The World Cup series moves to Switzerland and upsets continue as Elisabeth Osl returns to dominance and Burry Stander serves up a pain sandwich to Julien Absalon. Rob Jones reports, beginning with the Women's XC. (Scroll down for complete mens race and results)

 

It was a very fast start

 

Elisabeth Osl (Central Ghost Team) decided to skip the world championships last week in Australia to focus on the World Cup, and it paid dividends on Sunday at Round Seven in Champery, Switzerland, when she decisively won and took the lead in the overall standings with one race remaining. Anna Szafraniec (JBG-2 Pro MTB Team) finished second, with Lene Byberg (Specialized Factory Racing), in the World Cup leader's jersey, finishing third. The top North American finisher was Canadian national champion Catharine Pendrel (Luna) in tenth, followed one spot behind by Marie-Helene Premont (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain). Pendrel moves up to third in the World Cup standings, behind Osl and Byberg.

 

Elisabeth Osl skipped the World Championships to focus on winning the World Cup series. Rob Jones photo

 

The five lap race began with sprint on pavement into the long 1200 metre start loop. Traditional fast starter Eva Lechner (Colnago Cap Arreghini) took the lead into the first lap, closely followed by Swiss champion Katrin Leumann, Osl's team mate Sabine Spitz and Osl. Struggling were a number of top riders - world champion Irina Kalentieva (Topeak Ergon), Byberg, Marga Fullana (Massi) and Pendrel. Kalentieva crashed on the second lap, landing on her knee, and was taken to hospital; an inauspicious start to her reign as world champion. Fullana pulled out on the same lap with no explanation.

 

Lene Byberg (Specialized Factory Racing) started well back.  Rob Jones photo 


Osl and Lechner moved into the lead on the first lap, already 40 seconds ahead of Leumann, Szafraniec and Spitz by the start of the second lap, with Byberg 1:21 back, and seeing her World Cup lead disappearing. Osl took the lead on the second lap, but it was a slim 5 - 10 second gap, that did not change until just before the start of the last lap, when Lechner flatted, letting Szafraniec move into second place. The Italian managed to get to the pit in fourth and hold onto that spot, but her chances of winning were finished.

 

Lea Davison: (Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles) top US rider in 12th. Rob Jones photo 

Byberg had a strong race from behind, moving up to join a chase group of Spitz, Pendrel and Leumann mid-race, and then dropping them to move into third. However, anything other than a win would have dropped her out of the lead, so she goes into the final round 65 points behind Osl, who will be racing in front of her native Austrian fans.

"Yesterday I woke up with a cold, and my head felt thick," revealed Osl, "so I didn't think it was possible to win here. When Eva and I were away in front, I was being more cautious in the technical sections, because it would have been easy to make a mistake, and lose a lot of time."

 

Catharine Pendrel (Luna) top N. American in tenth

"But I was faster [than Lechner] on the climb, and when I went into the lead it wasn't really an attack. I could see that she was at her limit and I was still able to go harder. But the gap was small until Eva flatted, and it was only then that I knew that I could win."

"It is really cool to win, and become the leader as the World Cup goes to my home country. This makes me happy with my decision not to go to the world championships."

The final lap took its toll on Pendrel, who slipped down to tenth.

 

Anna Szafraniec (BG-2 Professional Mtb Team) was 2nd

"That was really hard!," she exclaimed after crossing the line. "I had a good race, I was climbing and descending well, but I think we are staring to see some riders coming into form who weren't as strong earlier into the season. This just shows the depth of the women's field."

Emily Batty (Team Canada) finished 20th, the fourth U23 rider. Her results leaves her in second overall in the U23 standings, 33 points behind world champion Aleksandra Dawidowicz (CCC Polkowice), who was ninth in today's race. Batty goes into the final round with a 31 point advantage over third placed Caroline Mani (Team Bikepark.ch).


Women - 5 laps, 24.88 km
1 Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Central Ghost Pro Team 1:39:39
2 Anna Szafraniec (Pol) JBG-2 Professional Mtb Team at 0:54
3 Lene Byberg (Nor) Specialized Factory Racing 1:23
4 Eva Lechner (Ita) Colnago Cap Arreghini 2:18
5 Katrin Leumann (Sui) 2:27
6 Sabine Spitz (Ger) Central Ghost Pro Team 2:40
7 Cécile Rode Ravanel (Fra) Lapierre International 2:43
8 Nathalie Schneitter (Sui) Colnago Cap Arreghini 3:25
9 Aleksandra Dawidowicz * (Pol) CCC Polkowice 3:38
10 Catharine Pendrel (Can) Luna Pro Team 4:23
11 Marie-Helene Premont (Can) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles 5:05
12 Lea Davison (USA) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles 5:54
13 Marielle Saner-Guinchard (Sui) Team Bikepark.Ch 6:22
14 Julie Bresset * (Fra) Breiz Mountain 6:36
15 Sabrina Enaux (Fra) Bh-Suntour 7:02
16 Hanna Klein * (Ger) 7:37
17 Laura Metzler (Fra) Bh-Suntour 8:29
18 Anna Villar Argente (Esp) Massi 8:37
19 Sarah Koba (Sui) 9:04
20 Emily Batty * (Can) Trek Store Toronto 9:23
21 Amanda Sin (Can) 3rox Racing 9:36
22 Mary McConneloug (USA) Kenda Seven Notubes 10:00
23 Vivienne Meyer * (Sui) Colnago Cap Arreghini 10:33
24 Elisabeth Brandau (Ger) 10:52
25 Tanja Zakelj * (Slo) Mbk Orbea 12:06
26 Kate Potter (Aus) 12:19
27 Anja Gradl (Ger) Central Ghost Pro Team 12:45
28 Nataliya Krompets * (Ukr) 12:56
29 Annie Last * (GBr) 13:31
30 Fanny Bourdon * (Fra) 13:41
31 Rowena Fry (Aus) Discovertasmania.Com 14:00
32 Janka Stevkova (Svk) 14:13
33 Fabienne Niederberger (Sui) 14:44
34 Suzanne Clarke (GBr) 15:17
35 Sandra Walter (Can) Local Ride 16:00
36 Maria Osl (Aut) Fischer-Bmc 16:46
37 Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Pro Team 17:05
38 Barbara Benko * (Hun) 17:29
39 Stephanie Wiedner * (Aut) Ds-Rennsport 17:33
40 Sandra Santanyes Murillo (Esp) Cemelorca-Trek-Lorca Taller Del Tiempo 18:02
41 Paula Gorycka * (Pol) 18:30
42 Coralie Redelsperger (Fra) 18:51
43 Jean Ann Mckirdy (Can) (Local Ride) 19:09
44 Virginie Pointet * (Sui) Team Bikepark.Ch 19:09
45 Nadine Rieder * (Ger) Fumic.Brothers.International 19:23
46 Helene Marcouyre (Fra) Bh-Suntour 19:36
47 Tatjana Dold (Ger) 20:05
48 Adelheid Morath (Ger) 21:01
49 Lorraine Truong * (Sui) 21:31
50 Jennifer Sagesser * (Sui) 22:14
51 Judith Pollinger * (Ita) Sunshine Racers Asv Nals 22:23
52 Katherine O'Shea (Aus) Torq Performance Nutrition -1LAP
53 Lily Matthews * (GBr) -1LAP
54 Corina Gantenbein (Sui) -1LAP
55 Lenka Bulisova * (Cze) -2LAP
56 Gracie Elvin * (Aus) Discovertasmania.Com -2LAP
57 Alexa Hüni (Ger) -2LAP
58 Caroline Mani * (Fra) Team Bikepark.Ch -2LAP
59 Githa Michiels (Bel) Team Saeco -2LAP
60 Nicoletta De Jager (Ned) -2LAP
61 Rebecca Beaumont * (Can) -2LAP
62 Catherine Lohri (Sui) -2LAP
63 Irina Slobodyan * (Ukr) -2LAP
64 Ana Rita Vigario (Por) -3LAP
DNF Irina Kalentieva (Rus) Topeak Ergon Racing Team
DNF Margarita Fullana Riera (Esp) Massi
DNF Petra Henzi (Sui) Fischer-Bmc
DNF Magdalena Sadlecka (Pol) CCC Polkowice
DNF Alexandra Engen * (Swe)
DNF Anna Oberparleiter * (Ita)
DNF Martina Giovanniello * (Ita) Team Cbe Tecnoimpianti A.S.D.
DNF Kathrin Stirnemann * (Sui)
DNS Fabienne Heinzmann (Sui) Team Bikepark.Ch
DNS Daniela Veronesi (Smr)
DNS Roberta Monaldini (Smr)

 

 

MEN'S XC
Burry Stander (Specialized Factory Racing) has become the first South African to win a World Cup cross-country race, when he beat series leader Julien Absalon in a thrilling come from behind victory at Round Seven in Champery, Switzerland. Absalon's second place locked up the overall title for the French rider with one race remaining, while Stander did the same for the Under 23 title. Ralph Näf (Multivan Merida) took third. Adam Craig (Giant) was the top North American, finishing sixth, with Sam Schultz (Subaru-Gary Fisher) 16th and Canadian champion Geoff Kabush (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain) fading to 21st after riding in the front group for the first few laps.

 

 

Julien Absalon's second place was enough to nainl down the overall World Cup Title with one more race to go. Rob Jones photo

Alexis Vuillermoz (Lapierre International) led the field of 144 out of the start loop for the first of six laps. He continued to ride at the front on lap two, but Absalon was reeling him in, and took the lead on lap three, attacking on the main climb. As Absalon extended his lead to over a minute by the fourth lap, it appeared that the race was unfolding as expected.

However, on lap five the first indication that this might be a historic day occurred when Stander began to slowly pull back the Olympic champion, knocking 20 seconds off the lead. An interesting and unprecedented situation was happening: Absalon was fading while Stander was getting stronger.

 

Burry Stander kept the pressure on until Absalon cracked. Rob Jones photo

 

Going into the final long climb before the technical descent to the finish, Absalon still had a lead of 2 5 seconds, but while he was struggling, Stander was powering up the climb, catching his rival at the top shortly before entering the singletrack. Stander swept by Absalon, who could only watch him go, and the recently crowned U23 world champion rolled into the finishing straight 15 seconds ahead of Absalon, punching the air in victory. Absalon rolled across the line and collapsed at the side of the track, utterly shattered after his ride, and only holding off Näf by nine seconds. The Flückiger brothers - Lukas and Mathias - for Trek World Racing completed the podium at 28 and 41 seconds respectively.

 

Adam Craig (Giant) was the top North American, finishing sixth

One difference between Stander and Absalon that may have made a difference, was their different approaches to the long trip back to Europe from Canberra. Stander went home to South Africa for two days (same time zone as Europe) and then flew up to Switzerland. Absalon, by contrast, stayed in Sydney for two days, then went to Singapore for two days before flying to Europe. Absalon's wife said her husband was "exhausted" before the race began.

 

Lukas Flückiger (Trek World Racing) was 4th

"For sure, this is a huge victory for me, my first World Cup win. I had a good week, resting up from Australia, so I think I came into the race well prepared. The start was pretty fast, so I lost a few spots, but I was able to move up on the first lap, and by lap two I was in a good spot. For the last two laps, I was hearing that I was getting closer to Julien, so it gave me lots of motivation, especially when I could see him on the climb. When I caught up to him, I could see that he had nothing left, so I just went."

Craig moved up from the low 20s in the first lap to top-ten by mid-race, and then to sixth in the final lap, after posting some of the fastest lap times for the second half of the race. "I had, for me, a pretty good start, not dropping back too far. Then I was able to start moving up, because I think I maybe had more in the tank than some of those guys that dug so deep last week [at the Worlds]. For me, this is a sweet, sweet course, with the good climb, some nice singletrack, that was still rideable even after the rain last night."

 

Näf (Multivan Merida Biking Team) was 3rd and only 9 seconds behind Absalon

For Kabush it was a disappointing result, coming off fifth at the world championships. "I was able to get a good start, and be in a good position, but there wasn't much in my legs. So, when it really started to go hard on the steep sections of the climb, I had nothing left to give. Hopefully, it will come around with a weeks rest before the final next weekend."

 

Burry Stander (Specialized Factory Racing) has become the first South African to win a World Cup cross-country race

Men - 6 laps - 29.61 km
1 Burry Stander * (RSA) Specialized Factory Racing 1:41:06
2 Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea at 0:15
3 Ralph Näf (Sui) Multivan Merida Biking Team 0:24
4 Lukas Flückiger (Sui) Trek World Racing 0:28
5 Mathias Flückiger * (Sui) Trek World Racing 0:41
6 Adam Craig (USA) Giant Mountain Bike Team Gmt 1:06
7 Alexis Vuillermoz * (Fra) Lapierre International 1:26
8 Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Cannondale Factory Racing 2:06
9 Ruben Ruzafa Cueto (Esp) Orbea 2:26
10 Christoph Sauser (Sui) Specialized Factory Racing 2:49
11 Emil Lindgren (Swe) De Brink-Ten Tusscher 2:58
12 Cédric Ravanel (Fra) Lapierre International 3:09
13 José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Esp) Multivan Merida Biking Team 3:09
14 Maxime Marotte (Fra) Bh-Suntour 3:25
15 Stéphane Tempier (Fra) Tx Active Bianchi 3:54
16 Samuel Schultz (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 3:58
17 Marek Galinski (Pol) JBG-2 Professional Mtb Team 4:10
18 Roel Paulissen (Bel) Cannondale Factory Racing 4:26
19 Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Esp) Msc Bikes 4:38
20 Marek Konwa * (Pol) 4:46
21 Geoff Kabush (Can) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles 5:06
22 Rudi Van Houts (Ned) Multivan Merida Biking Team 5:06
23 Jiri Friedl (Cze) Merida Biking Team 5:25
24 Guillaume Vinit * (Fra) Team Scott Valloire Galibier 5:40
25 Todd Wells (USA) Specialized Factory Racing 6:20
26 Nino Schurter (Sui) Scott-Swisspower Mtb-Racing 6:41
27 Christoph Soukup (Aut) Merida Biking Team 6:44
28 Inaki Lejarreta Errasti (Esp) Orbea 7:01
29 Moritz Milatz (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team 7:30
30 Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Esp) Cemelorca-Trek-Lorca Taller Del Tiempo 7:36
31 Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team 7:36
32 Fabien Canal * (Fra) Lapierre International 7:51
33 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Massi 7:56
34 Derek Zandstra (Can) 3Rox Racing 8:02
35 Milan Spesny (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna Mtb 8:11
36 Jan Skarnitzl (Cze) Giant Mountain Bike Team Gmt 8:25
37 Robert Mennen (Ger) 8:37
38 Markus Bauer * (Ger) 8:43
39 Oliver Beckingsale (GBr) Giant Mountain Bike Team Gmt 8:49
40 Sepp Freiburghaus * (Sui) 8:54
41 Christof Bischof (Sui) Isd Cycling Team 8:59
42 François Bailly Maitre (Fra) Team Scott Valloire Galibier 9:13
43 Karl Markt (Aut) Srm Stevens Team 9:41
44 Andrew Watson (Can) 10:03
45 Fabian Giger * (Sui) Sks M.I.G. Team 10:09
46 Jelmer Pietersma (Ned) Trek-Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team 10:16
47 Yader Zoli (Ita) Torpado-4us 10:44
48 Dario Alejandro Gasco * (Arg) Massi 10:54
49 Sebastien Carabin * (Bel) Lingier-Versluys Team 10:57
50 Giuseppe Lamastra (Ita) 11:11
51 Patrik Gallati * (Sui) Scott-Swisspower Mtb-Racing 11:20
52 Jochen Kass (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team 11:42
53 Anders Hovdenes * (Nor) Team Etto Hoydahl 11:53
54 Henk Jaap Moorlag * (Ned) De Brink-Ten Tusscher 11:53
55 Marti Gispert Labarta (Esp) Msc Bikes 11:54
56 Pascal Meyer * (Sui) Sks M.I.G. Team 11:59
57 Severin Disch * (Sui) Giant Mountain Bike Team Gmt 12:04
58 Felix Euteneuer * (Ger) 12:23
59 Nicolas Jeantet * (Ita) Team Cbe Tecnoimpianti A.S.D. 12:30
60 Michael Broderick (USA) 12:56
61 Bjorn Brems (Bel) Team Saeco 12:58
62 Silvio Bundi (Sui) Giant Mountain Bike Team Gmt 13:02
63 Nicolas Vermeulen (Bel) Lingier-Versluys Team 13:18
64 Robert Gehbauer * (Aut) Multivan Merida Biking Team 13:20
65 Pierre Geoffroy Plantet (Fra) Lapierre International 13:22
66 Diego Rosa * (Ita) Giant Italia Team 13:42
67 Marcel Wildhaber (Sui) Scott-Swisspower Mtb-Racing 13:58
68 Andrea Tiberi (Ita) Tx Active Bianchi 14:40
69 Marc Colom (Fra) 15:46
70 Piotr Brzozka * (Pol) JBG-2 Professional Mtb Team -1LAP
71 Sergiy Rusenko (Ukr) Isd Cycling Team -1LAP
72 Ludovic Mottet (Bel) -1LAP
73 Alexis Chenevier * (Fra) Team Scott Valloire Galibier -1LAP
74 Ondrej Cink * (Cze) Merida Biking Team -1LAP
75 Fabian Strecker * (Ger) -1LAP
76 Nicola Rohrbach (Sui) Central Ghost Pro Team -1LAP
77 Kornel Osicki * (Pol) JBG-2 Professional Mtb Team -1LAP
78 Patrick Gaudy (Bel) -1LAP
79 Ludovic Dubau (Fra) -1LAP
80 David Fletcher * (GBr) -1LAP
81 Olof Jonsson * (Swe) -1LAP
82 Connor Mcconvey * (Irl) De Brink-Ten Tusscher -1LAP<BR> 83 Daniel Eymann * (Sui) -1LAP
84 Andras Parti (Hun) Srm Stevens Team -1LAP
85 Peter Glassford (Can) -1LAP
86 Pascal Hossay * (Bel) -1LAP
87 Umberto Corti (Ita) Team Cbe Tecnoimpianti A.S.D. -1LAP
88 Josef Kamler * (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna Mtb -1LAP
89 Eric Batty (Can) -2LAP
90 Torsten Marx (Ger) Ds-Rennsport -2LAP
91 Andrew Blair (Aus) -2LAP
92 Manfred Reis * (Ger) Team Marin Bikes -2LAP
93 Zsolt Juhasz * (Hun) -2LAP
94 Cristobal Silva Ibaceta (Chi) -2LAP
95 Matous Ulman (Cze) Scott & Hagget Mtb Team -2LAP
96 Matej Nepustil * (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna Mtb -2LAP
97 Lachlan Norris * (Aus) Discovertasmania.Com -2LAP
98 Lee Williams (GBr) -2LAP
99 Simon Stiebjahn * (Ger) -2LAP
100 Julien Saussac * (Fra) Bh-Suntour -2LAP
101 Luka Mezgec * (Slo) Mbk Orbea -2LAP
102 Thomas Litscher * (Sui) Sks M.I.G. Team -2LAP
103 Thibaut Bellanger * (Fra) -2LAP
104 Nicolas Bouchet Bert Manoz * (Fra) -2LAP
105 Marco Minnaard * (Ned) De Brink-Ten Tusscher -2LAP
106 Renay Groustra (RSA) -2LAP
107 Daniel Mcconnell (Aus) Torq Performance Nutrition -2LAP
108 Benjamin Sonntag (Ger) -2LAP
109 Henrique Avancini * (Bra) Isd Cycling Team -2LAP
110 Alexis Swetloff (Fra) Keops -2LAP
111 Patxi Cia Apezteguia (Esp) Conor - Camping La Siesta -2LAP
112 Leni Trudel * (Can) -2LAP
113 Amaury Gernez Aurenge * (Fra) Keops -2LAP
114 Rob Vangenechten * (Bel) Team Saeco -2LAP
115 Daniel Kaufmann * (Sui) -2LAP
116 Rene Tann (Ger) -3LAP
117 Frank Beemer * (Ned) Trek-Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team -3LAP
118 Tim Wynants * (Bel) Trek-Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team -3LAP
119 Jiri Hudecek (Cze) Scott & Hagget Mtb Team -3LAP
120 Alexander Gehbauer * (Aut) -3LAP
121 Dries Govaerts * (Bel) Lingier-Versluys Team -3LAP
122 Benjamin Buchi * (Sui) -3LAP
123 Cameron Jette * (Can) -3LAP
124 Matthys Beukes * (RSA) -3LAP
125 Tim Lemmers * (Ned) De Brink-Ten Tusscher -3LAP
126 Oleksandr Gerashenko (Ukr) Isd Cycling Team -3LAP
127 John Whittington * (GBr) -3LAP
128 Simon Weber * (Sui) -3LAP
129 Zsolt Szlobodnyik (Hun) -3LAP
130 Valentin Fiderer * (Ger) -3LAP
131 Jonas De Backer * (Bel) -3LAP
132 Periklis Ilias (Gre) Isd Cycling Team -4LAP
133 Kristian Hynek (Cze) Scott & Hagget Mtb Team -4LAP
DNF Florian Vogel (Sui) Scott-Swisspower Mtb-Racing
DNF Martin Gujan (Sui) Cannondale Factory Racing
DNF Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze)
DNF Lukas Kaufmann * (Sui)
DNF Roman Rametsteiner (Aut)
DNF Robert Kircher (Aut)
DNF Markus Loisl * (Aut)
DNF Oleksandr Kachanov * (Ukr)
DNF Anders Ljungberg (Swe)
DNF Florian Thie * (Sui)
DNF Alexandre Moos (Sui)
DNS Evgeniy Pechenin (Rus) Format-Udmurtia
DNS Igor Bogdan (Ukr)