MTB news & racing round-up, Monday, November 9, 2009

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Date published:

November 9, 2009, 22:00

Edited by Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

Welcome to our regular roundup of what's happening in mountain biking. Feel free to send feedback, news, & releases to mtb@cyclingnews.com and results, reports & photos to cyclingnews@cyclingnews.com.

• Past women's winners Emmett, Carey return to Iceman

  

  Article published:

  November 5, 2009, 17:33

  By:

  Claire Cannon

  Rinehart going for the Triple Crown

  Five-time winner Kelli Emmett will be one of several past winners in Traverse City, Michigan, this weekend for the 20th annual Iceman Cometh. If anyone knows what to expect in the race its Emmett. She's raced nine previous editions, and is looking forward to another.

  "I know that Outdoor Magazine listed the Iceman on their list of 'Things To Do Before You Die'. And I really believe anyone can do this race. My whole family comes out, and it's wonderful. My mom can do this race, and this year my cousins will be out racing. The crowd and the spectators and the atmosphere are all so great."

  Last year's women's winner Amanda Carey is also returning. "Iceman was the most fun I had racing all last year," said Carey. "It's the way mountain bike racing should be, and the support of the fans at the end makes it very special for the pros. Unless you race World Cups or cyclo-cross, most of us are used to being cheered on by a handful of people, most of whom we know."

  "My race in 2008 was my first Iceman, in addition to being my first Iceman win," said Carey. "I had never participated in a Midwest race before.
  
  Carey is taking nothing for granted when it comes to defending her title. "Every woman out there is a challenge. No one, not even me, expected that I would win last year."

  Other top female contenders include former World Champion Alison Dunlap and current marathon and cross country national champion Heather Irmiger.

  "I love the Iceman Cometh because of the 'What's up with that' element!" said Irmiger, who grew up in Michigan, and now lives in Colorado. "November is an interesting time for a mountain bike race - you never know what the weather will be like, how hard people have been training, or who exactly will show up. I keep coming back because I love not knowing what to expect - even from myself. Every Iceman is different, and I love the prospect of duking it out with people I would have never expected to be racing hard against this time of year."

  Local favorite Jenna Rinehart has already won the Ore to Shore and Chequamegon 40 this season, and will start the race as the first woman to have a shot at the coveted Triple Crown of point-to-point Midwest races.

  "Winning the Triple Crown is definitely in the back of my mind," said Rinehart. "I have never raced the Iceman so I'm not sure what to expect. It will be tough and I'll need a little luck on my side but I think I have a good shot at the win."

  Whomever wins will take home a trophy made of ice. "I wish I could have kept mine forever but I don't think it would have survived the flight home," said Carey, thinking of her win 12 months ago. "I also didn't have the freezer space. It was quite big."
  
  Though the race does happen sometimes in very epic cold and snowy conditions, it's looking like the 2009 Iceman will be run in warm and dry conditions.

  "Typically, the more heinous the conditions, the better I do," said Carey. "I was hoping for wet, cold and miserable but a nice sunny day sounds pretty darn good, too."

  Carey said the course will favor someone with a lot of power. "It is such a fast racecourse with lots of power sucking sand. Last year, I actually found the opening pace too slow. But, the only advice I had gotten about Iceman was to ride it like a road race, so I sat in as long as I could stand it to conserve energy." Patience is a strategy that many of the favorites will deploy. It's often not until near the end of the race that the group of favorites blows apart.

  The men's field will be just as impressive. Local hero, 2009 WORS Overall Champ and hometown favorite Brian Matter is looking for his third Triple Crown win in the midst of a successful UCI cyclo-cross season. Ready to give him a run for his money are National Champion Jeremy Horgan Kobelski and Subaru / Gary Fisher teammate Sam Schultz as well as past winners Michael Simonsen from Michigan and Tristan Schouten from Wisconsin.

  Many of the racers will be on 29er hardtails, including Dunlap, Irmiger, Todd Wells, Schultz and Horgan Kobelski. Rinehart and Emmett will duke it out on 26-inch full suspension models, and Schouten will take to the trail on a hardtail 26-inch wheeled bike.

  "To be honest, I can't think of a better course for a 29er," said Emmett. However, as she doesn't have her hands on the new Giant 29er yet, she will again race her Anthem full suspension. "It has four inches of travel, so I can really bomb the downhills. The bike is fast, and fun, and lets me pedal through the corners."

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.

• NICA and IMBA forge new alliance

  

  Article published:

  November 5, 2009, 18:10

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  Two associations will cross promote each other

  The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) and the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) signed a partnership agreement which states that IMBA and NICA will work together to cross-promote their efforts and engage the broad cycling community.

  "We are very pleased to formalize our partnership with IMBA - the continued growth of high school mountain biking depends on trail access," said NICA executive director Matt Fritzinger.

  "Riding bikes is a freedom all youth should enjoy, and parents greatly support their kids riding on trails away from the dangers of traffic. IMBA does an incredible job of working with communities to build and maintain sustainable trail systems that work for all trail users."

  "The success of the Northern and Southern California High School Mountain Bike Leagues has been truly remarkable," said IMBA executive director Mike Van Abel.

  "When I learned about the plan to replicate those successes on a national scale under the NICA banner, I hoped IMBA's club network might become a useful resource," he added, also noting that the partnership would help expand IMBA's demographic diversity and compliment existing youth programs such as National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day.

  The partnership supports several areas for both organizations including

  - Seeking opportunities for board and staff members to interact, discuss, and develop mutually beneficial opportunities.
  - Taking advantage of cross-promotional opportunities in print and electronic media and at relevant public events.
  - Recognizing the IMBA/NICA partnership as both communicate with our respective constituents, corporate supporters and media.
  - Working in concert to promote responsible riding practices, sustainable trails and healthy competition for young riders.
  - Preparing and updating an annual workplan detailing specific activities for collaboration.

  The news comes not long after NICA was formed in September.

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.

• Oosthuizen is the woman to beat in South Africa

  

  Article published:

  November 5, 2009, 19:06

  By:

  Cyclingnews

  Favorite looks forward to defending at Fifty-Miler

  Looking at her results during the past few weeks, Samantha Oosthuizen (W.I.N/Karsten Cycles) can be considered the favourite to win the MTN 50-Miler on Sunday, November 8 in Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal. If she does win, it will be the second time in two years.

  Judging by Oosthuizen's performances during the past six weeks, she is the in-form women's rider in South African mountain biking at the moment. She won the Silver Star Casino Race, the 60km Race of the Ride Crater Cruise, Hill2Hill, MTN Asishove and the Telkom Satellite Race. She also finished second in the MTN Clarens Race, as well as in the 105km Race of the Ride Crater Cruise.

  Her turn-about in mountain biking is impressive. During the first eight months of this year, Oosthuizen managed to win a few races but more often she had to settle for lesser placings.

  Mannie Heymans (Garmin adidas) is the reason why Oosthuizen is at the moment almost a fixture on mountain bike podiums across South Africa.

  "It was all Mannie's fault. Mannie and I were involved in an argument about the quality of women's racing in South Africa. Mannie does not have a high opinion about the way women race. According to him, women's cycling is more or less a waste of time," said Oosthuizen.

  Upset by her Heymans' opinion, Oosthuizen was motivated. "In retrospect, the argument between Mannie and me was perhaps the best thing that could have happened to my cycling career. At the moment I am super-motivated to prove Mannie wrong."

  When asked about her memories of her victory in the MTN 50-Miler, Oosthuizen said, "Mud, mud, mud. It made cycling extremely difficult. The mud got into your gears and into every other moving part of the bike. But I do not want to sound as if I am complaining. I actually enjoyed every minute of it - especially the constant climbing.

  Oosthuizen makes no secret about her intention to win again on Sunday. "I will try to make the racing hard whenever there is a chance. That is a certain way of putting your rivals under pressure."

  Ischen Stopforth (Marsillio Projects) who clinched the MTN Series overall by winning the Clarence Race, won't be riding. Neither will Yolandé de Villiers (Toyota-Cyclelab), who is currently second overall in the series. De Villiers decided to take a break to enable her to start preparing for next year's Cape Epic.

  This year De Villiers earned a reputation of "trap, val en breek" while racing in the MTN events. That was because she took more tumbles that she would have liked. And if she did not fall, she had to battle to fix the mechanical failures of her bike at crucial moments. "It won't happen again next year. I think I have had enough bad luck to see me through for a few years."

  It seems Oosthuizen's main rivals will in all possibility be Raats, and Amy Jane Mundy and Carla Rowley.

  Racers will find an improved route this year with new singletrack sections replacing some less interesting parts. The forecast is for cloudy, but no rain.

  Standings for the both the men's and women's categories are below.

  Results

  Women's standings with one event remaining

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
  1	Ischen Stopforth	18660	pts
  2	Samantha Oosthuizen	16096
  3	Yolandi Du Toit	15426
  4	Yolande De Villiers	12000
  5	Petruschka Constancon	9061
  6	Beatrice Hogan	9032
  7	Christine J Van Rensburg	8726
  8	Heletje Van Staden	8224
  9	Genee Steyn	8063
  10	Cindy Rebello	7753
  11	Lize Theron	6530
  12	Adele Drake	4915
  13	Nicole Murphy	4569
  14	Yolande Speedy	4000
  15	Jozanne Louw	3607
  16	Grant Van Der Walt	3446
  17	Candice Arthur	3358
  18	Chrissie Viljoen	3188
  19	Kelly Mccallum	3163
  20	Amoryn Saayman	3098
  21	Su Don-Wauchope	3094
  22	Marissa Van Der Merwe	2951
  23	Mandy Nel	2729
  24	Woudie Saaiman	2628
  25	Michelle Harris	2572
  26	Robyn Adendorff	2547
  27	Sarah Van Heerden	2513
  28	Erika Meeding	2381
  29	Elshe Naude	2266
  30	August Zerwick	2205
  31	Victoria Myburg	2192
  32	Glynis Pretorius	2007
  33	Dagmar Muhlbauer	2000
  34	Colleen Jacobs	1916
  35	Elsabe Jacobs	1832
  36	Steffie Arlow	1801
  37	Sarah Wielopolska	1783
  38	Karyn Southgate	1774
  39	Elsie Bezuidenhout	1748
  40	Marlien de Bont	1659
  41	Monica Botha	1587
  42	Mina Radoycheva	1552
  43	Marlien De Bont	1540
  44	Joanne VD Westhuizen	1486
  45	Karien van Jaarsveld	1484
  46	Charmaine Werdmuller	1478
  47	Nat Barbosa	1443
  48	Lizelle Smit	1414
  49	Nolene Saunders	1408
  50	Elriiz Swart	1395
  51	Elouise Metherell	1323
  52	Mylene Loumeau	1300
  53	Hester Vermeulen	1262
  54	Alison Lingard	1235
  55	Lisa Blatch	1198
  56	INGRID CHANTLER	1160
  57	Colette Coetzee	1040
  58	Daleen van Staden	989
  59	Nicola Meltzer	981
  60	Rafael Rincon	880
  61	Estelle Van Schalkwyk	817
  62	Kelly Pennington	793
  63	Kelly Marnewick	778
  64	Shayle Bester	743
  65	Elizabeth Delport	678
  66	Elinda Human	678
  67	Leandra Blann	676
  68	Candice Talbot	657
  69	Aimee Serreirinha	493
  70	Michelle Muller	425
  71	Mari Naude	408
  72	Sarie Van Wyk	400
  73	Philda De Jager	375
  74	Merle Walker	357
  75	Sally Mawson	350
  76	Vanessa Record	325
  77	Monica Brown	311
  78	Ashleigh De Lima	304
  79	Renske Nysschen	291
  80	Colleen Cawood	289
  81	Bev Corser	275
  82	Nicole Hafkamp	270
  83	Liz Blumenthal	250
  84	Greta Strydom	250
  85	Thursia Hardenberg	250
  86	Louise van Niekerk	250

  Men's standings with one event remaining

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
  1	Kevin Evans (MTN Energade)	18963	pts
  2	Francois Theron (Garmin Adidas)	16174
  3	Marc Bassingthwaighte (Garmin Adidas)	15675
  4	Philip Buys (Garmin Adidas)	14568
  5	Ben Melt Swanepoel (Specialized Mankele)	14146
  6	Johnny Kritzinger (DCM Chrome)	12830
  7	Adrien Niyonshuti (MTN Energade)	11541
  8	Erik Kleinhans (GT Mr Price)	11014
  9	David George (MTN Energade)	9756
  10	Jacques J Van Rensburg (DCM Chrome)	9413
  11	Peter Smith (Jeep Cycling Club)	8798
  12	Nico Bell (Bell Cycles)	7848
  13	Max Knox (DCM Chrome)	7329
  14	Trust Mumangandu (MTN Energade)	6699
  15	Mannie Heymans (Garmin Adidas)	6340
  16	Renier Bellingan (USN)	5753
  17	Renay Groustra (GT Mr Price)	5524
  18	Petrus Malherbe (Mongoose Mr Price)	5494
  19	Matthys Beukes (MTN Energade)	4940
  20	Thomas Truscott (Standard Bank)	4834
  21	Justice Makhale (MTN Energade)	4504
  22	Burry Stander (Specialized Mr Price)	4000
  23	Andrew McLean (Toyota Cyclelab)	3406
  24	Brandon Stewart (DCM Chrome)	3298
  25	Graham Diesel (Toyota Cyclelab)	2979
  26	David Mitchell	2942
  27	Tiaan Kannemeyer (Neotel)	2933
  28	Frans Stander	2907
  29	Paul Cordes (IMC Mongoose)	2816
  30	Jupiter Nameembo (MTN Energade)	2788
  31	Stephan Strauss	2770
  32	Jock Green	2755
  33	Juma Sato	2670
  34	Charles Keey	2630
  35	Henry Uys	2619
  36	Brett Dickson (GT Mr Price)	2606
  37	Gustav Becker	2599
  38	Alex Pavlov (North Cliff Cycles)	2588
  39	Christoff Van Heerden (MTN Energade)	2572
  40	Willem Groenewald	2558
  41	Jupiter Nameembo (MTN Energade)	2541
  42	Dennis Du Toit	2522
  43	Shaun Peschl (Mr Price)	2511
  44	Pieter Seyffert (Goldfields)	2499
  45	Chris Smith	2443
  46	David Morison (PPA)	2374
  47	Shaun Mackenzie	2357
  48	Ruan Louw	2347
  49	Steve Van Der Merwe	2322
  50	Renato Albrecht	2307
  51	Nathan Byukusenge	2288
  52	Yolande Speedy (IMC Mongoose)	2234
  53	Ian Mcleod (MTN Energade)	2200
  54	Drew Murphy	2187
  55	Garren Soutar	2155
  56	Gerard Dirks	2154
  57	Willem Le Roux	2148
  58	Dion Gerhard Froneman (Flatdogs)	2143
  59	Anton Smal (Cyclehouse)	2114
  60	Wessel Ollewagen	2091
  61	Graham Cooper	2070
  62	Jacov Lalou	2037
  63	Hendri Du Plessis	2021
  64	Colin Donian	1927
  65	Iniel Hattingh	1883
  66	Hein Botes	1862
  67	Abraham Meyer	1857
  68	Riaan Van Niekerk	1770
  69	Frederick Smith	1769
  70	Mark Pieterse	1735
  71	Francois Botha	1718
  72	Nicolas Goddard	1698
  73	Gordon Radey	1679
  74	De Villiers Groenewald	1634
  75	Wilhelm Nauta	1619
  76	Greg Davis	1573
  77	Karel Mouton	1501
  78	Erik Smuts	1380
  79	Andre Eksteen	1369
  80	Wayne Booysen	1368
  81	Wolfgang Sittig	1346
  82	Mark Bridges (FPC)	1323
  83	Mark Olivier	1285
  84	Ferdi Potgieter	1139
  85	Marius Strydom	1093
  86	Julien Van Der Pluym	1077
  87	Malcolm Meintjes	969
  88	Jonathan Ralph	948
  89	Mark Atkins	542

• Scheiber signed by Felt Ötztal X-Bionic World Cup team

  

  Article published:

  November 5, 2009, 20:30

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  21-year-old becomes team's first male rider

  Austrian Under 23 cross country champion Simon Scheiber signed with the Felt Ötztal X-Bionic World Cup team for 2010. The 21-year-old is the first male rider for the new team. Scheiber is from Sölden, Austria. This year, he finished 21st at the World Championships in Canberra, Australia.

  "I'm very excited about the upcoming season. With the professional environment of the new team, I hope to defend my national title. I also want to be in the top 50 in World Cup and finish in the top 10 among the U23."

  "I'm very happy that we were able to engage a young talented rider. Simon has already demonstrated that he has talent," said the team's director Jörg Scheiderbauer. "We are confident that he has a chance of making the Olympics in London 2012."

  Elite sports run in Scheiber's family. His older brother Florian is one of Austria's top skiing talents. Last season, Florian won the European Cup and he is part of the Austrian World Cup team. During the off-season he trains on his mountain bike.

  The team has already signed female cross country racers Adelheid Morath and Sabrina Enaux.

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.

• Iceman wraps up successful Midwest racing season

  

  Article published:

  November 6, 2009, 18:45

  By:

  Claire Cannon

  Popular point-to-point mountain bike race draws 4,000

  In its 20th year, the Iceman Cometh is attracting 4,000 racers. The race is more popular than ever and reflects a strong tradition of racing in the Midwestern United States.

  The Iceman is famous for drawing lots of spectators, too. "The Iceman is the only Midwest mountain bike race that I have ever done," said Sam Schultz (Subaru / Gary Fisher) of Montana. "I heard a lot about the huge crowds that turn out for the Midwest races but I didn't realize the extent of it until my first Iceman last year. The scene was good, with tons of amateurs and pros all mixing it up together. It seems like mountain bike racing in the Midwest right now is awesome."

  Schultz's teammate Heather Irmiger, who grew up in Michigan, has also been impressed with the Midwest's racing scene. "I only have experience racing in the later part of the season, but these experiences have always been wonderful. The promoters and the participants are so enthusiastic - the attitudes at Iceman and Chequamegon have always taken me back to my roots and remind me why I started racing. In contrast to the National scene, the Midwest races I've done have that great festival atmosphere which equates to the perfect balance of serious competition and laid-back love for the sport."

  Five-time winner Kelli Emmett (Giant), who is originally from Michigan, noted a contrast between what she's seen at the national level and the regional level. "It feels, sometimes, like interest in mountain bike racing has been going down lately on the national scene. There are fewer spectators at national events like the US Cup, and I think sponsorship has suffered. But that doesn't seem to be the case in the Midwest. The races I've done in the Midwest have had great areas for spectators."

  Local Sheboygan racer Tristan Schouten explains why the racing is so good. "In our region we have the biggest series in the country [the Wisconsin Off Road Series (WORS)], good prize money, decent courses and great competition. For me, there really isn't a huge reason to do national level racing because there is no benefit to doing well, or what most people would consider as having done well. You could have a fantastic day at a national race and ride into the top 10 and you'd come home $1,000 in the hole and with nothing to show for it except pride. I might as well race locally against fast guys and win some money."

  "Minnesota (MNSCS) has a lot of tough race courses that develop riders into all around cyclists and the WORS series attracts a lot of talented racers making for great competition," said Kyia Anderson, who lives and races in the region. "There are always some good, strong riders that come out of the Michigan scene as well and when some of these racers come together, you know that any one person can have a good day."

  Local and national racing may overlap in 2010 with a possible national series stop. "I'm excited about the prospect of having another national race there in 2010 [a race at Mt. Morris, Wisconsin, hosted by WORS]," said cross country national champion Jeremy Horgan Kobelski (Subaru / Gary Fisher). "There's a great energy at all of the races I've done."

  Part of what makes the Iceman so successful is its atmosphere. "The energy of this event is unreal and it spills into the post-event party," said 2008 winner Amanda Carey. "My hunch is everyone finally heard about the afterparty and signed up based on that."

  "The festival atmosphere and great energy makes this one of the most fun events I get to do all year," said Horgan Kobelski. "I always look forward to the post-race party too - it's certainly one of my off-season highlights."

  "Iceman is a good way to end the MTB season," said Schouten. "With lots of prize money to make us feel good, and one last chance to see friends again before the season ends."

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.

• Fox Racing seeks a few good mountain bikers

  

  Article published:

  November 9, 2009, 17:10

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  2010 resumes being accepted for sponsorship opportunities

  Fox Racing Shox is currently accepting mountain bike racing sponsorship applications for the 2010 race season.

  "Fox is a racing company and supports race events on a technical and grassroots level across the US and globe," read a statement from Fox. "If you have a team or are a rider that has what it takes, Fox wants to help with your success by sponsoring you with the best performing suspension on the market.

  Resumes can be submitted online at http://www.foxracingshox.com/sponsorship/ or by mail to

  FOX Racing Shox
  Attention: Mountain Bike Race Program
  130 Hangar Way
  Watsonville, CA 95076

  Be sure to specify discipline, racing level, goals for 2010 and beyond, accomplishments from 2008 and 2009, your 2010 race schedule and your contact info. Fox wants to know what you do to help the sport grow and how you would represent the company. Photos are encouraged, but applications shouldbe limited to one or two pages due to the volume of requests expected.

  The deadline is December 19, 2009.

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.

• Paulissen, Turpijn win international Granny Awards

  

  Article published:

  November 9, 2009, 18:54

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  Tielens, Nelen take home top national honors

  Roel Paulissen and Laura Turpijn were among the winners of the 2009 Granny Awards presented this weekend in Diest, Belgium. Awards were given out to Belgian and Dutch mountain bikers who excelled in racing at a national and international level.

  Paulissen won the international elite men's award ahead of Rudi Van Houts and Bas Peters. The Belgian beat the two Dutchmen after winning his second world marathon title this season. Jelmer Pietersma finished fourth and Sven Nys was fifth.

  "My best accomplishments are winning gold medals in the marathon World Championships - especially doing it two years in a row. I am proud of that. Maybe next year, I will win for a third time?" said Paulissen.

  "My next target is the Olympic Games (in 2012). So I will get as many points as possible next season with the hope we can send a minimum of two, maybe three riders for Belgium. Curently only one cyclist is qualified to go."

  "In the sport of mountain biking, the circuits have changed," said Paulissen, an experienced racer. "Everything is faster and more technical. I am in the sport for almost two decades. When I started, the races were longer. Now they have shortened up."

  The international elite women's award was a tight contest between Laura Turpign and Githa Michiels. Both women had good World Cup results and World Championship results. Turpign eventually emerged as winner ahead of Michiels and Monique Zeldenrust. Kritien Nelen was fourth and Arielle van Meurs was fifth.

  It was the second year Turpign won the women's award. "It was much harder this year," she said. "I trained more than six hours per day - that was something."  She explained what is behind her success.  "I always look at life positively. Mountain biking is a fun sport, and the 2012 Olympic Games is my next goal."

  A final international award went to Under 23 rider Irjan Luttenberg who was voted number one, ahead of Sebastien Carabin and Henk Jaap Moorlag.

  Luttenberg is looking forward to riding in 2010 for the Trek - Bart Brentjens team, with whom he recently signed. "Despite some setbacks this year, I still had some bright performances. Next year, I'll race with a new team. Brentjens is someone with great experience. His is the best guidance I can imagine. Now I will set higher goals such as the Olympics."

  In the national competition, Jimmy Tielens won the elite men's category after he won both the Flanders and Benelux Cups. Belgian marathon champion Nicolas Vermeulen and Kevin Van Hoovels rounded out the top three.

  "Winning the Benelux Cup was a goal for me this year," said Tielens, who was third last year. "I trained hard all winter and always try to be better. This year I peaked at Averbode. Next year I want to do for the Benelux Cup and European Championships. This year was my best season yet. I got 16th in a World Cup in Canada. My family and my wife gave me so much support."

  Belgian National Champion Kristien Nelen took top honors in the women's national award. She shared the stage with Joyce Vanderbeken and Sanne Cant.

  Nelen said, "Githa Michiels was the best in the Benelux Cup. But with luck, I was able to win. It is not always the strongest who wins. I want to improve every year, and next year I want to do the World Cup and be the Belgian Champion again, but the competition will be heavy. The younger riders are moving up, too. It will be exciting."

  Jens Vandekinderen won top honors among the newcomers; Jeff Luyten won best junior man; and Elise Marchal was the revelation of the year among the junior women. Marchal was pleased with her World Cup and is looking forward to next year, also her final year in school. She hopes to repeat her good season of 2009. Luyten is looking toward the 2016 Olympics, but for now, is happy with being in the top 20 in the World Cup. He was also Belgian champion for the first time.

  The youngest of the youth were not forgotten. Arnaud Beeckman, Gianni Van Doninck and Remy Mertz won the 12-, 13-, and 14-year-old categories respectively.

  Benelux Champion Gerrit Delfosse won the Masters 1 while Patrik Wellens, winner of the Beneluxcup, took home top Masters 2 honors.

  Granny Award Winners 2009

  International elite men

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team
  1	Roel Paulissen
  2	Rudi Van Houts
  3	Bas Peters
  4	Jelmer Pietersma
  5	Sven Nys

  International elite women

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team
  1	Laura Turpijn
  2	Githa Michiels
  3	Monique Zeldenrust
  4	Kristien Nelen
  5	Arielle Van Meurs

  Internation Under 23 men

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team
  1	Irjan Luttenberg
  2	Sebastien Carabin
  3	Henk Japp Moorlag
  4	Tom Meeuwsen
  5	Niels Wubben

  National elite men

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team
  1	Jimmy Tielens
  2	Nicolas Vermeulen
  3	Kevin Van Hoovels
  4	Patrick Gaudy
  5	Hans Urkens

  National elite women

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team
  1	Kristien Nelen
  2	Joyce Vanderbeken
  3	Sanne Cant
  4	Petra Mermans
  5	Nancy Bober

  National 12-year-olds

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team
  1	Beeckman Arnaud
  2	Knaeps Jasper
  3	Derveaux Niels

  National 13-year-olds

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team
  1	Van Doninck Gianni
  2	Seykens Scott
  3	Vanpol Nick

  National 14-year-olds

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team
  1	Mertz Remy
  2	Bruyr Augustin
  3	Dehaeze Mathieu

  Novices

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team
  1	Jens Vandekinderen
  2	Jens Schuermans
  3	Laurens Sweeck
  4	Didier Bats
  5	Pieter Geluykens

  National Under 23 men

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team
  1	Olivie Labie
  2	Sebastien Carabin
  3	Nick Daems
  4	Tom Meeusen
  5	Tim Wijnants

  National junior men

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team
  1	Jeff Luyten
  2	Bart De Vocht
  3	Ruben Scheire
  4	Fabrice Mels
  5	Matthias Bossuyt

  Masters 1

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team
  1	Gerrit Delfosse
  2	Peter Verstraete
  3	Telly Parys
  4	Wim Feyaerts
  5	Geoffrey Maes

  Masters 2

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team
  1	Patrick Wellens
  2	Ronny Geerts
  3	Erik Evers
  4	Benny Heylen
  5	Ivan Porters

  Young women

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team
  1	Elise Marchal
  2	Steffi Derveaux
  3	Claudia Claesen
  4	Caroline Soussigne
  5	Annelies Derveaux

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.

• Outsports Cup gets TV time for 2010

  

  Article published:

  November 9, 2009, 20:59

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  Greek mountain bike series schedule announced

  Greece is stepping up its television coverage of two sports - mountain biking and running. The SKAI Channel reached an agreement with organizers of the Outsports Cup to show parts of the seven races that will comprise the 2010 series.  The series dates and venues for next season was also released.

  The races will get air time on the network's morning zone and the Saturday zone. The two organizations are partnering to bring more coverage of both sports to the public given the increasing popularity of each activity. Additionaly, the partnership is trying to draw awareness to environmental concerns through sport.

  The Mountain Bike and Running Cup (MBRC) will start on March 13,2 2010, in Krioneri in Attica. Both disciplines will race a time trial in one of the few remaining green areas of the capital. Six more rounds of point to point cross country racing will follow. All events are category 1 or 2 UCI events.

  The 2009 Outsports Cup series drew 1,144 athletes from all over Greece and seven other countries during seven races.

  2010 Outsports Mountain Bike Cup
  March 13-14: Round 1 - Krioneri in Attica (time trial) (C2)
  March 27-28: Round 2 - Kardamyli in Messinia (cross country) (C2)
  April 17-18: Round 3 - Lailias in Serres (cross country) (C2)
  May 8-9: Round 4 - Palaioi Porroi in Pieria (cross country) (C1)
  May 29-30: Round 5 - Kalavrita in Ahaia (cross country) (C2)
  June 19-20: Round 6 - Elati in Trikala (cross country) (C1)
  July 3-4: Round 7 - Vigla Ski Resort in Florina (cross country (C2)

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