By Eddie Arnet
Balneario Camboriu, Brazil was the 5th downhill and 4-Cross, and the 6th World Cup Cross-Country of the World Series of mountain biking. While there were tons of South American competitors, overall the cross-country turnout was sad. Series leader Christoph Sauser didn't bother to come. Marie-Helene Premont wasn't there. Even Mary McConneloug, who has more traveling experience than any other mountain biker in existence, was a no-show.
Traveling from World Cup 5 in Quebec down to Brazil and then back up to New Mexico for World Cup 7 is further than traveling back and forth from Europe. Many series contenders decided just to stay in North America and wait for the next race. Sadder yet, their sponsors felt the same way too. So much for the value of UCI points or for the importance of a world mountain bike series.
If there's anything positive to say about the poor state of the World Cup XC Series, it's that when you hold a race in a place where no one cares to go, it shakes the results up a bit. Prior to Brazil Marie-Helene Premont had a realistic shot of beating Gunn-Rita Dahle for the series championship. After Gunn-Rita's win in Brazil, Marie-Helene has absolutely no shot at the biggest upset in recent mountain bike history. If Mary McConneloug had raced Brazil she would most likely now be sitting fourth in the World Cup standings instead of fifth.
One Brazil XC race note was that Sabine Spitz was leading early on. But after breaking a chain she lost a lot of time coasting down to the next tech zone for a repair. It makes her second place finish even the more impressive.
On the men's side, Christoph's decision not to race has opened the door for Jose Antonio Hermida. Jose has been a top contender in three out of the five World Cups so far. Now only 85 points behind Sauser, the momentum from his Brazilian win could drive the Spaniard onward to the championship. All he has to do is win two more. Hermida also goes by the name Jose Antonio Hermida Ramos.
GRAVITY RIDERS ARE MORE GUNG HO
Most all of the main players in the downhill and 4-Cross made the trip. For Honda it was just one more step towards buying another championship with the most expensive mountain bike ever made. To the women Brazil was a chance for Tracy Moseley to close way in on Sabrina Jonnier. With three rounds remaining, the battle between these two has become downright fierce.
Luna Chix star Kathy Pruitt, the only female American contesting the World Cup Downhill Series, opted out of Brazil. Although Kyle Strait and Robin Baloochi were there. Finishing right behind Brian Lopes in the 4-Cross consolation turned Brazil into Baloochi's best ever World Cup finish.
Brazil didn't go well for defending champ Michal Prokop. The Czechoslovakian was eliminated early and ended up 13th. With 3 races left only 22 points separate Prokop, Lopes and Cedric Gracia in the overall standings. The 4-Cross is the battle royale of 2005.
Then there was the women's 4-cross. For them all you had to do was show up in Brazil and you were guaranteed a podium spot. That's right, four women total raced the 4-Cross. Of the four, Jill Kintner was the star attraction of the weekend. She swept qualifying by over a second before going on to win the main. Anneke Beerten still leads the series with 220 points, although Jill is up to 170 and moving in for the kill. Jill has enough of a chance to make up for being dissed at the 2nd World Cup stop in Willingen, Germany. That's the race officials canceled, and then decided to run as soon as they saw that Kintner had left.
CROSS-COUNTRY RESULTS
(65 starters)
1. Jose Antonio Hermida (Spn)...Multivan Merida...2:05:00
2. Roel Paulissen (Bel)...Giant...2:10:16
3. Ralph Naef (Swi)...Multivan Merida...2:13:04
4. Adam Craig...Giant...2:14:39
5. Sid Taberlay (Aus)...Specialized...2:18:25
6. Milan Spesny (Cze)...2:19:33
7. Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Spn)...2:20:26
8. Marti Gispert Labarta (Spn)...Maxxis-MSC...2:20:59
9. Jakob Fuglsang (Den)...Heijdens-Ten Tusscher...2:22:15
10. Philip Spencer (GBr)...2:22:52
WOMEN
(15 starters) 4 from other countries
1. Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor)...Multivan Merida...1:30:39
2. Sabine Spitz (Ger)...Specialized...1:35:15
3. Ivonne Kraft (Ger)...1:38:26
4. Jaqueline Mourao (Bra)...1:42:47
5. Lene Byberg (Nor)...Multivan Merida...1:46:51
6. Erika Gramiscelli (Bra)...2:05:27
7. Roberta Stopa (Bra)...-1Lap
8. Lorena Oliveira (Bra)...-1Lap
9. Julyana Rodrigues (Bra)...-1Lap
10. Alziane Melo (Bra)...-1Lap
DOWNHILL RESULTS
(55 starters)
1. Greg Minnaar (RSA)...G-Cross Honda...2:25.21
2. Markolf Berchtold (Bra)...Maxxis-MSC...2:26.96
3. Mickael Pascal (Fra)...Maxxis-MSC...2:27.11
4. Fabien Barel (Fra)...Kona Les Gets...2:27.15
5. Cedric Gracia (Fra)...Siemens Cannondale...2:28.54
6. Gee Atherton (GBr)...Animal Giant...2:29.02
7. David Vazquez Lopez (Spn)...Maxxis-MSC...2:29.07
8. Nathan Rennie (Aus)...Santa Cruz Snd...2:29.68
9. Andrew Neethling (RSA)...2:30.39
10. Antionio Leiva (Chi)...2:30.59
14. Kyle Strait...Specialized...2:31.85
29. Robin Baloochi...2:38.89
39. Matthew Thompson...2:47.81
45. Steve Wentz...2:53.12
WOMEN
(15 starters)
1. Tracy Moseley (GBr)...Kons Les Gets...2:48.56
2. Rachel Atherton (GBr)...2:50.29
3. Sabrina Jonnier (Fra)...Intense...2:52.80
4. Scarlett Hagen (NZl)...2:53.23
5. Marielle Saner (Swi)...Maxxis-MSC...2:53.33
6. Vanessa Quin (NZl)...Intense...2:56.20
7. Celine Gros (Fra)...Morzine Avoriaz...2:56.51
8. Helen Gaskell (GBr)...2:57.53
9. Anneke Beerten (Ned)...Specialized...3:00.30
10. Anita Molcik (Aut)...Arba RSP...3:01.87
4-CROSS RESULT
(44 starters)
1. Roger Rinderknecht (Swi)...Commencal Oxbow...28.85 qualifying time
2. Cedric Gracia (Fra)...Siemens Cannondale...28.96
3. Gee Atherton (GBr)...Animal Giant...29.79
4. Nathan Rennie (Aus)...Santa Cruz Snd...29.41
5. Brian Lopes...GT...27.75
6. Robin Baloochi...30.26
7. Robson Almeida (Bra)...31.10
8. Dan Atherton (GBr)...30.47
9. Lukas Tamme (Cze)... 29.26
10. Kyle Strait...Specialized...30.00
WOMEN
(4 starters)
1. Jill Kintner...Yeti...31.50 qualifying time
2. Anneke Beerten (Ned)...Specialized...33.03
3. Anita Molcik (Aut)...Arba RSP...35.20
4. Julia Lasso (Ecu)...39.06
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