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MTB world championships - CM
Rotorua, New Zealand, August 22-27, 2006
Main Page Results Previous Race Next Race
Race 2 - August 23: Junior women cross-country
Tanja Zakelj makes history for Slovenia
By Rob Jones
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Only 24 women took the start for the Junior women's three lap race, but the competition was fierce for the title, with Slovenia's Tanja Zakelj improving on last year's bronze medal to win the first mountain bike world title for her country.
Julie Krasniak (France) went to the front on the climb, and after the first lap held a slim lead over Zakelj, followed by Nadja Roschi (Switzerland), Katarzyna Solus and Marta Sulek (Poland) and Kathrin Stirnemann (Switzerland). The first six riders were within a minute of each other.
Zakelj took over the lead on the second lap, with superior descending skills, and held a 10 second lead at the bottom of the final climb. She extended her lead to 23 seconds by the bottom of the descent, and held it to the finish line. A visibly disappointed Krasniak took the silver, with Roschi giving the Swiss a bronze to go with the world title won yesterday in the Team Relay.
"I didn't start so good" explained Zakelj, "but I was calm and spinning up the climb, so I started to catch up. I think I was better on the downhill, and I didn't have any bad luck or falls. Earlier (in training) I wasn't too sure if I could ride the downhill, because usually I like the uphill, but today it was the downhill that was best."
Krasniak admitted to being upset, "I'm very disappointed, it was my hope to win. I prepared to win, and didn't have any doubts that I could do it. I gave it my all in the last downhill but came up short."
Race Notes
Now that Zakelj has won a world title, she was asked what her next ambition is. "Last year I won Slovenia's first medal, so my goal was to be a world champion. Now I am, so I don't know what my goals are!"
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The ground was muddy and slippery in shaded sections, after below freezing weather over night left frost on the ground, but sun and a steady breeze dried the circuit quickly, and by the last lap riders were riding uphill sections that they had to run on the first lap.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Rob Jones/www.canadiancyclist.com
- Julie Krasniak (France) led for most of the race
- Nadja Roschi (Switzerland) was third
- Katarzyna Solus (Poland) - fourth
- Tanja Zakelj (Slovenia) wrote herself into the history books by claiming her country’s first rainbow jersey in MTB
- Medal winners - Julie Krasniak (France), Tanja Zakelj (Slovenia), Nadja Roschi (Switzerland)
- Tanja Zakelj (Slovenia)
- Alexandra Engen (Sweden) & Ilke Dejongh (Belgium)
- Katharina Haase (Germany)
- Alexandra Gelinas-Hamelin (Canada)
- Danae York (United States Of America)
- Emily Batty (Canada) crashed hard in the mud
- Julie Krasniak (France) held a slim lead after the first lap
- Slovenia's Tanja Zakelj improved on last year's bronze medal
- Marta Sulek (Poland) slipping & sliding in the mud
- Danae York (United States Of America)
- Ilke Dejongh (Belgium)
- Rachel Throop (United States Of America)
- Vera Andreeva (Russian Federation)
- Emily Batty (Canada) was 14th
- Stephanie White (United States Of America)
- Tanja Zakelj (Slovenia)
- Julie Krasniak (France)
- Nadja Roschi (Switzerland)
- Katarzyna Solus (Poland)
- Emily Batty (Canada)
- Rachel Throop (United States Of America)
- Tanja Zakelj (Slovenia) savors the moment
Images by Mikkeli Godfree/Cyclingnews.com
- Julie Krasniak (France) soared to the front on lap 1.
- Alexandra Engen (Sweden) negotiates a tight turn at the top of the climb.
- Nadja Roschi (Switzerland) does the same)
- Relief near the top of the climb on lap 1.
- In the lead and dropping into the bowl
- Except for Tanja Zakelj (Slovenia) following you like a hawk.
- Katarzyna Solus (Poland) climbs close to the podium positions.
- Kakelj can smell the win and ramps it up.
- Roschi steps up the pace too.
- A polish rider negotiates the downhill.
Results, 17.9km
1 Tanja Zakelj (Slovenia) 1.18.23 (13.70 km/h) 2 Julie Krasniak (France) 0.23 3 Nadja Roschi (Switzerland) 1.13 4 Katarzyna Solus (Poland) 1.57 5 Kathrin Stirnemann (Switzerland) 2.49 6 Katharina Haase (Germany) 4.29 7 Marta Sulek (Poland) 5.16 8 Amy Thompson (Great Britain) 5.25 9 Alexandra Engen (Sweden) 6.23 10 Ilke Dejongh (Belgium) 7.27 11 Vera Andreeva (Russian Federation) 7.55 12 Janine Droz (Switzerland) 8.17 13 Stefanie Andris (Germany) 11.31 14 Emily Batty (Canada) 12.03 15 Ines Thoma (Germany) 13.09 16 Monique Avery (New Zealand) 14.20 17 Paula Quiroz (Argentina) 14.38 18 Heletje Van Staden (Namibia) 18.23 19 Rachel Throop (United States Of America) 19.41 20 Alexandra Gelinas-Hamelin (Canada) 20.48 21 Danae York (United States Of America) 22.03 22 Stephanie White (United States Of America) 26.51 23 Katherine O'Neil (New Zealand) 31.38 Two laps behind 24 Hayley Robertson (New Zealand)
