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Bundesliga XCO - Bike the Rock - HC

Heubach, Germany, May 17, 2009

2008 results   Results    

Kurschat celebrates a birthday win

Osl rides to solo victory

Wolfram Kurschat (Topeak Ergon Racing Team)
Photo ©: Armin M. Küstenbrück
(Click for larger image)

Elisabeth Osl (Central Ghost Pro Team) and Wolfram Kurschat (Topeak Ergon Racing Team) won the third round of the MTB-Bundesliga International in Heubach, Germany. Kurschat defeated Julien Absalon (Orbea) and Jean-Christophe Péraud (Team Massi), while Osl crossed the finish line of the hors categorie (HC) race after a long solo ride ahead of Irina Kalentieva (Topeak Ergon Racing Team) and Nathalie Schneitter of Switzerland.

"Incredible," was the only word Absalon found to describe Kurschat's performance on the climbs during the laps of Heubachs 4.3-kilometer course. "On the second lap, he joined me at the top of the climb, and again on the third lap and the fourth lap. On the fifth lap, when I got a 50-second gap, I though, ok, now I won't see him again, but he did bridge back up. And he did the same again on lap six."

The French star Absalon kept getting away on the four-minute downhill section, but birthday boy Kurschat kept catching back up on the climb.
The men start
Photo ©: Armin M. Küstenbrück
(Click for larger image)

On the seventh and final lap, Kurschat passed Absalon in the middle of the climb, and that's where the race was decided. Absalon was losing air in his tire and instead of catching him on the downhill like had been happening, Kurschat's gap grew to 1:59.

"In the middle of the race, I thought that I would have no chance today. I kept my rhythm, and I couldn't do anything else," said Kurschat, who noticed that the spectators at the top of the climb kept singing "Happy Birthday" each time he passed. Race day was his 34th birthday and the day he'd take his second win of the season.

"It's maybe the toughest race we do," said Absalon, who looked at his bike's computer and noted that he had climbed 1600m during the eight laps.

Péraud (Massi), who finished third, said he felt somewhat tired. "They were too strong for me. I had to ride my own pace and keep the chasers away." Péraud secured third place ahead of Moritz Milatz (Multivan-Merida) and the young Fabian Giger (SKS-MiG).

Marco Aurelio Fontana and Roel Paulissen (Cannondale Factory Racing) found themselves playing a race of catch-up after both went off course on the first lap, apparently mis-directed by a marshall, on the first lap. The pair still managed to work their way back up from last place to sixth and seventh respectively.

Osl goes it alone

Women's podium
Photo ©: Armin M. Küstenbrück
(Click for larger image)

In the women's race, the victory went to Elisabeth Osl (central GHOST Pro Team). The up and coming star rode solo from the very beginning of the race.

"I just decided to go," Osl said and climbed away. Irina Kalentieva (Topeak-Ergon), who resides near the Heubach race course, tried to follow, but was unable to stick to Osl's pace. The Russian Kalentieva has won the Bike the Rock race three times and has a lot of fans in the area.

"My training is targeted for the Madrid World Cup. I could not go at a high intensity today so I had to ride my own rhythm," said Kalentieva. "When Natalie (Schneitter) closed the gap, the race became exciting."

Schneitter had a chain problem on the first lap and afterward, she had to chase. In the last lap, she caught Kalentieva and went into the downhill ahead of her. Just before the final corner, Kalentieva passed Schneitter for second.

"That was her experience," Schneitter said. "It's not great to lose second place so close to the finish line, but I'm happy with my chase effort."

While Schneitter and Kalentieva were fighting for second place, "Lisi" Osl was celebrated her victory and watched the duel on the big video screen. "It looks good for Madrid, even though it is a very different kind of race. I enjoyed the competition today. The atmosphere was fantastic."

Hanna Klein (Rothaus-Cube) defended her overall lead in the series with a fourth place today. Anja Gradl (central GHOST Pro Team) was strong on the uphills but crashed a few times on the downhill. She finished fifth.

Sepp Freiburghaus won the men's under 23 race in a solo effort. He finished ahead of Sebastian Szraucner and Connor McConvey.

Photography

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Results

Elite men

1 Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team            1.59.40
2 Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea                                    1.59
3 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Team Massi                       2.56
4 Moritz Milatz (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team               3.25
5 Fabian Giger (Swi) SKS M.I.G. Team                            3.36
6 Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Cannondale Factory Racing         8.25
7 Roel Paulissen (Bel) Cannondale Factory Racing                8.51
8 Christoph Soukup (Swi) Merida Biking Team                     9.18
9 Guiseppe Lamastra (Ita) Hard Rock FRW A.S.D.                 11.13
10 Thomas Litscher (Swi) SKS M.I.G Team                        11.19
11 Bjorn Brems (Bel) Team Saeco                                11.20
12 Torsten Marx (Ger) DS-Rennsport                             11.28
13 René Tann (Ger) Team FUJI-BikeS Europe                      12.41
14 Olaf Rochow (Ger) Team Fuji Bikes Europe                    12.42
15 András Parti (Hun) SRM Stevens Team                         14.15
16 Geoffroy Pierre Plantet (Ger) Lapierre International        14.49
17 Reuben Cueto Ruzafa (Spa) Orbea                             15.52

Lapped

18 Christopher Maletz (Ger) Zweirad- Riese RT                       
19 Andi Weinhold (Ger) Team Fuji-Bikes Europe                       
20 Silvio Bundi (Swi) Giant Swiss Team                              
21 Dan Mcconnell (Aus) Torq Nutrition                               
22 Ben Henderson (Aus) benhenderson.com.au                          
23 Evgeny Pechenin (Rus) Format-Udmurtiya Team                      
24 Steffen Thum (Ger) Team MayerArbeitsbühnen                       
25 Hing Chun Chan (Ger) Hong Kong Team                              
26 Andrew Blair (Aus) Redshift                                      
27 Achim Beckedahl (Ger) Team Endorfin-Solvis                       
28 Tobias Ullmann (Ger) Team Marin Bikes                            
29 Sebastian Weigel (Ger) Zweirad- Riese RT                         
30 Florian Meyer (Swi) MTB Cycletech Rennteam                       
31 Sebastian Mordmüller (Ger) Focus Bad Salzdetfurth                
32 Alexander Speisekorn (Ger) MTB-Teck/Team nolte                   
33 Wilko Rochow-Borg (Ger) Team MayerArbeitsbühnen                  
34 Henrik Andersen (Den) HMTBK                                      
35 Robert Michaelis (Ger) powerslide- racing                        
36 Torsten Walter (Ger) Orbea Deutschland                           
37 Johannes Thumm (Ger) MTB-Teck                                    
38 Ulrich Theobald (Ger) RSV Vaihingen                              
39 Marc Odrosek (Ger) Team Storck                                   
40 Johannes Közle (Ger) Team Cmtb                                   
41 Felix Gniot (Ger) KOCMO                                          
42 John Groves (Aus) Rollin Cycles                                  
43 Alexey Belokrylov (Rus) Format-Udmurtia-Team                     
44 Boris Vasilyev (Rus) Format-Udmurtia                             
45 Hannes Diether (Ger) Rhein-Neckar-Racing                         

Elite and Under 23 women

1 Elisabeth Osl (Aut) central GHOST Pro Team                 1.30.25
2 Irina Kalentyeva (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team               4.50
3 Nathalie Schneitter (Swi)                                     4.51
4 Hanna Klein (Ger) Rothaus-Cube MTB Team                       6.50
5 Anja Gradl (Ger) Central- GHOST- Pro Team                     8.31
6 Julie Krasniak (Fra) Team Look-julie-57                       8.38
7 Adelheid Morath (Ger) Rothaus-Cube MTB Team                  10.22
8 Nina Wrobel (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team                11.06
9 Sabrina Enaux (Fra) Team Lapierre International              11.28
10 Barbara Benkò (Ger) Rothaus-Cube MTB Team                   12.41
11 Sarah Koba (Swi) Giant-Swiss-Team                           13.42
12 Silke Schmidt (Ger) Fuji Bikes Europe                       15.27
13 Annie Last (GBr) Great Britain                              15.56
14 Tatjana Dold (Ger) Fuji-Bikes Europe                        16.51
15 Elena Giacomuzzi (Ita) Caprivesi                            16.51
16 Ivonne Kraft (Ger) Team HaiBike                             22.05

Lapped

17 Katherine O'Shea (Aus) Torq Nutrition                            
18 Stephanie Wiedner (Aut) DS-Rennsport                             
19 Melanie Späth (Irl) Cycleways                                    
20 Vera Andreeva (Rus) RUS                                          
21 Nadine Rieder (Ger) FBI racingteam.youngstars                    
22 Lily Matthews (GBr) Great Britain                                
23 Annika Langvad (Den) HMTBK                                       
24 Gesa Brüchmann (Ger) Stevens-Racing-Team                         
25 Colleen Rothe (Ger) RV 1896 Ampfing                              

Under 23 men

1 Sepp Freiburghaus (Swi) Thömus Racing Team                 1.54.56
2 Sebastian Szraucner (Ger) Team Fuji-Bikes Europe              4.12
3 Connor McConvey (Irl) Felt international MTB Team             4.14
4 Andy Eyring (Ger) RWV Haselbach                               5.27
5 Jaap Henk Moorlag (Ned) De Brink Ten Tusscher                 5.38
6 Lachlan Norris (Aus) DiscoverTasmania.com                     7.11
7 Markus Bauer (Ger) Lexware Racing Team                        8.09
8 Erik Groen (Ned) De Brink Ten Tusscher Mountain               8.20
9 Manfred Reis (Ger) Team Marin Bikes                           8.36
10 Giancarlo Sax (Swi) Thömus Racing Team                       8.53
11 Fabian Strecker (Ger) Lexware Racing Team                    9.10
12 David Hofmann (Ger) Lexware Racing Team                     11.10
13 Daniel Eymann (Swi) Thömus Racing Team                      11.15
14 Heiko Gutmann (Ger) Rothaus-Cube MTB Team                   11.17
15 Mirco Widmer (Swi) Fischer Junior MTB Team                  11.17
16 Simon Gegenheimer (Ger) Team MayerArbeitsbühnen             11.25
17 Julian Schwendemann (Ger) Endorfin Solvis                   11.27
18 Markus Knott (Ger) Team Marin Bikes                         11.38
19 Rob Vangenechten (Bel) MTB Team Saeco                       11.57
20 Sebastian Batchalor (Swi) Halfords                          12.20
21 Marcel Braun (Ger) eleven/Radon Team                        12.56
22 Rumen Voigt (Ger) Mühle Racing Team, RSV Team               13.10
23 Tristan Cowie (USA) USA Cycling National MTB Team           13.11
24 Matthias Hoi (Aut) Team Fuji Bikes Europe                   30.51

Lapped

25 Marc Metzler (Swi) Pink Gili Swiss                               
26 Felix Euteneuer (Ger) Rothaus-Cube MTB Team                      
27 Robby DeBock (Bel) Team Univega                                  
28 Florian Schön (Ger) Scott Genius Generation                      
29 Mitch Hoke (USA) USA Cycling National MTB Team                   
30 Andreas Muckenhirn (Ger) Bike Crew Münstertal                    
31 Danny Neumann (Ger) NRW Landeskader                              
32 Philipp Maximilian Daum (Ger) Team HaiBike                       
33 Pascal Hossay (Bel) Windose - Houffalize                         
34 Stephen Ettinger (USA) USA Cycling National MTB Team             
35 Maximilian Holz (Ger) Univega Pro Racing Team                    
36 Jelmer Jubbega (Ned) De Brink-Ten Tusscher                       
37 Valentin Fiderer (Ger) Bergamont Race Team RSV Hochsc            
38 Tommy Galle (Ger) Zweirad- Riese RT                              
39 Simon Stiebjahn (Ger) Team Bulls                                 
40 Stephan Meier (Ger) Sabine Spitz Juniors                         
41 Colin Osborn (USA) USA Cycling National MTB Team                 
42 Tim Lemmers (Ned) De Brink - Ten Tusscher                        
43 Tom Ettlich (Ger) White Rock                                     
44 Vincenz Demeni (Swi)                                             
45 Philipp Ziegler (Ger) FxSports/SG Sparkasse                      
46 Timo Häfner (Ger) Team-Steinlach-Wiesaz                          
47 Benjamin Oesterle (Ger) MHW Cube Racing Team                     
48 Jan-Niklas Droste (Ger) Powerslide racing                        
49 Kai Kautz (Ger) Team Fischer & Wagner                            
50 Trevor Downing (USA) USA Cycling National MTB Team               
51 Elias Neubert (Ger) RSV Team Auto-Riedel Schwarzen               
52 Patrick Titus (Ger) Bike Junior Team                             
53 Tobias Trautmann (Ger) White Rock                                
54 Mario Waibel (Ger) Team Cmtb                                     
55 Jeffrey Andris (Ger) MHW Cube Racing Team                        
56 Andreas Kleiber (Ger) Team 2-Rad Schubert Allgäupowe             
57 Pierre Happel (Ger) Gecko Youngwild.de                           
58 Darrell Upton (GBr) Mammoth lifestyle                            
59 Kevin Kane (USA) USA Cycling National MTB Team                   
60 Sascha Nething (Ger) Team Bergamont                              
61 Kevin Waibel (Ger) Team Cmtb                                     
62 Alexander Fischer (Ger) Sabine Spitz Juniors                     
63 Alexander Huber (Ger) FXX International Mountain                 
64 Hannes Wunsch (Ger) Sabine Spitz Juniors                         
65 Jonathan Roth (Ger) RMSV Langenbrand                             
66 Lukas Bruder (Ger) TuS Oppenau                                   
67 Manuel Ritter (Swi) MTB Cycletech Rennteam                       
68 Markus Moeller (Ger) ATV Haltern                                 
69 Timm Jander (Ger) Anton.Cuck/Scott                               
70 Martin Hankele (Ger) MSC Gerstetten Fun&Bike                     
71 Benjamin Merkel (Ger) RMSV Langenbrand                           
72 Simon Staufner (Ger) Team Cmtb                                   
73 Christian Lindner (Ger) IBC Dimb Racing Team                     
74 Markus Chrost (Ger) ATV Haltern                                  

Junior men

1 Julian Schelb (Ger) Lexware Racing Team                    1.23.20
2 Markus Schulte-Lünzum (Ger) SKS M.I.G. Team                   2.31
3 Martin Gluth (Ger) Team Bulls                                 3.41
4 Marcus Nicolai (Ger) Team Bulls/TSV Dettingen                 4.44
5 David Simon (Ger) racingteam.youngstars                       5.52
6 Wenzel Böhm-Gräber (Ger) SKS MIG TEAM                         6.20
7 Marco Tippmann (Ger) MTB-Teck Team nolte-küchen               6.22
8 Philipp Knüttel (Ger) SCMK Hirschau                           7.07
9 Adrian Sauer (Ger) TuS Oppenau                                7.52
10 Lukas Kuch (Ger) Team nolte-küchen                           7.56
11 Anselm Wüllner (Ger) NRW Landeskader / Team Merida           8.10
12 Daniel Nientiedt (Ger) Ghost Racing Team                     8.52
13 Benjamin Dorn (Ger) Stevens Racing Team                     10.47
14 Lysander Kiesel (Ger) Capic Team/SSV Wildpoldsried          11.13
15 Marc Stutzmann (Swi) MTB Cycletech Rennteam                 11.33
16 Claude Koster (Swi) MTB Cycletech Rennteam                  11.35
17 Philipp Scheläschuß (Ger) TSV Böhringen Team Koch-Engine    12.00
18 Florian Grafmüller (Ger) Lexware Racing Team                12.12
19 Matthias Zink (Ger) Lexware Racing Team                     12.32
20 Mike Bölts (Ger) Lexware Racing Team                        12.51
21 Michael Forster (Ger) Zwillingscraft                        13.30
22 Martin Schiefer (Ger) Corratec World Team                   14.32
23 Johannes Wolf (Ger) Lexware Racing Team                     14.51
24 Markus Zöller (Ger) Bergamont                               15.16
25 Matthias Reichart (Ger) RV Lindau                           15.41
26 Daniel Waibel (Ger) Team Cmtb                               16.08
27 Dominik Ziegler (Ger) FxSports/SG Sparkasse                 16.50
28 Michael Feinauer (Ger) MHW Cube Racing Team                 17.45

Lapped

29 Frederik Kjeldsen (Den) Team T-Bikes                             
30 Felix Guenter (Ger) Bergamont Race Team RSV Hochsc               
31 Jonas Müller (Ger) NRW Landeskader / Team Fuji-Bikes             
32 Conrad Hüwe (Ger) White Rock                                     
33 Sebastian Robin Ries (Ger) Mr.Bike/Cube                          
34 Martin Knöpfle (Ger) Lexware Racing Team                         
35 Max Weber (Ger) MHW Cube Racing Team                             
36 Severin Sägesser (Swi) Thömus Racing Team                        
37 Florian Müller (Ger) SCMK Hirschau                               
38 Joseph Kuhn (Ger) SSV Mounty Altenberg /TBR Bike                 
39 Falk Baron (Ger) Biker-boarder.de                                
40 Jan-Eric Müller (Ger) MHW Cube Racing Team                       
41 Jan-Nils Preus (Ger) RFC-Rossbach                                
42 Marcus Macicek (Ger) BikeSportBühne Bayreuth/Merida              
43 Simon Fankhauser (Swi) MTB Cycletech Rennteam                    
44 Jago Fechtmann (Ger) Conway/Bikeshop-Waibstadt                   
45 Marius Reiber (Ger) Gecko YoungWild                              
46 Paul Schumacher (Ger) RSC wiesbaden                              
47 Florian Schön (Ger) Radfreunde Hilpoltstein                      
48 Kai Genhes (Ger) Radio AUTIV Racing Bayreuth                     
49 David Büschler (Ger) Bike Aid                                    
50 Julian Kreis (Ger) Bike Team Mertens/TVM                         
51 Micha Mayer (Ger) Team-Steinlach-Wiesaz                          
52 Sascha Bleher (Ger) SKS Made in Germany Team/TSV                 
53 Pascal Hempel (Ger) Team-Steinlach-Wiesaz                        
54 Robert Traupe (Ger) Bergamont                                    
55 Marc Bohnerth (Ger) Landeskader Saar Team Rotwild                

Junior women

1 Mona Eiberweiser (Ger) SKS M.I.G.Team / Ski & Bike           58.45
2 Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) ACB REIMS                        3.34
3 Vanessa Mosch (Ger) NRW Landeskader / Orbea MTB               5.10
4 Helen Grobert (Ger) Lexware Racing Team                       6.36
5 Julia Haase (Ger) TSV Böhringen Team Bergamont                7.25
6 Elisa Ries (Den) Vaude Simplon Team/TSV Detting               7.47
7 Regina Genser (Ger) Bike Junior Team/ BSB Bayreuth           10.05
8 Sarah Bosch (Ger) Ghost Racing Team                          13.36
9 Vanessa Tempcke (Ger) Radfreunde Hilpoltstein                14.04
10 Laura Schuon (Ger) VBC Waldshut-Tiengen/Hoppe               19.25
11 Leonie Back (Ger) NRW Landeskader / Team Merida             19.43
12 Stephanie Frank (Ger) SF 03 Romrod / Team Bergamont         21.09
13 Franziska Rödel (Ger) RSC Hengen                            25.12