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MTB World Cup XC # 2 - CDM

Offenburg, Germany, May 26-27, 2007

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Race 4 - May 27: Elite Men XC

Absalon takes his first 2007 World Cup

By Rob Jones in Offenburg

Absalon wins
Photo ©: Rob Jones
(Click for larger image)

The cross-country Mountain Bike World Cup started up again on Sunday in Offenburg, Germany with round two after a one month break, and we saw rather different podiums for both the men and the women than at the opener in Houffalize, Belgium. On the men's side, Jose Hermida (Multivan Merida) could not duplicate the masterful ride he had in Houffalize, and world champion Julien Absalon (Orbea) proved once again to be the class of the field with a dominating ride. Absalon took a commanding 90 point lead in the men's series over Hermida.

The men's race started in the rain, and officials wisely decided on the line to shorten the race by a lap to one start loop and 7 laps. Out of the start loop it was Roel Paulissen (Cannondale-Vredestein) in the lead, with world number one ranked Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) of Canada wel positioned in fifth. Unfortunately for Kabush, the first of a series of mishaps took place on the third corner in the race, when he slid out, losing over 20 places. He would eventually finish 51st, after multiple stops in the tech zones to replace his seat and seatpost, and falling as far back as the high 70's.

Absalon, Hermida, Fredrik Kessiakoff (Cannondale-Vredestein), Kashi Leuchs (Cannondale-Vredestein), Roel Paulissen (Cannondale-Vredestein), Nino Schurter (Swisspower), Florian Vogel (Swisspower) and Christoph
Sauser (Specialized) made up the front group, but it was soon decimated by mechanicals and crashes.

Jose Hermida (Multivan Merida)
Photo ©: Rob Jones
(Click for larger image)

Kessiakoff went out on lap one in a crash, while Vogel and Schurter were caught with broken rear derailleurs on lap four. Schurter managed to finish and retain his lead in the U23 World Cup standings. Paulissen gradually faded, and Hermida was the victim of chainsuck caused by mud; after which he never recaught the frontrunners.

Absalon took over the lead on lap two, and gradually rode away from the field, to eventually win by nearly three minutes under clearing skies for the second half of the race. Cedric Ravanel (Lapierre) steadily worked his way up to finish second, with Lukas Fluckiger (Athleticum) passing Jean-Christophe Peraud (Orbea) in the final lap to take third. Leuchs, having a superb ride that never saw him drop below seventh, took the final podium spot.

Absalon credited his win to "my condition and luck. I did my preparation to be good here at this race and for the next part of the season with all the World Cups. I got a gap on the first downhill, and then I tried to be safe. As the mud became sticky I took a bottle in each feed zone and cleaned the chain. It lost maybe 20 seconds, but I think it was very important and stopped me from having problems like some other riders."

Todd Wells (GT)
Photo ©: Rob Jones
(Click for larger image)

Race Notes

- Todd Wells (GT) was the top North American rider, in 25th, one spot ahead of Max Plaxton (Rocky Mountain-Haywood), who came back from a mechanical to become the second U23 finisher. Plaxton moves to third in the U23 standings.

- Cyclo-cross star Sven Nys (Belgian National) moved up from a starting position of 142 to finish a very respectable 24th. Nys was as high as 13th in lap six before fading in the last lap.

- Despite the weather, an estimated 15,000 spectators jammed all the drops, buying bratwurst and beer at tents and listening to techno pop blasting out over loudspeakers. Organizers say that the UCI has already asked them to apply for a sanction for next year.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Rob Jones/www.canadiancyclist.com

Images by Frank Bodenmuller/PhotoSport International/www.mtbsector.com

Results

1 Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea                                   2.18.54
2 Cédric Ravanel (Fra) Team Lapierre International                2.42
3 Lukas Flückiger (Sui) Athleticum MTB Team                       3.12
4 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Orbea                              3.37
5 Kashi Leuchs (NZl) Cannondale-Vredestein                        3.45
6 Christoph Sauser (Sui) Specialized                              4.15
7 Thomas Frischknecht (Sui) Swisspower Mtb Team                   4.18
8 José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Esp) Multivan Merida Biking Team    4.45
9 Filip Meirhaeghe (Bel) Versluys-Landbouwkrediet                 5.15
10 Yury Trofimov (Rus)                                            7.02
11 Bart Brentjens (Ned) Dolphin Bike Team                         7.11
12 Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze)                                         7.47
13 Roel Paulissen (Bel) Cannondale-Vredestein                     8.17
14 Moritz Milatz (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team                8.22
15 Balz Weber (Sui) Bikepark.Ch Tui                                   
16 Milan Spesny (Cze) Merida Biking Team                          8.36
17 Till Marx (Sui) Swisspower Mtb Team                            8.47
18 Ralph Naef (Sui) Multivan Merida Biking Team                   9.20
19 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Dolphin Bike Team                       9.28
20 Torsten Marx (Ger) Team Alb-Gold Mountainbik                   9.54
21 Jürg Graf (Sui)                                               10.01
22 Silvio Bundi (Sui)                                            10.44
23 Rudi Van Houts (Ned) Dolphin Bike Team                        10.49
24 Sven Nys (Bel)                                                10.58
25 Todd Wells (USA) GT                                           11.06
26 Max Plaxton (Can) Rocky Mountain Haywood                      11.23
27 Marek Galinski (Pol) CC-Polsat-Polkowice                      11.43
28 Peter Riis Andersen (Den) Team Alb-Gold Mountainbike          11.47
29 Sid Taberlay (Aus) Dolphin Bike Team                          11.48
30 Jeremiah Bishop (USA) Trek-Vw                                 11.51
31 Gion Manetsch (Sui)                                           12.11
32 Oliver Beckingsale (GBr)                                      12.25
33 Inaki Lejarreta Errasti (Esp) Orbea                           12.32
34 Hannes Metzler (Aut)                                          12.33
35 Dariusz Batek (Pol) Halls Professional Mtb Team               12.53
36 François Bailly Maitre (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier          12.58
37 Jochen Kass (Ger) Team Alb-Gold Mountainbike                  13.01
38 Martin Kraler (Aut) Gewiss Bianchi                            13.28
39 Tony Longo (Ita)                                              13.51
40 Samuel Schultz (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher                       14.13
41 Martino Fruet (Ita)                                           14.23
42 Adam Craig (USA) Giant Mountain Bike Team                     14.38
43 Jan Skarnitzl (Cze)                                           14.54
44 Stefan Sahm (Ger) Team Bulls                                  15.02
45 Karl Markt (Aut)                                              15.10
46 Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Esp) Asd Ktm International Team       15.16
47 Rene Tann (Ger)                                               15.21
48 Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Esp) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica                15.29
49 Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita)                                   15.34
50 Christof Bischof (Sui) Bikin'cyprus Int'l Mtb Team            15.40
51 Geoff Kabush (Can) Maxxis                                     16.04
52 Ludovic Dubau (Fra) Team New Cycling                          16.35
53 Israel Nunez Baticon (Esp) Massi                              16.49
54 Manuel Fumic (Ger) Fumic.Brothers.International               17.03
55 Hector Leonardo Paez Leon (Col) Full-Dynamix-R.S.M.           17.31
56 Bjorn Brems (Bel) Dolphin Bike Team                           18.15
57 Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Esp) Massi                         18.20
58 Pascal Meyer (Sui)                                            18.26
59 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier               18.30
60 Bas Peters (Ned)                                              18.36
61 Matthias Flückiger (Sui)                                      18.43
62 Kris Sneddon (Can) Kona Les Gets                              18.50
63 Burry Stander (RSA) GT                                        19.08
64 Emil Lindgren (Swe) Gewiss Bianchi                            19.17
65 Vaclav Hlavac (Cze)                                           19.18
66 Stéphane Tempier (Fra) Gewiss Bianchi                         19.23
67 Pierre Geoffroy Plantet (Fra) Team Lapierre International     19.55
68 Maxime Marotte (Fra)                                          20.00
69 Daniel Suter (Sui)                                            20.19
70 Martin Fanger (Sui)                                           20.40
71 Thijs Al (Ned) Beone Mountainbiketeam                         21.08
72 Maxim Gogolev (Rus)                                           21.49
73 Filip Eberl (Cze)                                             22.43
 
1 lap behind
 
74 Andreas Kugler (Sui) Fischer-Bmc                                   
 
2 laps behind
 
75 Denis Vorontsov (Rus)                                              
76 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Cannondale-Vredestein                         
77 Miha Solar (Slo)                                                   
78 Frank Lehmann (Ger)                                                
79 Hans Becking (Ned) Beone Mountainbiketeam                          
80 Nicolas Filippi (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier                      
81 Dario Alejandro Gasco (Arg) Massi                                  
82 Jiri Novak (Cze)                                                   
83 Nicolas Bazin (Fra) Bh-Sr. Suntour                                 
84 Ivan Seledkov (Rus)                                                
85 John Jairo Botero Salazar (Col) Macosta - Leecougan                
 
3 laps behind
 
86 Fabian Giger (Sui)                                                 
87 Jelmer Pietersma (Ned) Beone Mountainbiketeam                      
88 Simon Richardson (GBr)                                             
89 Alban Lakata (Aut) Trek-Vw                                         
90 Gareth Montgomerie (GBr)                                           
91 Kryspin Pyrgies (Pol)                                              
92 Marcus Roy (NZl)                                                   
93 Marcel Wildhaber (Sui)                                             
94 Jeff Hall (USA)                                                    
95 Davy Coenen (Bel) 2mega-Saeco                                      
96 Anton Gogolev (Rus)                                                
97 Ian Bibby (GBr)                                                    
98 Andreas Moser (Sui)                                                
99 Lukas Kaufmann (Sui)                                               
100 Olivier Maignan (Fra) Bh-Sr. Suntour                              
101 Sam Jurekovic (USA)                                               
102 Vivien Legastelois (Fra) Team Lapierre International              
103 Arnaud Grosjean (Fra) Bh-Sr. Suntour                              
104 Andi Weinhold (Ger)                                               
105 Marc Trayter Alemany (Esp) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica                     
106 Tim Wijnants (Bel) Dolphin Bike Team                              
107 Ludovic Mottet (Bel)                                              
108 Steffen Thum (Ger) Team Mayer Stevens                             
109 Dylan Cooper (Aus)                                                
110 Yevgeniy Yakovlev (Kaz)                                           
111 Kristof Bomans (Bel)                                              
112 Robert Kircher (Aut)                                              
113 Marc Colom (Fra)                                                  
114 Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher                   
115 Patrick Gaudy (Bel)                                               
116 Martin Bratland (Nor) Team Etto Hoydahl                           
117 Lachlan Norris (Aus)                                              
118 Nicolas Vermeulen (Bel) Lingier-Versluys Team                     
119 Calle Friberg (Swe)                                               
120 Evguen Pechenine (Rus) Format-Udmurtia                            
121 Robert Gehbauer (Aut) Multivan Merida Biking Team                 
122 Pierre Lebreton (Fra) Bh-Sr. Suntour                              
123 Marcus Giese (Ger)                                                
124 Wolfram Kurschat (Ger)                                            
125 Milan Barenyi (Svk)                                               
 
4 laps behind
 
126 Luka Kodra (Slo)                                                  
127 Colin Cares (USA)                                                 
128 Ivan Planzer (Sui)                                                
129 Frank Schotman (Ned)                                              
130 Nieck Busser (Ned)                                                
131 Michael Broderick (USA)                                           
132 Andras Melts (Hun)                                                
133 Lukas Hanus (Svk)                                                 
134 Jordy Luisman (Ned)                                               
135 Marios Athanasiades (Cyp) Bikin'cyprus Int'l Mtb Team             
136 Tim Ottens (Ned) Beone Mountainbiketeam                           
137 Jiri Hudecek (Cze)                                                
138 Rob Vangenechten (Bel) 2mega-Saeco                                
139 Bilal Akgul (Tur)                                                 
140 Michal Plesnik (Svk)                                              
141 Joan Marc Perarnau (Esp) Massi                                    
142 Truls Haugseth (Nor) Team Etto Hoydahl                            
143 Daniel Braunsteins (Aus)                                          
144 Bogdan Czarnota (Pol)                                             
145 Tobias Witzak (Ger)                                               
146 Paolo Montoya (Crc) Macosta - Leecougan                           
147 Daniel Schütz (Sui)                                               
148 Axel Bult (Ned)                                                   
149 Rotem Ishai (Isr)                                                 
150 Oliver Aviles Gilabert (Esp) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica                   
151 Peter Coddens (Bel) Lingier-Versluys Team                         
152 Dzintars Ozolins (Lat)                                            
153 Shaun Lewis (Aus)                                                 
154 Ole Christian Fagerli (Nor) Team Etto Hoydahl                     
155 Dror Pekatch (Isr) Subaru-Gary Fisher                             
156 Jelmer Jubbega (Ned) Cannondale-Vredestein                        
 
5 laps behind
 
157 Daniel Mcconnell (Aus)                                            
158 Kamil Alev (Tur) Goldcity Alanya                                  
159 Clinton Robert Avery (NZl)                                        
160 Bojan Djurdjic (Srb)                                              
161 Didzis Praulins (Lat)                                             
162 Roman Zhientaev (Kaz)                                             
163 Boris Popovic (Srb)                                               
164 Reinis Andrijanovs (Lat)                                          
165 Ruud Rentmeester (Ned)                                            
166 Marcel Reiser (Ger)                                               
167 Frank Beemer (Ned) Dolphin Bike Team                              
168 Anthony Mann (Ger) Team Mayer Stevens                             
169 Wilko Rochow (Ger)                                                
170 Roland Plank (Aut)                                                
171 Zoran Zivkovic (Srb)                                              
DNF Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Cannondale-Vredestein                    
DNF Nino Schurter (Sui) Swisspower Mtb Team                           
DNF Jader Zoli (Ita) Asd Ktm International Team                       
DNF Karl Platt (Ger) Team Bulls                                       
DNF Marti Gispert Labarta (Esp) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica                    
DNF Lado Fumic (Ger) Fumic.Brothers.International                     
DNF Martin Gujan (Sui)                                                
DNF Ruben Ruzafa Cueto (Esp) Orbea                                    
DNF Michael Weiss (Aut) Bikin'cyprus Int'l Mtb Team                   
DNF Mirko Pirazzoli (Ita)                                             
DNF Massimo De Bertolis (Ita) Full-Dynamix-R.S.M.                     
DNF Jiri Friedl (Cze) Merida Biking Team                              
DNF Giuseppe Lamastra (Ita)                                           
DNF Seamus Mcgrath (Can) Rocky Mountain Haywood                       
DNF Florian Vogel (Sui) Swisspower Mtb Team                           
DNF Christoph Soukup (Aut)                                            
DNF Marc Bassingthwaighte (Nam)                                       
DNF Andrea Tiberi (Ita) Asd Ktm International                         
DNF Johann Pallhuber (Ita)                                            
DNF Oriol Morata Abril (Esp)                                          
DNF Kristian Hynek (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna Mtb                         
DNF Alexey Medvedev (Rus)                                             
DNF Alexandre Moos (Sui) Bmc Racing                                   
DNF Radim Korinek (Cze)                                               
DNF Klaus Nielsen (Den) Team Alb-Gold Mountainbike                    
DNF Rick Evers (Ned) Beone Mountainbiketeam                           
DNF Robert Odink (Sui)                                                
DNF Joris Massaer (Bel)                                               
DNF Patrik Gallati (Sui) Swisspower Mtb Team                          
DNF Jules Chabanon (Fra) Team New Cycling                             
DNF Heiko Gutmann (Ger)                                               
DNF Robert Mennen (Ger)                                               
DNF Toms Veinbergs (Lat)                                              
DNS Philip Spencer (GBr) Subaru-Gary Fisher                           
DNS Anders Hovdenes (Nor) Team Etto Hoydahl                           
DNS Max Oste Macdonald (Swe)                                          
DNS Roman Rametsteiner (Aut