Recently on Cyclingnews.com |
 Mont Ventoux Photo ©: Sirotti |
MTB index page for all MTB content
MTB World Cup XC #3 & 4X #2 - CDM - CDM
Houffalize, Belgium, May 2-3, 2009
Main Page Results Previous Race Next Race World Cup Standings
Race 5 - May 3: Elite women cross country
Fullana claims first World Cup win of '09
By Rob Jones in Houffalize
|
Over 20,000 spectators packed the hillsides at Houffalize, and watched Marga Fullana (Massi) take a record fifth victory in the women's race. The Spanish rider took the women's World Cup standings lead as a result of the victory.
"It is a very hard race here at Houffalize, and very special to win," said Fullana. "The crowds are so big here and the fans are very special, so it pushes you to go harder."
The women's race, at a short three and a half laps, was perfect for Fullana. The UCI World Champion excels at very fast starts and long climbs, and Houffalize has both. By the end of the start loop, Fullana had a small gap on Marie-Helene Premont (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain), with a chase group forming behind, led by defending race winner Ren Chengyuan (China). Fullana opened a gap on Premont in the first full lap, when the Canadian champion had to run a section that Fullana was able to ride.
"I was with Fullana in the beginning," said Premont. "But there was a change to the course that I didn't know about, so I got off my bike to run a section while she kept riding, and that is when she got away. Ren and Catharine [Pendrel (Luna)] came up to us, but on the second lap when Ren went hard, it was too fast a pace for me.
"I am still building my fitness, so I'm really pleased with this result at this time of the season," she added.
 |
For the remainder of the race it was down to Fullana and Pendrel. Ren was firmly in third, while Lechner, Osl and Premont battled for the last two podium spots.
Fullana sealed her victory on the main paved climb of the last lap, when she opened a 10-second gap that Pendrel could not close, eventually rolling in 14 seconds ahead of the Canadian rider. Ren came in 46 seconds later, shaking her head in disappointment, with Lechner and Osl taking the final two podium spots.
 |
Canada's Emily Batty took her second consecutive Under 23 victory, finishing 13th overall, and moved to within six points of leader Julie Bresset (Breiz Mountain). Batty, attending her first edition of the Houffalize race, took awhile to get going, probably denying her a second top 10 result in the shorter than usual race.
"I was actually expecting the course to be harder than it was, based on all I had heard about Houffalize," said Batty. "I had a pretty good start, but I was behind Julie [Bresset], so I was trying to chase up to her initially. After I caught her, I just tried to put as much time as I could between us, and finish as high [in the standings] as I could."
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Rob Jones/www.canadiancyclist.com
- Marga Fullana (Massi) leads from the start.
- Margarita Fullana (Massi) has won five times on the Houffalize course.
- Ren Chengyuan (China) leads Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro Team) on the first climb.
- Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro Team) hits the climb in third place.
- Marie-Helene Premont (Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles) looked determined as the climbing commenced.
- Georgia Gould (Luna Pro Team) was the second North American rider to reach the first climb.
- Emily Batty looked strong from the early stages.
- Lea Davison (Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles) finished 21st.
- Marga Fullana (Massi) leads Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro Team) early in the race.
- All the fans take a snap of Marga Fullana (Massi).
- Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro Team) was chasing Marga Fullana (Massi) early in the race.
- Elisabeth Osl (Central Ghost Team) lost her World Cup lead.
- Former World Champion Irina Kalentieva (Topeak Ergon Racing Team) finished down in ninth place.
- Another former World Champion Sabine Spitz (Central Ghost Pro Team) could only manage seventh place.
- Lene Byberg (Specialized Factory Racing) had a poor start and chased all race.
- Canadian rider Emily Batty celebrated her second U23 win in a row.
- Spain's Margarita Fullana Riera (Massi) claims her first victory of 2009.
- Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro Team) takes second place.
- Emily Batty celebrates her Under 23 win on the podium.
- Under 23 podium (L-R): Aleksandra Dawidowicz, Emily Batty and Julie Bresset.
- Elite women's podium (L-R): Eva Lechner, Catharine Pendrel, Margarita Fullana, Ren Chengyuan and Elisabeth Osl.
- Margarita Fullana (Massi) takes the World Cup lead after her race win.
Results
1 Margarita Fullana Riera (Spa) Massi 1.25.01 2 Catharine Pendrel (Can) Luna Pro Team 0.14 3 Chengyuan Ren (Chn) 0.46 4 Eva Lechner (Ita) Colnago Cap Arreghini 1.58 5 Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Central Ghost Pro Team 2.17 6 Marie-Helene Premont (Can) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles 3.00 7 Sabine Spitz (Ger) Central Ghost Pro Team 3.26 8 Maja Wloszczowska (Pol) CCC Polkowice 3.39 9 Irina Kalentieva (Rus) Topeak Ergon Racing Team 3.54 10 Anna Szafraniec (Pol) JBG-2 Professional MTB Team 3.57 11 Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Pro Team 4.02 12 Lene Byberg (Nor) Specialized Factory Racing 4.03 13 Emiliy Batty* (Can) 5.10 14 Petra Henzi (Swi) Fischer-BMC 5.14 15 Aleksandra Dawidowicz* (Pol) CCC Polkowice 5.20 16 Katrin Leumann (Swi) 5.44 17 Julie Bresset* (Fra) Breiz Mountain 18 Alexandra Engen* (Swe) 6.13 19 Rode Ravanel Cécile (Fra) Lapierre International 6.21 20 Hanna Klein* (Ger) 6.22 21 Lea Davison (USA) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles 6.32 22 Willow Koerber (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 6.36 23 Heather Irmiger (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 6.51 24 Magdalena Sadlecka (Pol) CCC Polkowice 7.07 25 Julie Krasniak* (Fra) 7.33 26 Laura Turpijn (Ned) 7.59 27 Rowena Fry (Aus) Discovertasmania.com 8.06 28 Mary McConneloug (USA) 29 Marielle Saner-Guinchard (Swi) Team Bikepark.ch 8.16 30 Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Felt International MTB Team 8.26 31 Sabrina Enaux (Fra) BH-Suntour 8.30 32 Janka Stevkova (Svk) 8.35 33 Caroline Mani* (Fra) Team Bikepark.ch 8.38 34 Laura Metzler (Fra) BH-Suntour 8.46 35 Vivianne Meyer* (Swi) Colnago Cap Arreghini 36 Adelheid Morath (Ger) 9.13 37 Tanja Zakelj* (Slo) MBK Orbea 9.47 38 Anja Gradl (Ger) Central Ghost Pro Team 10.32 39 Anna Villar Argente (Spa) Massi 10.37 40 Ivonne Kraft (Ger) 10.56 41 Kajsa Snihs * (Swe) 10.59 42 Esther Süss (Swi) 11.02 43 Amanda Sin (Can) 44 Nataliya Krompets* (Ukr) 11.05 45 Mical Dyck (Can) 11.15 46 Sandra Santanyes Murillo (Spa) Cemelorca-Trek-Lorca Taller Del Tiempo 11.29 47 Vera Andreeva* (Rus) 11.35 48 Maria Osl (Aut) Fischer-BMC 11.47 49 Oksana Rybakova (Rus) 11.52 50 Helene Marcouyre (Fra) BH-Suntour 11.59 51 Fanny Bourdon* (Fra) 12.15 52 Jean Ann McKirdy (Can) 12.43 53 Suzanne Clarke (GBr) 54 Kate Potter (Aus) 13.04 55 Virginie Pointet* (Swi) Team Bikepark.ch 13.26 56 Fiona Macdermid (GBr) 13.40 57 Coralie Redelsperger (Fra) 13.43 58 Sarka Chmurova (Cze) 13.58 59 Kathrin Stirnemann* (Swi) 14.15 60 Githa Michiels (Bel) Team Saeco 14.35 61 Carina Ketonen (Fin) 14.50 62 Gracie Elvin* (Aus) Discovertasmania.com 15.19 63 Katherine O'Shea (Aus) Torq Performance Nutrition 15.31 64 Cristina Mascarreras Sabria (Spa) Conor - Camping La Siesta 15.33 65 Zoe King (Aus) 15.58 66 Tatjana Dold (Ger) 16.37 67 Asa Maria Erlandsson (Swe) Subaru-Gary Fisher 16.54 68 Kristien Nelen (Bel) 16.55 69 Evelyn Staffler (Ita) Colnago Cap Arreghini 17.05 70 Sandra Walter (Can) 17.06 71 Fabienne Heinzmann (Swi) Team Bikepark.ch 17.58 72 Alla Boyko* (Ukr) 18.49 73 Sarah Koba (Swi) 19.29 74 Lorraine Truong* (Swi) 19.52 75 Kiona Harbers (Ned) 20.08 76 Marie-Claude Surprenant* (Can) 21.32 77 Lucie Vesela (Cze) 78 Petra Mermans (Bel) 21.37 79 Nicoletta De Jager (Ned) 21.56 80 Jitka Skarnitzlova* (Cze) Giant Mountain Bike Team 23.16 81 Jennifer Sägesser* (Swi) 25.08 One lap down 82 Sandra Dolcerocca (Den) 83 Irina Slobodyan* (Ukr) 84 Jeanette Gerrie (NZl) 85 Monika Heuveling (Ned) 86 Janine Droz* (Swi) 87 Sarah Holmes* (Aus) 88 Ingrid Bosscha (Ned) 89 Elena Ondasova (Svk) 90 Nancy Bober (Bel) 91 Elisabeth Mottet* (Bel) 92 Klara Van Der Vaart (Ned) DNF Silke Schmidt* (Ger) DNF Stephanie Wiedner* (Aut) DS-Rennsport DNF Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) Colnago Cap Arreghini DNF Camille Pousse* (Fra) DNS Arielle Boek - Van Meurs (Ned) DNS Barbara Benko* (Hun) * Indicates Under 23 Teams 1 Luna Pro Team 55 pts 2 Central Ghost Pro Team 52 3 CCC Polkowice 46 4 Massi 40 5 Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles 36 6 Colnago Cap Arreghini 30 7 Topeak Ergon Racing Team 22 8 JBG-2 Professional MTB Team 21 9 Specialized Factory Racing 19 10 Fischer-BMC 17 11 Subaru-Gary Fisher 17 12 Breiz Mountain 14 13 Lapierre International 12 14 Discovertasmania.com 4 15 Team Bikepark.ch 2 16 Felt International MTB Team 1 World Cup Standings after three rounds Individual 1 Margarita Fullana Riera (Spa) Massi 600 pts 2 Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Central Ghost Pro Team 530 3 Irina Kalentieva (Rus) Topeak Ergon Racing Team 450 4 Chengyuan Ren (Chn) 410 5 Lene Byberg (Nor) Specialized Factory Racing 405 6 Catharine Pendrel (Can) Luna Pro Team 330 7 Sabine Spitz (Ger) Central Ghost Pro Team 320 8 Eva Lechner (Ita) Colnago Cap Arreghini 316 9 Willow Koerber (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 282 10 Katrin Leumann (Swi) 258 11 Maja Wloszczowska (Pol) CCC Polkowice 254 12 Petra Henzi (Swi) Fischer-BMC 254 13 Mary Mcconneloug (USA) 246 14 Heather Irmiger (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 220 15 Julie Bresset* (Fra) Breiz Mountain 212 16 Marie-Helene Premont (Can) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles 208 17 Laura Turpijn (Ned) 194 18 Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Felt International MTB Team 188 19 Janka Stevkova (Svk) 183 20 Cécile Rode Ravanel (Fra) Lapierre International 178 21 Adelheid Morath (Ger) 177 22 Anna Szafraniec (Pol) JBG-2 Professional MTB Team 175 23 Emiliy Batty* (Can) 175 24 Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Pro Team 175 25 Rowena Fry (Aus) Discovertasmania.com 174 26 Aleksandra Dawidowicz* (Pol) CCC Polkowice 162 27 Magdalena Sadlecka (Pol) CCC Polkowice 162 28 Caroline Mani* (Fra) Team Bikepark.ch 154 29 Marielle Saner-Guinchard (Swi) Team Bikepark.ch 149 30 Anna Villar Argente (Spa) Massi 135 31 Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) Colnago Cap Arreghini 132 32 Esther Süss (Swi) 130 33 Helene Marcouyre (Fra) BH-Suntour 121 34 Hanna Klein* (Ger) 118 35 Githa Michiels (Bel) Team Saeco 116 36 Sabrina Enaux (Fra) BH-Suntour 116 37 Lea Davison (USA) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles 102 38 Alexandra Engen* (Swe) 99 39 Anja Gradl (Ger) Central Ghost Pro Team 90 40 Julie Krasniak* (Fra) 82 41 Kate Potter (Aus) 77 42 Ivonne Kraft (Ger) 73 43 Laura Metzler (Fra) BH-Suntour 65 44 Yolande Speedy (RSA) 64 45 Vera Andreeva* (Rus) 63 46 Tanja Zakelj* (Slo) MBK Orbea 62 47 Amanda Sin (Can) 59 48 Gracie Elvin* (Aus) Discovertasmania.com 58 49 Vivianne Meyer* (Swi) Colnago Cap Arreghini 54 50 Fiona Macdermid (GBr) 52 51 Katherine O'Shea (Aus) Torq Performance Nutrition 49 52 Maaike Polspoel* (Bel) 44 53 Nataliya Krompets* (Ukr) 43 54 Barbara Benko* (Hun) 40 55 Kathrin Stirnemann* (Swi) 39 56 Mical Dyck (Can) 39 57 Melanie Spath (Ger) 36 58 Maria Osl (Aut) Fischer-BMC 35 59 Inbar Ronen (Isr) 34 60 Jean Ann Mckirdy (Can) 30 61 Tania Raats (RSA) 29 62 Sara Muhl (RSA) 28 63 Kajsa Snihs* (Swe) 27 64 Shawna Thunder (RSA) 27 65 Janneke Leask* (RSA) 26 66 Fanny Bourdon* (Fra) 26 67 Heletje Van Staden* (Nam) 25 68 Rosara Joseph (NZl) 24 69 Hilana Marais (RSA) 24 70 Sandra Santanyes Murillo (Spa) Cemelorca-Trek-Lorca Taller Del Tiempo 22 71 Carmen Bassingthwaighte (Nam) 22 72 Carla Freysen (RSA) 21 73 Oksana Rybakova (Rus) 19 74 Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) Team Scott Valloire Galibier 17 75 Suzanne Clarke (GBr) 15 76 Virginie Pointet* (Swi) Team Bikepark.ch 13 77 Silke Schmidt* (Ger) 13 78 Evelyn Staffler (Ita) Colnago Cap Arreghini 12 79 Coralie Redelsperger (Fra) 11 80 Sarka Chmurova (Cze) 10 81 Tatjana Dold (Ger) 10 Team 1 Central Ghost Pro Team 171 pts 2 Massi 114 3 Luna Pro Team 100 4 CCC Polkowice 93 5 Subaru-Gary Fisher 89 6 Topeak Ergon Racing Team 87 7 Specialized Factory Racing 83 8 Colnago Cap Arreghini 77 9 Fischer-BMC 55 10 Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles 53 11 Breiz Mountain 40 12 JBG-2 Professional MTB Team 39 13 Team Bikepark.ch 31 14 Felt International MTB Team 28 15 Discovertasmania.com 24 16 Lapierre International 23 17 BH-Suntour 22 18 Team Saeco 10
