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MTB world championships - CM
Rotorua, New Zealand, August 22-27, 2006
Main Page Results Overall standings Next Race
Race 1 - August 22: Team relay
Score one for the Swiss in World Championship opener
By Rob Jones
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Switzerland, the favourites going into the Team Relay, did not disappoint, with a dominant performance in the opening event of the 2006 Mountain Bike World Championships in Rotorua, New Zealand. Italy and Poland put in strong last laps to ride back into contention and take the silver and bronze medals respectively.
The weather proved to be a factor throughout the race, with everything from bright sunshine to rain and even hail blasting the riders. As one local put it: "Four seasons in one day, New Zealand!"
All the riders agreed that the mud played a huge factor, with many crashing on the downhill. "Compared to Europe, it is quite different" commented Florian Vogel (Switzerland). "It was like riding on soap out there."
Vogel took off fast for Switzerland, followed closely by Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA), Tony Longo (Italy) and Marcin Karczynski (Poland). Canada's Geoff Kabush struggled in the rain and slippery mud, and Horgan-Kobelski dropped well back after a pedal unscrewed on him.
"It came off and I didn't have an 8 millimeter wrench with me" JHK lamented after his lap. "I put it on with my fingers, but it came off again before I could get to the Tech Zone."
At the front, Switzerland was cruising ahead of a battle that was developing for silver and bronze. Italy, Poland and Sweden came in almost on top of each other after the first lap, 50-plus seconds down on Switzerland. Russia and Canada were nearly two minutes back.
After the second lap, Switzerland held onto a 1:07 lead over Italy, while Max Plaxton had a superb ride to move Canada back up to third, only nine seconds behind Italy. France was up to fourth, four seconds back of Canada.
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Petra Henzi took over for Switzerland, while Canada sent out Junior Alex Harvey - son of Canadian cycling and nordic skiing legend Pierre Harvey. Harvey quickly moved into second, but faded in the latter portion of his lap, with Spain (David Lozano) and Poland (Maja Wloszczowska) putting in very strong laps. Spain actually took an 18 second lead into the final lap over Switzerland, but had Marga Fullana as the anchor rider, and the gap was no match for Switzerland's Nino Schurter, who caught Fullana at the base of the climb and roared away for the victory.
Italy also had a strong final lap, going from sixth to second, with Jader Zoli putting in the fastest lap of the race. Poland jumped up from fifth to the medal podium spot, but were nearly caught when France's Cedric Ravanel recorded the second fastest lap of the race to pull to within 16 seconds of the Polish finisher Kryspin Pyrgies.
The teams that chose to save their strongest riders until last - as opposed to sending the elite men off first and anchoring with the women - picked the right tactic on this course, with Fullana and Sydor both caught quickly by the faster men.
"We did not use the same tactics as Spain" agreed Schurter, "I was on course with Fullana, and I was not worried, I knew that I could catch her."
Sydor confirmed the analysis: "You need a way bigger lead, if it is less than three minutes, then you are going to get caught. I was caught by at least four guys."
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Rob Jones/www.canadiancyclist.com
- Switzerland scores first blood in the MTB Worlds by winning the relay
- The podium
- Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski models the new U.S. uniform
- Trying to stay dry when the rain and hail moved in
- Geoff Kabush
- Martin Fanger
- The start of the Team Relay
- Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski had a strong start, but had a pedal unscrew on the climb
- Florian Vogel went to the front right away
- Tony Longo and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski
- Marcin Karczynski
- Geoff Kabush struggled in the mud and hail
- Switzerland moved to the front on the first climb
- Max Plaxton starts
- Petra Henzi managed to limit Switzerland's losses in the third leg
- Alex Harvey moved Canada into second
- Eva Lechner (Italy)
- The rain made the climb very slick
- Sam Schultz (USA) starts
- Sabine Spitz (Germany)
- Tristen Uhl (USA)
- Petra Henzi (Switzerland)
- Alison Sydor (Canada) and coach Michel Leblanc wait for Alex Harvey to come through
- Marga Fullana (spain) began the last lap in first
- Nino Schurter (Switzerland) just about to overtake Marga Fullana for the lead
- Nino Schurter takes off after Marga Fullana
- Nino Schurter went straight by Marga Fullana on the climb
- Alison Sydor started the last lap in 4th for Canada, but was caught by five men to finish 9th
- Alison Sydor starts for Canada
- Nino Schurter celebrates Switzerland's win
- Jader Zoli assured the Italians the silver medal
- Cedric Ravanel had a very strong ride to almost catch Poland and take away their bronze
- German champion Milatz Moritz took the German team up to 5th
- A strong final ride by Fredrik Kessiakoff moved Sweden up to 6th
- Carl Jones of host New Zealand finished 10th
- Mary McConneloug anchored the U.S. team
- Switzerland dominated the race for a well deserved gold medal
Images by Mikkeli Godfree/Cyclingnews.com
- Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) warming up in the pits minutes before the gun.
- the pre-race stare.
- The transition zone.
- NZ star XC rider Kashi Leuchs warmed up and ready to race.
- Florian Vogel (Switzerland) hits out from the gun.
- Horgan-Kobelski following onto the climb where his pedal would unscrew.
- Marcin Karczynski (Poland) looking good in the rock garden.
- Emil Lindgren (Sweden) follows suit.
- Carlos Coloma (Spain).does the same.
- Geoff Kabush (Canada) struggled in the mud.
- Benjamin Rugider (Germany) drops in to the rock garden.
- Bart Brentjens (Holland) came to watch the relay to spot lines.
- Martin Fanger (Switzerland) navigates a tricky left-hander in the trees.
- Adrian Dzialakiewicz (Poland) carries his bike through the same corner.
- Bart Brentjens watches for some lines.
- Séverine Hansen (France) gets her race face going.
- Sabine Spitz (Germany) looking driven.
- Rosara Joseph (New Zealand) trying to stay in contention.
- Nino Schurter (Switzerland) bringing it home on the last lap.
- Cedric Ravanel (France) tries a last lap effort but to no avail.
- Alison Sydor cranking it to keep the fast-finishing men off her heels
- Your intrepid reporter Rob Jones (www.canadiancyclist.com)
- Italian fans come to watch their team take the silver.
- The rainbow jersey presentation incorporated traditional Maori elements.
- The victors!
- Ray Godkin listens contemplatively to the Swiss national anthem.
- The podium
Results
1 Switzerland 1.27.20 Florian Vogel/Martin Fanger/Petra Henzi/Nino Schurter 2 Italy 0.50 Tony Longo/Cristian Cominelli/Eva Lechner/Jader Zoli 3 Poland 1.04 Marcin Karczynski/Adrian Dzialakiewicz/Maja Wloszczowska/Kryspin Pyrgies 4 France 1.20 Alexis Vuillermoz/Stéphane Tempier/Séverine Hansen/Cédric Ravanel 5 Germany 2.07 Benjamin Rudiger/Sebastian Lehr/Sabine Spitz/Moritz Milatz 6 Sweden 2.13 Emil Lindgren/Mattias Wengelin/Maria Ostergren/Fredrik Kessiakoff 7 Spain 3.00 Carlos Coloma/Ruben Ruzafa/David Lozano/Margarita Fullana 8 Russian Federation 3.02 Yury Trofimov/Evguen Petchenine/Irina Kalentieva/Sergey Nikolaev 9 Canada 5.14 Geoff Kabush/Max Plaxton/Alex Harvey/Alison Sydor 10 New Zealand 6.05 Kashi Leuchs/Clinton Robert Avery/Rosara Joseph/Carl Jones 11 The Netherlands 7.20 Jelmer Pietersma/Niels Wubben/Laura Turpijn/Rudi Van Houts 12 United States Of America 7.56 Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski/Samuel Schultz/Tristen Uhl/Mary McConneloug 13 Brasil 13.58 Daniel Rezende/Erika Gramiselli/Henrique Avancini/Edivando Cruz 14 South Africa 15.45 Ryk Coetzee/Burry Stander/Yolanda Speedy/Justice Makhale
