SUNSHINE CUP #1
Tochni-Kalavasos, Cyprus

 

Cyprus is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea south of Turkey. Many of you will remember Cyprus as one of the key players at the beginning of the ill-fated UCI points chase leading up to the 2004 Olympics. Before then and since, Cyprus has remained as a favorite "vacation" spot for European riders who are looking for some good weather to kick off their early season training.

 

It's the same reason why Boulder Colorado's husband-wife team of Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski and Heather Irmiger are in Cyprus. They could have gone to Venice, California and done laps around the muscle pit and hung out with the ghost of Jim Morrison or...travel to Cyprus and build 2008 fitness by racing against an international field.

 

In the end, the "training race" came down to a sprint finish between Sweden's Fredrik Kessiakoff and Belgium's Roel Paulissen. Kessiakoff had the horsepower on this day. Fredrik is Europe Champ's number three and World Cup number five. Roel is World Cup number four. Norba number two Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski placed tenth.

 

But it was Jeremy's wife and Norba Number 4 Heather Irmiger who turned heads. Heather immediately rode off the front and crossed the line with  well over a one minute margin.

  

The next round of the Cyprus cup is Friday.

 

SUNSHINE CUP #1 RESULTS
1. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe)...Full Dynamix...1:49:38
2. Paulissen Roel (Bel)...Vredestein Cannondale...+0:01
3. Andreas Kugler (Swi)...Fisher-BMC...4:23
4. Karl Platt (Ger)...Team Bulls...5:23
5. Karl Markt (Aut)...5:33
6. Christof Bischof (Cyp)...Bikin' Cyprus...5:42
7. Wetterhall Alexander (Swe)...6:00
8. Stefan Sahm (Ger)...Team Bulls...6:11
9. Magnus Darvell (Swe)...Rietumu...6:49
10. JEREMY HORGAN-KOBELSKI...Subaru-Gary Fisher...7:06
WOMEN
1. HEATHER IRMIGER...Subaru-Gary Fisher...2:23:07
2. Maaike Polspoel (Bel)...Belgian National...+1:24
3. Natalia Kromperts (Ukr)...ISD...1:56
4. Githa Michiels (Bel)...P.R.T.Team...2:03
5. Ksenia Chernykh (Rus)...6:32
6. Yvone Kraft (Ger)...MBC Bochum...7:53
7. Alexandra Engen (Swe)...Sweden...13:15
8. Irina Slobodan Irina (Ukr)...21:17
9. Elena Gogoleva (Rus)...22:40
10. Petra Henzi (Swi)...Fisher-BMC...34:17