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MTB World Cup XC # 2 - CDM
Offenburg, Germany, May 26-27, 2007
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Race 4 - May 27: Elite Men XC
Absalon takes his first 2007 World Cup
By Rob Jones in Offenburg
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The cross-country Mountain Bike World Cup started up again on Sunday in Offenburg, Germany with round two after a one month break, and we saw rather different podiums for both the men and the women than at the opener in Houffalize, Belgium. On the men's side, Jose Hermida (Multivan Merida) could not duplicate the masterful ride he had in Houffalize, and world champion Julien Absalon (Orbea) proved once again to be the class of the field with a dominating ride. Absalon took a commanding 90 point lead in the men's series over Hermida.
The men's race started in the rain, and officials wisely decided on the line to shorten the race by a lap to one start loop and 7 laps. Out of the start loop it was Roel Paulissen (Cannondale-Vredestein) in the lead, with world number one ranked Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) of Canada wel positioned in fifth. Unfortunately for Kabush, the first of a series of mishaps took place on the third corner in the race, when he slid out, losing over 20 places. He would eventually finish 51st, after multiple stops in the tech zones to replace his seat and seatpost, and falling as far back as the high 70's.
Absalon, Hermida, Fredrik Kessiakoff (Cannondale-Vredestein), Kashi Leuchs
(Cannondale-Vredestein), Roel Paulissen (Cannondale-Vredestein), Nino Schurter
(Swisspower), Florian Vogel (Swisspower) and Christoph
Sauser (Specialized) made up the front group, but it was soon decimated by mechanicals
and crashes.
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Kessiakoff went out on lap one in a crash, while Vogel and Schurter were caught with broken rear derailleurs on lap four. Schurter managed to finish and retain his lead in the U23 World Cup standings. Paulissen gradually faded, and Hermida was the victim of chainsuck caused by mud; after which he never recaught the frontrunners.
Absalon took over the lead on lap two, and gradually rode away from the field, to eventually win by nearly three minutes under clearing skies for the second half of the race. Cedric Ravanel (Lapierre) steadily worked his way up to finish second, with Lukas Fluckiger (Athleticum) passing Jean-Christophe Peraud (Orbea) in the final lap to take third. Leuchs, having a superb ride that never saw him drop below seventh, took the final podium spot.
Absalon credited his win to "my condition and luck. I did my preparation to be good here at this race and for the next part of the season with all the World Cups. I got a gap on the first downhill, and then I tried to be safe. As the mud became sticky I took a bottle in each feed zone and cleaned the chain. It lost maybe 20 seconds, but I think it was very important and stopped me from having problems like some other riders."
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Race Notes
- Todd Wells (GT) was the top North American rider, in 25th, one spot ahead of Max Plaxton (Rocky Mountain-Haywood), who came back from a mechanical to become the second U23 finisher. Plaxton moves to third in the U23 standings.
- Cyclo-cross star Sven Nys (Belgian National) moved up from a starting position of 142 to finish a very respectable 24th. Nys was as high as 13th in lap six before fading in the last lap.
- Despite the weather, an estimated 15,000 spectators jammed all the drops, buying bratwurst and beer at tents and listening to techno pop blasting out over loudspeakers. Organizers say that the UCI has already asked them to apply for a sanction for next year.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Rob Jones/www.canadiancyclist.com
- A good day for France with three riders on the podium.
- Rain made the technical sections treacherous.
- Wet roots and wet rocks...
- ...led to carnage on the down hills.
- Christoph Sauser (Specialized)
- Thomas Frischknecht (Swisspower Mtb Team)
- Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Gary Fisher)
- Jeremiah Bishop (Trek-VW)
- Sam Jurekovic.
- Jose Hermida (Multivan Merida) would lose the overall World Cup lead.
- Adam Craig (Giant)
- Seamus McGrath (Rocky Mountain Haywood)
- Canadian national champion Geoff Kabush (Maxxis )
- Descending butt first was popular...
- ...or some preferred face first.
- Roel Paulissen (Cannondale-Vredestein)
- Todd Wells (GT)
- Ouch!
- Good crowds in the technical sections.
- Jean-Christophe Peraud (Orbea)
- Lukas Fluckiger (Athleticum MTB Team)
- Even a light bike collects heavy mud!
- Oh the mechanics have a long night ahead of them!
- Filip Meirhaeghe (Versluys-Landbouwkrediet)
- Max Plaxton (Rocky Mountain Haywood)
- Absalon wins and takes the overall World Cup lead.
- The men's podium (l-r): Jean-Christophe Peraud, Cedric Ravanel, Julien Absalon, Lukas Fluckiger and Kashi Leuchs.
Images by Frank Bodenmuller/PhotoSport International/www.mtbsector.com
- World champion Julien Absalon (Orbea) produced a totally dominant performance today.
- If the world champ needed any more motivation... it was right there in front of him.
- Lukas Flückiger (Athleticum MTB Team) on the way to a podium spot.
- Adam Craig (Giant) came in 42nd at 14'38.
- Julien Absalon (Orbea) takes a thoroughly well deserved victory and with it the World Cup series lead.
- Absalon was untouchable today, winning by nearly three minutes.
Results
1 Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea 2.18.54 2 Cédric Ravanel (Fra) Team Lapierre International 2.42 3 Lukas Flückiger (Sui) Athleticum MTB Team 3.12 4 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Orbea 3.37 5 Kashi Leuchs (NZl) Cannondale-Vredestein 3.45 6 Christoph Sauser (Sui) Specialized 4.15 7 Thomas Frischknecht (Sui) Swisspower Mtb Team 4.18 8 José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Esp) Multivan Merida Biking Team 4.45 9 Filip Meirhaeghe (Bel) Versluys-Landbouwkrediet 5.15 10 Yury Trofimov (Rus) 7.02 11 Bart Brentjens (Ned) Dolphin Bike Team 7.11 12 Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) 7.47 13 Roel Paulissen (Bel) Cannondale-Vredestein 8.17 14 Moritz Milatz (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team 8.22 15 Balz Weber (Sui) Bikepark.Ch Tui 16 Milan Spesny (Cze) Merida Biking Team 8.36 17 Till Marx (Sui) Swisspower Mtb Team 8.47 18 Ralph Naef (Sui) Multivan Merida Biking Team 9.20 19 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Dolphin Bike Team 9.28 20 Torsten Marx (Ger) Team Alb-Gold Mountainbik 9.54 21 Jürg Graf (Sui) 10.01 22 Silvio Bundi (Sui) 10.44 23 Rudi Van Houts (Ned) Dolphin Bike Team 10.49 24 Sven Nys (Bel) 10.58 25 Todd Wells (USA) GT 11.06 26 Max Plaxton (Can) Rocky Mountain Haywood 11.23 27 Marek Galinski (Pol) CC-Polsat-Polkowice 11.43 28 Peter Riis Andersen (Den) Team Alb-Gold Mountainbike 11.47 29 Sid Taberlay (Aus) Dolphin Bike Team 11.48 30 Jeremiah Bishop (USA) Trek-Vw 11.51 31 Gion Manetsch (Sui) 12.11 32 Oliver Beckingsale (GBr) 12.25 33 Inaki Lejarreta Errasti (Esp) Orbea 12.32 34 Hannes Metzler (Aut) 12.33 35 Dariusz Batek (Pol) Halls Professional Mtb Team 12.53 36 François Bailly Maitre (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier 12.58 37 Jochen Kass (Ger) Team Alb-Gold Mountainbike 13.01 38 Martin Kraler (Aut) Gewiss Bianchi 13.28 39 Tony Longo (Ita) 13.51 40 Samuel Schultz (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 14.13 41 Martino Fruet (Ita) 14.23 42 Adam Craig (USA) Giant Mountain Bike Team 14.38 43 Jan Skarnitzl (Cze) 14.54 44 Stefan Sahm (Ger) Team Bulls 15.02 45 Karl Markt (Aut) 15.10 46 Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Esp) Asd Ktm International Team 15.16 47 Rene Tann (Ger) 15.21 48 Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Esp) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica 15.29 49 Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) 15.34 50 Christof Bischof (Sui) Bikin'cyprus Int'l Mtb Team 15.40 51 Geoff Kabush (Can) Maxxis 16.04 52 Ludovic Dubau (Fra) Team New Cycling 16.35 53 Israel Nunez Baticon (Esp) Massi 16.49 54 Manuel Fumic (Ger) Fumic.Brothers.International 17.03 55 Hector Leonardo Paez Leon (Col) Full-Dynamix-R.S.M. 17.31 56 Bjorn Brems (Bel) Dolphin Bike Team 18.15 57 Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Esp) Massi 18.20 58 Pascal Meyer (Sui) 18.26 59 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier 18.30 60 Bas Peters (Ned) 18.36 61 Matthias Flückiger (Sui) 18.43 62 Kris Sneddon (Can) Kona Les Gets 18.50 63 Burry Stander (RSA) GT 19.08 64 Emil Lindgren (Swe) Gewiss Bianchi 19.17 65 Vaclav Hlavac (Cze) 19.18 66 Stéphane Tempier (Fra) Gewiss Bianchi 19.23 67 Pierre Geoffroy Plantet (Fra) Team Lapierre International 19.55 68 Maxime Marotte (Fra) 20.00 69 Daniel Suter (Sui) 20.19 70 Martin Fanger (Sui) 20.40 71 Thijs Al (Ned) Beone Mountainbiketeam 21.08 72 Maxim Gogolev (Rus) 21.49 73 Filip Eberl (Cze) 22.43 1 lap behind 74 Andreas Kugler (Sui) Fischer-Bmc 2 laps behind 75 Denis Vorontsov (Rus) 76 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Cannondale-Vredestein 77 Miha Solar (Slo) 78 Frank Lehmann (Ger) 79 Hans Becking (Ned) Beone Mountainbiketeam 80 Nicolas Filippi (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier 81 Dario Alejandro Gasco (Arg) Massi 82 Jiri Novak (Cze) 83 Nicolas Bazin (Fra) Bh-Sr. Suntour 84 Ivan Seledkov (Rus) 85 John Jairo Botero Salazar (Col) Macosta - Leecougan 3 laps behind 86 Fabian Giger (Sui) 87 Jelmer Pietersma (Ned) Beone Mountainbiketeam 88 Simon Richardson (GBr) 89 Alban Lakata (Aut) Trek-Vw 90 Gareth Montgomerie (GBr) 91 Kryspin Pyrgies (Pol) 92 Marcus Roy (NZl) 93 Marcel Wildhaber (Sui) 94 Jeff Hall (USA) 95 Davy Coenen (Bel) 2mega-Saeco 96 Anton Gogolev (Rus) 97 Ian Bibby (GBr) 98 Andreas Moser (Sui) 99 Lukas Kaufmann (Sui) 100 Olivier Maignan (Fra) Bh-Sr. Suntour 101 Sam Jurekovic (USA) 102 Vivien Legastelois (Fra) Team Lapierre International 103 Arnaud Grosjean (Fra) Bh-Sr. Suntour 104 Andi Weinhold (Ger) 105 Marc Trayter Alemany (Esp) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica 106 Tim Wijnants (Bel) Dolphin Bike Team 107 Ludovic Mottet (Bel) 108 Steffen Thum (Ger) Team Mayer Stevens 109 Dylan Cooper (Aus) 110 Yevgeniy Yakovlev (Kaz) 111 Kristof Bomans (Bel) 112 Robert Kircher (Aut) 113 Marc Colom (Fra) 114 Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 115 Patrick Gaudy (Bel) 116 Martin Bratland (Nor) Team Etto Hoydahl 117 Lachlan Norris (Aus) 118 Nicolas Vermeulen (Bel) Lingier-Versluys Team 119 Calle Friberg (Swe) 120 Evguen Pechenine (Rus) Format-Udmurtia 121 Robert Gehbauer (Aut) Multivan Merida Biking Team 122 Pierre Lebreton (Fra) Bh-Sr. Suntour 123 Marcus Giese (Ger) 124 Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) 125 Milan Barenyi (Svk) 4 laps behind 126 Luka Kodra (Slo) 127 Colin Cares (USA) 128 Ivan Planzer (Sui) 129 Frank Schotman (Ned) 130 Nieck Busser (Ned) 131 Michael Broderick (USA) 132 Andras Melts (Hun) 133 Lukas Hanus (Svk) 134 Jordy Luisman (Ned) 135 Marios Athanasiades (Cyp) Bikin'cyprus Int'l Mtb Team 136 Tim Ottens (Ned) Beone Mountainbiketeam 137 Jiri Hudecek (Cze) 138 Rob Vangenechten (Bel) 2mega-Saeco 139 Bilal Akgul (Tur) 140 Michal Plesnik (Svk) 141 Joan Marc Perarnau (Esp) Massi 142 Truls Haugseth (Nor) Team Etto Hoydahl 143 Daniel Braunsteins (Aus) 144 Bogdan Czarnota (Pol) 145 Tobias Witzak (Ger) 146 Paolo Montoya (Crc) Macosta - Leecougan 147 Daniel Schütz (Sui) 148 Axel Bult (Ned) 149 Rotem Ishai (Isr) 150 Oliver Aviles Gilabert (Esp) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica 151 Peter Coddens (Bel) Lingier-Versluys Team 152 Dzintars Ozolins (Lat) 153 Shaun Lewis (Aus) 154 Ole Christian Fagerli (Nor) Team Etto Hoydahl 155 Dror Pekatch (Isr) Subaru-Gary Fisher 156 Jelmer Jubbega (Ned) Cannondale-Vredestein 5 laps behind 157 Daniel Mcconnell (Aus) 158 Kamil Alev (Tur) Goldcity Alanya 159 Clinton Robert Avery (NZl) 160 Bojan Djurdjic (Srb) 161 Didzis Praulins (Lat) 162 Roman Zhientaev (Kaz) 163 Boris Popovic (Srb) 164 Reinis Andrijanovs (Lat) 165 Ruud Rentmeester (Ned) 166 Marcel Reiser (Ger) 167 Frank Beemer (Ned) Dolphin Bike Team 168 Anthony Mann (Ger) Team Mayer Stevens 169 Wilko Rochow (Ger) 170 Roland Plank (Aut) 171 Zoran Zivkovic (Srb) DNF Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Cannondale-Vredestein DNF Nino Schurter (Sui) Swisspower Mtb Team DNF Jader Zoli (Ita) Asd Ktm International Team DNF Karl Platt (Ger) Team Bulls DNF Marti Gispert Labarta (Esp) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica DNF Lado Fumic (Ger) Fumic.Brothers.International DNF Martin Gujan (Sui) DNF Ruben Ruzafa Cueto (Esp) Orbea DNF Michael Weiss (Aut) Bikin'cyprus Int'l Mtb Team DNF Mirko Pirazzoli (Ita) DNF Massimo De Bertolis (Ita) Full-Dynamix-R.S.M. DNF Jiri Friedl (Cze) Merida Biking Team DNF Giuseppe Lamastra (Ita) DNF Seamus Mcgrath (Can) Rocky Mountain Haywood DNF Florian Vogel (Sui) Swisspower Mtb Team DNF Christoph Soukup (Aut) DNF Marc Bassingthwaighte (Nam) DNF Andrea Tiberi (Ita) Asd Ktm International DNF Johann Pallhuber (Ita) DNF Oriol Morata Abril (Esp) DNF Kristian Hynek (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna Mtb DNF Alexey Medvedev (Rus) DNF Alexandre Moos (Sui) Bmc Racing DNF Radim Korinek (Cze) DNF Klaus Nielsen (Den) Team Alb-Gold Mountainbike DNF Rick Evers (Ned) Beone Mountainbiketeam DNF Robert Odink (Sui) DNF Joris Massaer (Bel) DNF Patrik Gallati (Sui) Swisspower Mtb Team DNF Jules Chabanon (Fra) Team New Cycling DNF Heiko Gutmann (Ger) DNF Robert Mennen (Ger) DNF Toms Veinbergs (Lat) DNS Philip Spencer (GBr) Subaru-Gary Fisher DNS Anders Hovdenes (Nor) Team Etto Hoydahl DNS Max Oste Macdonald (Swe) DNS Roman Rametsteiner (Aut
