uci.ch
It's a dream to retire at the top. Over the weekend popular Canadian rider Marie-Helene Premont just came one step closer to doing just that.
When she was young, Marie-Helene Premont was a volunteer for the Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup organization. She was a snowboarder at the time. Never would she have imagined winning the Mountain Bike World Cup. But that is exactly what she did soon after mountain biking. Her first victory here was in 2005, and she repeated her winning performance the following year. For a long time, Marie-Helene Premont has announced that 2008 will be the last season of her career: "I want to enjoy every moment", she explained. She will be bowing out after a magnificent season highlighted by two World Cup wins and a possible victory in the final overall classification.
Rocky Mountain team rider Premont won with a comfortable advantage over her rivals. Countrywoman Catherine Pendrel signed the best result of her career by taking second place. Norway's Lene Byberg was third.
In the overall classification, Premont leads with 1220 points, 310 points ahead of Spanish rider Margarita Fullana.
One more victory and French rider Julien Absalon will match Thomas Frischknecht's record of 17 victories in World Cup races. After Houffalize, Offenburg and Madrid, the French Champion signed a resounding double in Mont-Sainte-Anne--victory and the lead in the overall classification. Even though he admitted that "the course was harder and more technical than the previous years," nobody was able to follow the Olympic Champion, who attacked early in the race.
Third last year, the Canadian champion Geoff Kabush took second, just ahead of Burry Stander (GT) who, in the absence of Nino Schurter, took the World Cup Series Leader’s Jersey in the U23 category.
Absalon's most dangerous rival Christoph Sauser did not start after he crashed while training yesterday. It allowed Absalon to slip into the World Cup leader’s jersey. If Julien manages to win in Bromont next week, the 2008 World Cup could be his. He would simply need a few points in Canberra or Schladming to ensure overall victory whereas his Swiss rival Sauser needs to win two of the three remaining races...
The situation will be clearer after the World Cup race in Bromont (Can) next week.
CROSS-COUNTRY RESULTS
1. Julien Absalon (Fra)...Orbea...2:07:44
2. Geoff Kabush (Can)...Maxxis...at 2:33
3. Burry Stander (RSA)...GT...at 4:52
4. Adam Craig (USA)...Giant...at 5:16
5. Lukas Fluckiger (Swi)...Athleticum...at 5:37
6. Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze)...Czech National...at 6:19
7. Martin Gujan (Swi)...Athleticum...at 7:02
8. Seamus McGrath (Can)...Canadian National...at 7:33
9. Liam Killeen (GBr)...Specialized...at 8:30
10. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA)...Subaru-Gary Fisher...at 9:31
16. Michael Broderick (USA)...Kenda-Seven...at 12:24
17. Jeremiah Bishop (USA)...Trek-Volkswagen...at 12:30
WOMEN
1. Marie-Helene Premont (Can)...Rocky Mountain...2:06:30
2. Catherine Pendrel (Can)...Luna CHIX...at 2:53
3. Lene Byberg (Ned)...Specialized...at 4:28
4. Georgia Gould (USA)...Luna CHIX...at 5:06
5. Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesja (Ned)...Multivan-Merida...at 5:24
6. Mary McConneloug (USA)...Kenda-Seven...at 6:27
7. Katerina Nash (Cze)...Luna CHIX...at 7:33
8. Elisabeth Osl (Aut)...Ghost...at 8:41
9. Sabrina Enaux (Fra)...Lapierre...at 11:33
10. Amanda Sin (Can)...3 Rox Racing...at 12:14
11. Lea Davison (USA)...Trek-Volkswagen...at 12:43
14. Willow Koerber (USA)...Subaru-Gary Fisher...at 15:26