Recently on Cyclingnews.com |
 Mont Ventoux Photo ©: Sirotti |
MTB index page for all MTB content
MTB World Cup XC, DH & 4X #1 - CDM
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, April 10-12, 2009
Main Page Results Previous Race Next Race World Cup standings
Race 5 - April 11: Elite women cross country
Osl outdoes the world's best
By Rob Jones in Pietermaritzburg
|
The women's race saw a new face at the front - Austria's Elisabeth Osl (Ghost), who had previously medaled in the junior ranks at the World Championships, but had never reached the podium in a World Cup event. Today was definitely her day, as she rode away from the field to finish over two minutes clear of Olympic bronze medalist Irina Kalentieva (Topeak Ergon). Norway's Lene Byberg (Specialized) made a late surge to take third.
Osl and American national champion Mary McConneloug (Team Kenda/Seven/NoTubes) took the lead on the first lap of the five lap race, and then Osl increased the pace, forcing McConneloug to drop back.
"I was first into the singletrack," said Osl "and I was thinking 'Come and catch me', but they never did."
They never did, because Osl clocked the fastest lap times for each and every lap of the race, with her first lap the only sub-19 minute lap of the race, and the rest sub-21 minutes.
"This was fantastic," exclaimed a tearful Osl afterwards. "I cannot believe it. I won a Swiss Cup race last weekend, but I never thought that I could win a World Cup! I changed my coach of six years over the winter, and my team. I spent more time working on my power and it has made a difference. I had nothing to lose, so I just rode my best."
Kalentieva also overtook McConneloug before the end of the first lap, who dropped back to join compatriot Willow Koerber (Subaru-Gary Fisher). Koerber soon drifted back, eventually finishing just off the podium in sixth place, but McConneloug continued to battle for third. However, the heat and fast early pace took their toll, with Byberg and world champion Marga Fullana passing her in the fourth lap.
Fullana had been expected to contest for the win, however, a crash early in the first lap derailed that plan.
"I did not go down in the crash," Fullana explained "but I was stuck behind it and then had to chase very hard in the first laps. But, I am happy to be on the podium here. For me, this is still part of building up for my main goal - the Madrid World Cup."
Byberg, who had a slow start, kept getting quicker through the race, recording the second fastest lap splits (behind Osl) for each of the last two laps, and moving to within 30 seconds of Kalentieva before backing off slightly in the final few kilometres. Byberg's third equals her best ever previous result at Mont Sainte Anne last year.
"My riding style is always to start a little slower, but today I started stronger than usual and was in the top six on the first lap. I needed to find the right pace, because you could really feel the heat. Once I got on Marga's wheel, I knew it was important to stay with her on the climbs, because she is really strong there. I didn't realize that I was so close to Irina, but it was just too short a distance to catch her for second."
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Rob Jones/www.canadiancyclist.com
- The start of the women's race.
- Lene Byberg (Specialized Factory Racing) finished third in South Africa.
- Petra Henzi (Fischer-BMC) finished ninth.
- Spain's Margarita Fullana Riera (Massi) meet some Zulus before the race.
- Willow Koerber (Subaru-Gary Fisher) finished sixth.
- Russian Irina Kalentieva (Topeak Ergon Racing Team) had to settle for second.
- US National Champion Mary McConneloug (Kenda Seven) was fifth.
- Margarita Fullana Riera (Massi) was fourth.
- Olympic Champion Sabine Spitz (Central Ghost Pro Team) was shut out of the top 10.
- Margarita Fullana Riera (Massi) and Lene Byberg (Specialized Factory Racing) chase the two leaders.
- Elisabeth Osl (Central Ghost Pro Team) led from the start until the finish.
- Austria's 22 year old Elisabeth Osl (Central Ghost Pro Team) wins her first World Cup.
- Elisabeth Osl (Central Ghost Pro Team) was ecstatic with her win.
- Podium (L-R): Margarita Fullana Riera, Irina Kalentieva, Elisabeth Osl, Lene Byberg, and Mary McConneloug.
Images by Gary Perkin
- The women's race gets underway in South Africa.
- Austrian Elisabeth Osl (Central Ghost Pro Team) celebrates after her win.
Images by Sven Martin
- Elisabeth Osl (Central Ghost Pro Team) took a lead of over two minutes.
Results
1 Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Central Ghost Pro Team 1.40.50 2 Irina Kalentieva (Rus) Topeak Ergon Racing Team 2.07 3 Lene Byberg (Nor) Specialized Factory Racing 2.46 4 Margarita Fullana Riera (Spa) Massi 3.58 5 Mary Mcconneloug (USA) Kenda/Seven/NoTubes 4.24 6 Willow Koerber (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 4.55 7 Katrin Leumann (Swi) 5.11 8 Heather Irmiger (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 5.35 9 Petra Henzi (Swi) Fischer-BMC 5.56 10 Janka Stevkova (Svk) 6.07 11 Sabine Spitz (Ger) Central Ghost Pro Team 6.18 12 Adelheid Morath (Ger) 6.36 13 Helene Marcouyre (Fra) BH-Suntour 7.01 14 Julie Bresset* (Fra) Breiz Mountain 7.20 15 Marielle Saner-Guinchard (Swi) Team Bikepark.ch 8.15 16 Maja Wloszczowska (Pol) CCC Polkowice 8.34 17 Esther Süss (Swi) 8.40 18 Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Felt International MTB Team 8.48 19 Magdalena Sadlecka (Pol) CCC Polkowice 9.29 20 Laura Turpijn (Ned) 9.47 21 Yolande Speedy (RSA) 10.33 22 Anna Villar Argente (Spa) Massi 10.50 23 Githa Michiels (Bel) Team Saeco 11.35 24 Aleksandra Dawidowicz* (Pol) CCC Polkowice 12.35 25 Cécile Rode Ravanel (Fra) Lapierre International 12.50 26 Rowena Fry (Aus) Discovertasmania.com 12.59 27 Sabrina Enaux (Fra) BH-Suntour 13.57 28 Gracie Elvin* (Aus) Discovertasmania.com 14.29 29 Caroline Mani* (Fra) Team Bikepark.ch 15.02 30 Eva Lechner (Ita) Colnago Cap Arreghini 16.33 31 Maaike Polspoel* (Bel) 16.48 32 Kate Potter (Aus) 17.06 33 Fiona Macdermid (GBr) 17.42 34 Katherine O'Shea (Aus) Torq Performance Nutrition 18.06 35 Melanie Spath (Ger) 18.46 36 Inbar Ronen (Isr) 19.21 Behind one lap 37 Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) Colnago Cap Arreghini 38 Kathrin Stirnemann* (Swi) 39 Tania Raats (RSA) 40 Sara Muhl (RSA) Behind two laps 41 Shawna Thunder (RSA) 42 Janneke Leask* (RSA) 43 Heletje Van Staden* (Nam) 44 Hilana Marais (RSA) 45 Ivonne Kraft (Ger) Behind three laps 46 Carmen Bassingthwaighte (Nam) Behind four laps 47 Carla Freysen (RSA) * indicates under 23 riders Teams 1 Central Ghost Pro Team 60 pts 2 Subaru-Gary Fisher 49 3 Massi 39 4 Topeak Ergon Racing Team 35 5 CCC Polkowice 34 6 Specialized Factory Racing 32 7 Fischer-BMC 22 8 BH-Suntour 22 9 Team Bikepark.ch 18 10 Breiz Mountain 17 11 Felt International MTB Team 13 12 Team Saeco 8 13 Discovertasmania.com 8 14 Lapierre International 6 15 Colnago Cap Arreghini 1 World Cup Standings after one round Individual 1 Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Central Ghost Pro Team 250 pts 2 Irina Kalentieva (Rus) Topeak Ergon Racing Team 200 3 Lene Byberg (Nor) Specialized Factory Racing 160 4 Margarita Fullana Riera (Spa) Massi 150 5 Mary Mcconneloug (USA) 140 6 Willow Koerber (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 130 7 Katrin Leumann (Swi) 120 8 Heather Irmiger (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 110 9 Petra Henzi (Swi) Fischer-BMC 100 10 Janka Stevkova (Svk) 95 11 Sabine Spitz (Ger) Central Ghost Pro Team 90 12 Adelheid Morath (Ger) 85 13 Helene Marcouyre (Fra) BH-Suntour 80 14 Julie Bresset* (Fra) Breiz Mountain 78 15 Marielle Saner-Guinchard (Swi) Team Bikepark.ch 76 16 Maja Wloszczowska (Pol) CCC Polkowice 74 17 Esther Süss (Swi) 72 18 Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Felt International MTB Team 70 19 Magdalena Sadlecka (Pol) CCC Polkowice 68 20 Laura Turpijn (Ned) 66 21 Yolande Speedy (RSA) 64 22 Anna Villar Argente (Spa) Massi 62 23 Githa Michiels (Bel) Team Saeco 60 24 Aleksandra Dawidowicz* (Pol) CCC Polkowice 58 25 Cécile Rode Ravanel (Fra) Lapierre International 56 26 Rowena Fry (Aus) Discovertasmania.com 54 27 Sabrina Enaux (Fra) BH-Suntour 52 28 Gracie Elvin* (Aus) Discovertasmania.com 50 29 Caroline Mani* (Fra) Team Bikepark.ch 48 30 Eva Lechner (Ita) Colnago Cap Arreghini 46 31 Maaike Polspoel* (Bel) 44 32 Kate Potter (Aus) 42 33 Fiona Macdermid (GBr) 40 34 Katherine O'shea (Aus) Torq Performance Nutrition 38 35 Melanie Spath (Ger) 36 36 Inbar Ronen (Isr) 34 37 Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) Colnago Cap Arreghini 32 38 Kathrin Stirnemann* (Swi) 30 39 Tania Raats (RSA) 29 40 Sara Muhl (RSA) 28 41 Shawna Thunder (RSA) 27 42 Janneke Leask* (RSA) 26 43 Heletje Van Staden* (Nam) 25 44 Hilana Marais (RSA) 24 45 Ivonne Kraft (Ger) 23 46 Carmen Bassingthwaighte (Nam) 22 47 Carla Freysen (RSA) 21 Team 1 Central Ghost Pro Team 60 pts 2 Subaru-Gary Fisher 49 3 Massi 39 4 Topeak Ergon Racing Team 35 5 CCC Polkowice 34 6 Specialized Factory Racing 32 7 Fischer-BMC 22 8 BH-Suntour 22 9 Team Bikepark.ch 18 10 Breiz Mountain 17 11 Felt International MTB Team 13 12 Team Saeco 8 13 Discovertasmania.com 8 14 Lapierre International 6 15 Colnago Cap Arreghini 1
