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World Cup XC # 3 - B
Houffalize, Belgium, May 29, 2005
Race 1 - Women
Dahle handles the heat
By Rob Jones in Houffalize
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Houffalize is known more for rain and mud, and sunscreen is not usually a requirement, but today riders were wilting in 30-plus degree (Celsius) heat and choking on dust. The heat didn't affect Gunn-Rita Dahle (Multivan Merida), who took her second consecutive victory over the women's field, and extended her lead over Marie-Helene Premont (Rocky Mountain-Business Objects).
Dahle was one rider who didn't seem to mind the heat, appearing to ride away from the rest of the field with ease on the first climb of the short opening lap.
"I got a little gap from the beginning, so I could do my own race," she said. "But it was not an easy win. They were chasing me all race, and any small mistakes could have made a big difference. I love winning here, it is one of my favourite races. It is hard going up, and hard going down, but fun to ride all the way around."
Marga Fullana (K2-Zero RH+) was the only rider to try to stay on Dahle's wheel, but she quickly dropped back to a chase group, containing Premont, Sabine Spitz (Specialized), Alison Sydor (Rocky Mountain-Business Objects) and Dahle's team mate Irina Kalentieva. Sydor dropped back from this group to ride her own pace, as did Fullana.
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Spitz then rode Premont and Kalentieva off her wheel on the climb in the first full lap (of four), but suffered from chainsuck on the descent and had to get off her bike, allowing the other two to catch back on.
"It wasn't an attack either time, I just got out of the saddle on the long climb and rode my own pace. I got a small gap at first and just continued riding my own race."
Spitz rode back up to Premont and Kalentieva, and then rode away again on the following lap, this time staying clear. Kalentieva opened a small gap on Premont, which the Canadian could not close.
Behind the front four riders, American Mary McConneloug (Kenda) was steadily making her way up through the field after a poor start. McConneloug, the lone U.S. entry in the women's race at the Athens Games, managed to get by a fading Marga Fullana in the third lap to grab the fifth and final spot on the podium - her first ever podium in a European World Cup.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Rob Jones/www.canadiancyclist.com
- The start of the women's race with Ginn-Rita Dahle (Multivan-Merida) and Alison Sydor (Rocky Mountain Business Objects) at the front
- Margarita Fullana (K2-Zero Rh) faded after a strong early showing
- Alison Sydor demonstrated that she is still a force to be reckoned with.
- Mary McConneloug (Seven) was the top rider from teh USA in 5th
- Kiara Bisaro (Gears Racing) on her way to a finish just outside the top 10
- Sabine Spitz (Specialized) feeling on top again
- Gunn-Rita Dahle looking cool and composed in the lead.
- Marie-Hélène Premont keeping hydrated
- Alison Sydor working hard on the way to eighth place.
- Gunn-Rita Dahle scores yet another World Cup win
Results
1 Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor) Multivan Merida Biking Team 1.43.21 2 Sabine Spitz (Ger) Specialized Factory Racing 1.12 3 Irina Kalentieva (Rus) Multivan Merida Biking Team 1.42 4 Marie-Hélène Premont (Can) Rocky Mountain Business Objects 1.57 5 Mary McConneloug (USA) Seven 3.48 6 Margarita Fullana (Spa) K2-Zero Rh 5.22 7 Petra Henzi (Swi) Fischer-Bmc 6.28 8 Alison Sydor (Can) Rocky Mountain Business Objects 6.38 9 Maja Wloszczowska (Pol) Lotto 7.20 10 Maroussia Rusca (Swi) Univega Pro Cycling Team 7.26 11 Kiara Bisaro (Can) Grars Racing 7.34 12 Maria Östergren (Swe) 7.43 13 Magdalena Sadlecka (Pol) Lotto 8.15 14 Rosara Joseph (NZl) 8.22 15 Ren Chengyuan (Chn) 8.32 16 Bernardine Boog-Rauwerda (Ned) 8.46 17 Ivonne Kraft (Ger) 8.58 18 Nina Göhl (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team 8.59 19 Sabrina Enaux (Fra) Lapierre International 9.05 20 Lene Byberg (Nor) Multivan Merida Biking Team 9.31 21 Wang Jingjing (Chn) 9.41 22 Sandra Klose (Ger) 9.59 23 Kelli Emmett (USA) 10.08 24 Patricia Sinclair (Can) 10.33 25 Annabella Stropparo (Ita) 10.45 26 Anna Enocsson (Swe) Ghost International Racing Team 10.48 27 Laurence Leboucher (Fra) Heijdens-Ten Tusscher 10.52 28 Franziska Roethlin (Swi) Univega Pro Cycling Team 11.03 29 Sonia Foote (NZl) 11.05 30 Robyn Wong (NZl) 11.32 31 Katrin Leumann (Swi) Fischer-Bmc 12.12 32 Evelyn Staffler (Ita) 12.17 33 Katrin Schwing (Ger) 12.20 34 Eva Lechner (Ita) 12.46 35 Gao Xiaoning (Chn) 13.04 36 Cristina Mascarreras Sabria (Spa) 14.17 37 Saskia Elemans (Ned) 14.27 38 Elisabeth Osl (Aut) 14.32 39 Adelheid Morath (Ger) 14.47 40 Pavla Havlikova (Cze) 14.58 41 Bärbel Jungmeier (Aut) 15.17 42 Severine Hansen (Fra) 15.32 43 Sarah Koba (Swi) 16.22 44 Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) 16.53 45 Caroline Jackson (GBr) 16.57 46 Catherine Delfosse (Bel) Massi-Abarth 17.16 47 Kathy Sherwin (USA) 17.19 48 Elena Gaddoni (Ita) 17.22 49 Ariëlle Van Meurs (Ned) 18.02 50 Sarka Chmurova (Cze) Max Cursor 18.19 51 Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) 18.49 52 Elina Sophokleous (Cyp) Bikin'cyprus Int. 19.04 53 Jenny Copnall (GBr) Subaru-Gary Fisher 19.12 54 Nina Homovec (Slo) 19.27 55 Cécile Rode (Fra) Orbea 20.31 56 Carissa Wilkes (NZl) 21.25 57 Caroline Besseyrias (Fra) 22.01 58 Petra Hofs (Ned) 23.59 1 lap behind 59 Jenny Mccauley (Irl) 60 Emma Colson (Aus) 61 Erica Österlund (Swe) 62 Sandra Walter (Can) 63 Tereza Jansova (Cze) 64 Marlena Pyrgies (Pol) 65 Maureen Guichardot (Fra) 66 Valentina Salvagni (Ita) 67 Ruth Mcgavigan (GBr) 68 Nina Kunz (Ger) 69 Jenni King (Aus) 2 laps behind 70 Laura Turpijn (Ned) 71 Genevieve Whitson (NZl) 72 Karin Groen (Ned) 73 Lidy Spierings (Ned) 74 Hazel Wakefield (GBr) 75 Sigrid Rondelez (Bel) 76 Ingrid Bosscha (Ned) 3 laps behind 77 Siegrid Huber (Aut) DNF Elena Giacomuzzi (Ita) DNF Anna Szafraniec (Pol) Lotto DNF Nadja Walker (Swi) Athleticum-Mtb-Team DNF Daniela Louis (Swi) DNF Maria Osl (Aut) DNF Rebecca Mcconnell (Aus) DNS Brechje Kaastra (Ned) World Cup standings after round 3 1 Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor) Multivan Merida Biking Te 700 pts 2 Marie-Helene Premont (Can) Rocky Mountain Business Objects 600 3 Sabine Spitz (Ger) Specialized Factory Racin 520 4 Irina Kalentieva (Rus) Multivan Merida Biking Te 490 5 Mary Mcconneloug (USA) Seven Cycles 305 6 Maja Wsoszczowska (Pol) Lotto 290 7 Margarita Fullana (Spa) K2-Zero Rh+ 285 8 Lene Byberg (Nor) Multivan Merida Biking Te 248 9 Petra Henzi (Swi) Fischer-Bmc 209 10 Bernardine Boog-Rauwerda (Ned) 206 11 Annabella Stropparo (Ita) 189 12 Katrin Leumann (Swi) Fischer-Bmc 183 13 Ivonne Kraft (Ger) 182 14 Kiara Bisaro (Can) Gears Racing 181 15 Alison Sydor (Can) Rocky Mountain Business Objects 175 16 Maroussia Rusca (Swi) Univega Pro Cycling Team 165 17 Magdalena Sadlecka (Pol) Lotto 165 18 Katrin Schwing (Ger) 161 19 Adelheid Morath (Ger) 158 20 Robyn Wong (NZl) 144 21 Sonia Foote (NZl) 141 22 Maria Oestergren (Swe) 138 23 Sabrina Enaux (Fra) Lapierre International 137 24 Cristina Mascarreras Sabria (Spa) 134 24 Barbel Jungmeier (Aut) 134 26 Severine Hansen (Fra) 132 27 Saskia Elemans (Ned) 123 28 Anna Szafraniec (Pol) Lotto 118 29 Nina Goehl (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Te 113 30 Nicole Cooke (GBr) 111 31 Kelli Emett (USA) 107 32 Patricia Sinclairs (Can) 103 33 Evelyn Staffler (Ita) 100 34 Sarka Chmurova (Cze) Max Cursor 95 35 Sandra Klose (Ger) 92 36 Franziska Roethlin (Swi) Univega Pro Cycling Team 91 37 Cecile Rode (Fra) Orbea 90 38 Elisabeth Osl (Aut) 88 39 Elena Giacomuzzi (Ita) 86 40 Laura Turpijn (Ned) 85 41 Eva Lechner (Ita) 81 42 Sarah Koba (Swi) 80 43 Nina Homovec (Slo) 76 44 Laurence Leboucher (Fra) Heijdens-Ten Tusscher 75 45 Asa Erlandsson (Spa) 75 46 Jenny Copnall (GBr) Subaru-Gary Fisher 73 47 Nadja Walker (Swi) Athleticum-Mtb-Team 70 48 Arielle Van Meurs (Ned) 64 49 Elina Sophocleous (Cyp) Bikin'cyprus Int. 62 50 Rosara Joseph (NZl) 62 51 Ren Chengyuan (Chn) 61 52 Catherine Delfosse (Bel) Massi-Abarth 59 53 Caroline Jackson (GBr) 57 54 Wang Jingjing (Chn) 55 55 Susan Haywood (USA) 52 56 Anna Enocsson (Swe) Ghost International Racin 50 57 Joseph Rosara (NZl) 50 58 Maaris Meier (Est) Alexela Pro Team 46 59 Daniela Louis (Swi) 44 60 Trish Sinclair (Can) 42 61 Gao Xiaoning (Chn) 41 62 Rocio Gamonal Ferrera (Spa) 40 63 Pavla Havlikova (Cze) 36 64 Ruth Moll Marques (Spa) 35 65 Maria Osl (Aut) 34 66 Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) 32 67 Petra Hofs (Ned) 32 68 Sandra Walter (Can) 31 69 Beth Mc Cluskey (Irl) 31 70 Hazel Wakefield (GBr) 30 71 Kathy Sherwin (USA) 29 72 Katy Middlehurst (GBr) 28 73 Elena Gaddoni (Ita) 28 74 Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) 27
