World MTB Championships, Australia

Cairns, September 20

Junior women's cross country, 20.8km:

 1. Helena Eiksson (Swe)                     1.14.15.6 sec
 2. Emelie Ohrstig (Swe) 			2.13.0
 3. Sonja Morf (Swi) 				2.37.1
 4. Isabelle Burri (Swi) 			5.46.2
 5. Anna-Barbara Elsner (Ger) 			6.22.9
 6. Helene Marcouvre (Fra) 			7.15.4
 7. Carrie Tuck (Can) 				8.37.9
 8. Chun Yu Li (Chn) 				9.21.9
 9. Claudia Pizarro (Ita) 		       11.23.3
 10. Katrin Burell (USA)                     1.27.30.0

Men's senior under 23 cross country, 49km:

 
 1. Dario Acquaroli (Ita)		     2.16.20.4
 2. Miguel Martinez (Fra) 			2.43.6 secs
 3. Cadel Evans (Aus) 				2.49.7
 4. Roland Green (Can) 				5.38.2
 5. Thomas Dietsch (Fra) 			6.35.1
 6. Christophe Sauser (Swi) 			8.22.9
 7. Marek Galinski (Pol) 			8.27.8
 8. Dario Cioni (Ita) 				8.46.2
 9. Roger Persson (Swe) 		       10.19.6
10. Jesper Agergard (Den) 		       10.45.4

Men's junior cross country, 39.6km:

 1. Jose Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spa) 	     1.54.31.2
 2. Michael Reynaud (Fra) 			   8.2 secs
 3. Haakon Austad (Nor) 			1.58.3
 4. Grzegorz Bodnar (Pol) 			2.31.1
 5. Yohann Vachette (Fra) 			3.27.2
 6. Florian Zanke (Ger) 			3.55.5
 7. Marco Giulietti (Ita) 			4.03.1
 8. Kowal Mariusz (Pol) 			4.58.9
 9. Mirco Balducci (Ita) 			6.23.2
10. Tadej Trobevsek (Slo) 			7.37.6

Report

European riders dominated the cross country finals at the world mountain bike championship here on Friday with Italy, Spain and Sweden taking gold in trying tropical conditions.

Italian Dario Acquaroli captured the men's senior under 23 event over a 49 kilometre course.

Acquaroli won in two hours 16 minutes 20.4 seconds and was 2min 43.6sec clear of France's Atlanta Olympic Games bronze medallist Miguel Martinez with Australian Olympian Cadel Evans a further six seconds back in third position.

Martinez held the early lead but was overtaken by Acquaroli with one and a half laps remaining.

The Frenchman just staved off Evans. With 400 metres left Martinez led the Australian by 100m, but at the finish line the gap was down to 10 metres with Evans gaining with each pedal stroke.

Spaniard Jose Antonio Hermida Ramos took out the 39.6km men's junior cross country in a thrilling joust with Frenchman Michael Reynaud.

Ramos, who clocked 1hr 54 min 31.2secs, was just over eight seconds ahead of Reynaud with Norway's Haakon Austad taking bronze one minute 58.3 seconds behind Ramos.

The women's junior event over 20.8km went to Sweden's Helena Eriksson in 1 hour 14 minutes 15.6 seconds.

Eriksson was 2min 13 seconds ahead of compatriot Emelie Ohrstig with Swiss Sonja Morf third.

The junior and senior downhill finals are scheduled for Saturday.

A late storm Friday ensured that the 2.4km course would be muddy.