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MTB World Cup XC #3 - CDM
Madrid, Spain, May 3-4, 2008
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Race 3 - May 4: Elite women cross country,
Dahle recaptures winning feeling
By Luke Webber in Madrid, Spain
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Just three races since returning to competition, Gunn Rita Dahle Flesjå underlined why she is still considered the best female mountain biker in the world by coming to Madrid and winning under less than perfect circumstances. The Norwegian former World Champion outsprinted Canadian Marie-Helene Premont in a photo finish to take victory with at time of 1:48:14. Marga Fullana, racing in her home country, finished third at 1:13. Sabine Spitz and Georgia Gould rounded out the top five.
Just one year ago Dahle Flesjå was forced to stop riding after a long period of over racing and training led to a virus breaking her body down. It was only in Houffalize, Belgium, at the opening round of the cross country World Cup three weeks ago that Dahle Flesjå could return to racing at the top level. Then just a week later in Offenburg, she withdrew from the race due to ill health. Nobody expected today's result - least of all Dahle Flesjå herself.
Just last week in an exclusive interview with Cyclingnews, Dahle Flesjå outlined her plans for the year and nowhere in them figured a World Cup win.
"I could never have imagined taking this amazing victory today, it is like winning ten World Championships to me," said the happy Norwegian.
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Her husband and coach, Kenneth Flesjå was equally shocked, but said after his wife's win, "Here we had a diamond and you can never crack one of those. Gunn Rita was scratched and now we have polished that diamond back into shape."
What may be most worrying for the competition however is that Dahle Flesjå is not yet in her peak form. It will be interesting to see what follows at the World Championships - surely a comeback to recapture Olympic gold could only be a dream?
How it unfolded
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The starting field for the women's event was greatly depleted to just 90 competitors compared to 140 in previous races. With current leader Irina Kalentieva missing due to illness, it was up to Dahle Flesjå, Marie-Helene Premont and home favourite Marga Fullana to set the pace. At times this hard-packed circuit resembled a road race with groups forming and this is exactly how the leading pair of Dahle Flesjå and Premont made their escape from an initial group of four with six chasers.
Working together after a fatiguing Fullana dropped off the pace, back both riders looked good for the win. All bets were on Premont who finished third and second at the previous two World Cup events, but it was Dahle Flesjå who won out in an almost-sprint finish.
After the finish, Premont commented on how well both riders had worked together to hold the gap. She said, "There was nothing left" to deny Gunn Rita the win.
Fullana came in to the finish with a great reception from the home fans, perhaps only matched by the response from the Merida team, whose result made up for all their misfortunes over the previous weeks including break-ins, thefts and illness.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Dave McElwaine / www.trailwatch.net
- Up and comer Emily Batty (Trek Bicycle Store) and veteran racer Sue Haywood (Trek/VW) both had solid races in Offenburg, Germany, last weekend.
- Norway's Lene Byberg (Specialized Factory Racing) warms up.
- Former World Champion Alison Sydor and team-mate Marie-Helene Premont (Rocky Mountain)
- Ren Chengyuan (Chinese National Team) is ready to go after suffering a facial injury in Offenburg last weekend.
- Heather Irmiger (Gary Fisher/ Suburu) is recovered from an illness last week and ready to race.
- Gunn Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Multivan Merida) is mobbed by fans like a rock star at World Cup races.
- Madrid Municipal Police help to guard the Multivan team. They have already been robbed twice during this young World Cup season.
- Sabine Spitz (Central Ghost Pro Team) gets the hole shot and goes on to finish fourth.
- Former World Champion Dahle Flesjaa goes to the front early in the race.
- Marie-Helene Premont (Rocky Mountain) chases Gunn Rita Dahle Flesjaa.
- Crowd favorite Margarita Fullana (Massi) rides in the top three.
- Georgia Gould (Luna Women's MTB Team) stays on her bike on steep climb.
- Czech Republic National Champion Katerina Nash (Luna Women's MTB Team) looks fully recovered from her knee injury sustained in Arizona.
- Catherine Pendrel's addition to the Luna team has helped it win the team competition in three straight World Cups. She went on to finish ninth.
- US National Champion Mary McConneloug (Kenda/Seven) goes on to finish 15th.
- Sweden's Alexandra Engen forces a chain reaction back-up when she dismounted on a steep climb.
- Elizabeth Osl (Team Ghost International) seems to be riding well.
- Wendy Simms (Kona) rides a very steep climb.
- Mical Dyck (Trek/VW) handles the steep climbing with ease.
- Dahle Flesjaa (Multivan Merida) leads Marga Fullana (Masi) on the steepest descent.
- Swiss Natalie Schneitter (Colnago) on the steepest descent
- The hard surface on this steep descent prevents riders from being able to brake effectively.
- Gunn Rita Dahle-Flesjaa (Multivan Merida) is elated with her first major victory since coming back from her illness last year.
- The crowd goes beserk when Margarita Fullana (Masi) comes across the line in third.
- Georgia Gould (Luna Women's MTB Team) is very pleased with a fifth place finish. She is well on her way to qualifying for the US Olympic Team.
- Katerina Nash (Luna Women's MTB Team) is congratulated by the crowd as she finishes in the top ten.
Images by Luke Webber
- Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Multivan Merida Biking Team) was all smiles before the start.
- Chengyuan Ren (China) could not have predicted what was to follow.
- The women's start was less chaotic than the previous races.
- Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Multivan Merida Biking Team) storms to victory while a local hardly notices.
Images by Lejarreta
- The Luna women's team on the podium.
Results
1 Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Nor) Multivan Merida Biking Team 1.48.14 (21.62km/h) 2 Marie-Helene Premont (Can) Rocky Mountain 0.01 3 Margarita Fullana (Spa) Massi 1.14 4 Sabine Spitz (Ger) Central Ghost Pro Team 1.37 5 Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Womens MTB Team 2.38 6 Petra Henzi (Swi) Fischer-BMC 3.01 7 Ying Liu (Chn) 3.09 8 Lene Byberg (Nor) Specialized Factory Racing 3.18 9 Catherine Pendrel (Can) Luna Womens MTB Team 3.33 10 Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Womens MTB Team 3.43 11 Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Giant Italia Team 3.52 12 Cécile Rode Ravanel (Fra) Team Lapierre International 4.00 13 Nathalie Schneitter* (Swi) Colnago Cap Arreghini 4.16 14 Laurence Leboucher (Fra) 4.21 15 Mary Mc Conneloug (USA) 4.22 16 Tanja Zakelj* (Slo) 4.31 17 Katrin Leumann (Swi) 4.42 18 Chengyuan Ren* (Chn) 4.50 19 Maroussia Rusca (Swi) 4.52 20 Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Team Ghost International 4.56 21 Eva Lechner (Ita) Colnago Cap Arreghini 5.32 22 Tereza Hurikova* (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna MTB 5.50 23 Jingjing Wang (Chn) 6.11 24 Adelheid Morath (Ger) 6.35 25 Esther Süss (Swi) 6.40 26 Heather Irmiger (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 7.08 27 Mical Dyck (Can) 7.10 28 Anna Villar Argente (Spa) Massi 7.15 29 Maria Osl (Aut) Sunshine Racers ASV Nals 7.44 30 Arielle Van Meurs (Ned) 8.01 31 Nina Homovec (Slo) 8.18 32 Alison Sydor (Can) Rocky Mountain 8.39 33 Githa Michiels (Bel) 9.02 34 Laura Turpijn (Ned) 9.15 35 Marielle Saner-Guinchard (Swi) Bikepark.Ch BMC 9.23 36 Dellys Starr (Aus) 9.25 37 Janka Stevkova (Svk) 9.31 38 Sabrina Enaux (Fra) Team Lapierre International 9.32 39 Helene Marcouyre (Fra) BH-SR. Suntour 9.43 40 Wendy Simms (Can) Kona 9.50 41 Susan Haywood (USA) Trek-VW 9.53 42 Laura Metzler* (Fra) BH-SR. Suntour 10.06 43 Vera Andreeva* (Rus) 10.08 44 Sandra Araujo (Por) 10.15 45 Francisca Campos Salas (Chi) Massi 10.19 46 Sandra Walter (Can) 10.40 47 Alexandra Engen* (Swe) 10.42 48 Ivonne Kraft (Ger) 11.21 49 Amanda Sin (Can) 11.31 50 Séverine Hansen (Fra) BH-SR. Suntour 11.59 51 Sandra Santanyes Murillo (Spa) Cemelorca-Seguros10.Com 12.09 52 Julie Bresset* (Fra) Breiz Mountain 12.20 53 Emiliy Batty* (Can) 13.09 54 Asa Maria Erlandsson (Swe) Subaru-Gary Fisher 13.24 55 Ruth Moll Marques (Spa) 13.42 56 Cristina Mascarreras Sabria (Spa) Conor - Camping La Siesta 13.56 57 Kate Potter (Aus) 14.02 58 Yolanda Speedy (RSA) 14.22 59 Stephanie Wiedner* (Aut) 14.30 60 Rowena Fry (Aus) 14.36 61 Zoe King (Aus) 14.47 62 Ksenia Chernykh (Rus) 16.20 63 Emma Colson (Aus) 16.30 64 Caroline Mani* (Fra) 17.10 65 Laura Lorenza Morfin Macouzet (Mex) 17.25 66 Mercé Tusell Quevedo (Spa) Massi 17.36 67 Kristien Nelen (Bel) 18.11 68 Susan Butler (USA) 18.22 69 Katherine O'shea (Aus) 22.31 70 Daniela Bunzli Rojas (Chi) 22.59 Behind one lap 71 Therese Rhodes* DNF Kiara Bisaro (Can) DNF Willow Koerber (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher DNF Kaytee Boyd (NZl) DNF Rocio Gamonal Ferrera (Spa) DNF Oxana Rybakova (Rus) DNF Tory Thomas (Aus) DNF Evgenia Belozerova* (Rus) DNF Rocio Martin Rodriguez (Spa) DNF Nicole Lechl* (Ger) Team XLC Haibike DNS Katrin Schwing (Ger) Dolphin-Trek Mountainbike Teams 1 Luna Womens MTB Team 71 pts 2 Multivan Merida Biking Team 40 3 Rocky Mountain 35 4 Massi 35 5 Central Ghost Pro Team 30 6 Colnago Cap Arreghini 28 7 Fischer-BMC 26 8 Specialized Factory Racing 23 9 Giant Italia Team 20 10 Team Lapierre International 19 11 Team Ghost International 11 12 Ceska Sporitelna MTB 9 13 Subaru-Gary Fisher 5 14 Sunshine Racers ASV Nals 2 World Cup standings after three events 1 Marie-Helene Premont (Can) Rocky Mountain 560 pts 2 Chengyuan Ren (Chn) 480 3 Margarita Fullana (Spa) Massi 460 4 Irina Kalentieva (Rus) Topeak Ergon Racing Team 450 5 Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Nor) Multivan Merida Biking Team 380 6 Sabine Spitz (Ger) Central Ghost Pro Team 375 7 Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Womens MTB Team 360 8 Ying Liu (Chn) 340 9 Lene Byberg (Nor) Specialized Factory Racing 320 10 Petra Henzi (Swi) Fischer-BMC 312 11 Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) Colnago Cap Arreghini 295 12 Catherine Pendrel (Can) Luna Womens MTB Team 288 13 Tereza Hurikova (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna MTB 252 14 Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Team Ghost International 251 15 Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Giant Italia Team 240 16 Mary Mc Conneloug (USA) 218 17 Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Womens MTB Team 203 18 Katrin Leumann (Swi) 202 19 Cécile Rode Ravanel (Fra) Team Lapierre International 195 20 Jingjing Wang (Chn) 188 21 Esther Süss (Swi) 180 22 Laurence Leboucher (Fra) 165 23 Adelheid Morath (Ger) 158 24 Tanja Zakelj (Slo) 156 25 Kiara Bisaro (Can) 146 26 Wendy Simms (Can) Kona 142 27 Nina Homovec (Slo) 140 28 Laura Turpijn (Ned) 140 29 Maroussia Rusca (Swi) 136 30 Marielle Saner-Guinchard (Swi) Bikepark.Ch BMC 132 31 Sandra Walter (Can) 128 32 Eva Lechner (Ita) Colnago Cap Arreghini 122 33 Sabrina Enaux (Fra) Team Lapierre International 121 34 Anna Villar Argente (Spa) Massi 118 35 Maria Osl (Aut) Sunshine Racers ASV Nals 117 36 Heather Irmiger (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 114 37 Mical Dyck (Can) 111 38 Susan Haywood (USA) 103 39 Maja Wloszczowska (Pol) Halls Professional MTB Team 85 40 Séverine Hansen (Fra) 72 41 Magdalena Sadlecka (Pol) Halls Professional MTB Team 70 42 Alison Sydor (Can) Rocky Mountain 69 43 Helene Marcouyre (Fra) 68 44 Arielle Van Meurs (Ned) 67 45 Amanda Sin (Can) 66 46 Dellys Starr (Aus) 64 47 Nina Wrobel (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team 64 48 Vera Andreeva (Rus) 63 49 Aleksandra Dawidowicz (Pol) Halls Professional MTB Team 63 50 Francisca Campos Salas (Chi) Massi 62 51 Laura Metzler (Fra) 57 52 Julie Bresset (Fra) 55 53 Ivonne Kraft (Ger) 52 54 Githa Michiels (Bel) 51 55 Anna Szafraniec (Pol) Halls Professional MTB Team 48 56 Emiliy Batty (Can) 47 57 Willow Koerber (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 45 58 Nataliya Krompets (Ukr) 39 59 Sarah Koba (Swi) 36 60 Janka Stevkova (Svk) 32 61 Bernardine Boog-Rauwerda (Ned) 30 62 Kaytee Boyd (NZl) 28 63 Sarka Chmurova (Cze) 26 64 Sandra Araujo (Por) 24 65 Kate Potter (Aus) 23 66 Alexandra Engen (Swe) 21 67 Maaike Polspoel (Bel) 21 68 Sandra Santanyes Murillo (Spa) Cemelorca-Seguros10.com 17 69 Claudia Seidel (Ger) 17 70 Emma Colson (Aus) 15 71 Asa Maria Erlandsson (Swe) Subaru-Gary Fisher 14 72 Ruth Moll Marques (Spa) 13 73 Julie Krasniak (Fra) Team Lapierre International 13 74 Cristin Mascarreras Sabria (Spa) 12 75 Yolanda Speedy (RSA) 10 76 Caroline Mani (Fra) 10 77 Stephanie Wiedner (Aut) 9 78 Hanna Klein (Ger) 9 79 Rowena Fry (Aus) 8 80 Katrin Schwing (Ger) Dolphin-Trek Mountainbike Racing Team 8 Teams 1 Luna Womens MTB Team 167 pts 2 Rocky Mountain 102 3 Massi 95 4 Central Ghost Pro Team 77 5 Multivan Merida Biking Team 76 6 Topeak Ergon Racing Team 75 7 Colnago Cap Arreghini 73 8 Specialized Factory Racing 67 9 Fischer-BMC 63 10 Team Ghost International 52 11 Giant Italia Team 51 12 Ceska Sporitelna MTB 51 13 Team Lapierre International 50 14 Halls Professional MTB Team 20 15 Subaru-Gary Fisher 13 16 Kona 13 17 Bikepark.Ch BMC 6 18 Sunshine Racers ASV Nals 2
