 Roman Zhientaev (Kaz)
134 Sid Taberlay (Aus) Dolphin Bike Team
135 Kristian Hynek (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna MTB
136 James Fraser-Moodie (GBr)
Seven laps down
137 Marios Athanasiades (Cyp) Bikin'cyprus Int'l MTB Team
DNF Moritz Milatz (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team
DNF Oliver Beckingsale (GBr)
DNF Todd Wells (USA)
DNF Marti Gispert Labarta (Spa) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica
DNF Lado Fumic (Ger) Fumic.Brothers.International
DNF Sven Nys (Bel)
DNF Max Plaxton (Can) Rocky Mountain Haywood
DNF Dariusz Batek (Pol) Halls Professional MTB Team
DNF Jochen Kass (Ger) Team ALB-Gold Mountainbike
DNF Martin Kraler (Aut) Gewiss Bianchi
DNF Marcin Karczynski (Pol) Halls Professional MTB Team
DNF Kris Sneddon (Can) Kona Les Gets
DNF Olivier Maignan (Fra) BH-SR. Suntour
DNF Martin Fanger (Swi)
DNF Simon Richardson (GBr)
DNF Quincy Vens (Bel)
DNF Joris Boillat (Swi)
DNF Andreas Tiberi (Ita) KTM International Team
DNF Zaher El Hage (Lib)
DNF Calle Friberg (Swe)
DNS Philip Spencer (GBr) Subaru-Gary Fisher
DNS Jeff Hall (USA)
World Cup Standings after three rounds
1 Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea 700 pts
2 Christoph Sauser (Swi) Specialized 490
3 Jose Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spa) Multivan Merida Biking Team 480
4 Cedric Ravanel (Fra) Team Lapierre International 420
5 Roel Paulissen (Bel) Cannondale-Vredestein 380
6 Kashi Leuchs (NZl) Cannondale-Vredestein 340
7 Thomas Frischknecht (Swi) Swisspower MTB Team 300
8 Nino Schurter (Swi) Swisspower MTB Team 290
9 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Orbea 280
10 Lukas Fluckiger (Swi) Athleticum MTB Team 268
11 Filip Meirhaeghe (Bel) Versluys-Landbouwkrediet MTB Team 242
12 Ralph Naef (Swi) Multivan Merida Biking Team 210
13 Inaki Lejarreta Errasti (Spa) Orbea 205
14 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Cannondale-Vredestein 200
15 Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) 185
16 Jader Zoli (Ita) ASD KTM International Team 178
17 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Dolphin Bike Team 166
18 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Cannondale-Vredestein 166
19 Marek Galinski (Pol) 160
20 Yury Trofimov (Rus) 151
21 Milan Spesny (Cze) Merida Biking Team 150
22 Jurg Graf (Swi) 146
23 Manuel Fumic (Ger) Fumic.Brothers.International 144
24 Torsten Marx (Ger) Team ALB-Gold Mountainbike 142
25 Rudi Van Houts (Ned) Dolphin Bike Team 139
26 Bart Brentjens (Ned) Dolphin Bike Team 134
27 Silvio Bundi (Swi) 127
28 Balz Weber (Swi) Bikepark.Ch Tui 126
29 Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Spa) Asd Ktm International Team 125
30 Adam Craig (USA) Giant Mountain Bike Team 121
31 Martin Gujan (Swi) 120
32 Gion Manetsch (Swi) 107
33 Jeremiah Bishop (USA) Trek-VW 106
34 Moritz Milatz (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team 106
35 Geoff Kabush (Can) 102
36 Hannes Metzler (Aut) 98
37 Oliver Beckingsale (GBr) 98
38 Till Marx (Swi) Swisspower MTB Team 97
39 Stefan Sahm (Ger) Team Bulls 96
40 Stephane Tempier (Fra) Gewiss Bianchi 92
41 Todd Wells (USA) 90
42 Bas Peters (Ned) 88
43 Hector Leonardo Paez Leon (Col) Full-Dynamix-R.S.M. 87
44 Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) 85
45 Florian Vogel (Swi) Swisspower MTB Team 85
46 Rene Tann (Ger) 82
47 Karl Platt (Ger) Team Bulls 80
48 Peter Riis Andersen (Den) Team ALB-Gold Mountainbike 79
49 Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 73
50 Sid Taberlay (Aus) Dolphin Bike Team 72
51 Ruben Ruzafa Cueto (Spa) Orbea 69
52 Marti Gispert Labarta (Spa) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica 68
53 Lado Fumic (Ger) Fumic.Brothers.International 66
54 Burry Stander (RSA) 62
55 Seamus Mcgrath (Can) Rocky Mountain Haywood 58
56 Sven Nys (Bel) 58
57 Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Spa) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica 56
58 Ludovic Dubau (Fra) Team New Cycling 56
59 Max Plaxton (Can) Rocky Mountain Haywood 54
60 Martino Fruet (Ita) 51
61 Michael Weiss (Aut) Bikin'cyprus Int'l MTB Team 46
62 Christoph Soukup (Aut) 42
63 Tony Longo (Ita) 38
64 Mirko Pirazzoli (Ita) 38
65 Israel Nunez Baticon (Spa) Massi 37
66 Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) 37
67 Matthias Fluckiger (Swi) 36
68 Dariusz Batek (Pol) Halls Professional MTB Team 36
69 Francois Bailly Maitre (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier 34
70 Christof Bischof (Swi) Bikin'cyprus Int'l MTB Team 32
71 Jochen Kass (Ger) Team ALB-Gold Mountainbike 32
72 Massimo De Bertolis (Ita) Full-Dynamix-R.S.M. 32
73 Alban Lakata (Aut) Trek-VW 31
74 Martin Kraler (Aut) Gewiss Bianchi 30
75 Samuel Schultz (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 28
76 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier 26
77 Jan Skarnitzl (Cze) 25
78 Tim Bohme (Ger) Team ALB-Gold Mountainbike 25
79 Karl Markt (Aut) 23
80 Bjorn Brems (Bel) Dolphin Bike Team 23
81 Emil Lindgren (Swe) Gewiss Bianchi 21
82 Maxim Gogolev (Rus) 16
83 Jiri Friedl (Cze) Merida Biking Team 14
84 Miha Solar (Slo) 13
85 Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC Racing 12
86 Giuseppe Lamastra (Ita) 12
87 Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) Massi 11
88 Sergiy Rysenko (Ukr) 10
89 Pascal Meyer (Swi) 10
90 Marc Trayter Alemany (Spa) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica 9
91 Michael Broderick (USA) 8
92 Jerome Chevallier (Fra) 8
