Sunshine Cup #4 - 1

Voroklini, Cyprus, March 18, 2007

Results

Kugler and Spitz win final Sunshine Cup

Swiss rider Andreas Kugler and German Sabine Spitz won the elite men's and women's races at round four of the Sunshine Cup in Cypress.

An initial lead group contained major players in the men's race. Kugler was joined by Michi Weiss (Aut), Maxim Gogolev (Rus), Christoph Bischof (Sui), all of whom engaged in a game of cat and mouse, but the decisive moment in the men's race came when Kugler escaped at the end of the fourth lap. After 2:29:36 hours, the Fischer-BMC rider logged his first victory of the season. He finished 46 seconds ahead of German Wolfram Kurschat. Russian Evgeny Petchenine took the final podium spot in third ahead of Bikin' Cyprus rider Weiss who's teammate Bischof had to withdraw after he broke his rear drop-out.

Spitz dominated the women's race. She led from start to finish and took the overall win in 1:57:06, 3:51 ahead of Spanish rider Gamonal Ferrera Rocio and 4:46 ahead of Swiss racer Petra Henz.

"At the start, I had some problems to get a rhythm. But then I worked very well. The demanding course made a lot of fun. The race gives me a good feedback looking at my training. That gives a solid base for four to five weeks before first World Cup," Spitz said after her second victory in as many weeks. Last weekend, she won the Race under the sun.

Results

Elite Men

1 Andreas Kugler (Swi) Fischer BMC                                       2.29.36
2 Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) MBC Bochum                                         0.46
3 Evgeny Petchenine (Rus) Russian National Team                             1.27
4 Michaels Weiss (Aut) Bikin’cyprus Int’l MTB team                          2.30
5 Max Öste - Macdonald (Swe) Cykelcity.se                                   3.46
6 Maxim Gogolev (Rus) Russian National Team                                 4.07
7 Periklis Ilias (Gre) Hellenic National Team                               4.10
8 Magnus Darvell (Swe) Falu CK Sweden                                       6.03
9 Evgeny Krylov (Rus) Russian National Team                                 6.42
10 Nilsson Mattias (Swe) Falu CK Sweden                                     8.00
11 Tobias Ullmann (Ger) Haibike/RF Hilpoltstein                             9.22
12 Mikael Salomonsson (Swe) Spårvägen CF                                   11.26
13 Ekstam Oscar (Swe) Falu CK Sweden                                       11.54
14 Victor Trokhin (Rus) Russian National Team                              12.31
15 Sergey Nikolaev (Rus) Russian National Team                             15.28
16 Giorgos Fattas (Cyp)                                                    16.27
17 Vladislavs Neroznaks (Lat)                                              19.56
18 Alexei Belokrylov (Rus)                                                 20.17
19 Per Kumlin (Swe) Spårvägen CF                                           22.40
20 Michal Plesnik (Svk) CK ZP Sport                                        29.05
One lap down
21 Hjalmar Bengtsson (Swe) Spårvägen CF                                         
22 Thomas Papadopoulos (Gre) Hellenic National Team                             
Four laps down
23 Arab Abdallah (Lib) Lebanon                                                  
DNF Christian Schart (Ger) Team Guttenberger/RF Hilpoltstein                    
DNF Claudio Andenmatten (Swi) Simplon Fighters – BikeSport Simplon Brig-Glis    
DNF Christof Bischof (Swi) Bikin’cyprus Int’l MTB team                          
DNF Marios Athanasiades (Cyp) Bikin’cyprus Int’l MTB team                       
DNF Fotios Moshotelis (Gre) Hellenic National Team                              
 
Elite Women

1 Sabine Spitz (Ger)                                                     1.57.06
2 Rocio Gamonal Ferrera (Spa) Spain                                         3.51
3 Petra Henzi (Swi) Fischer BMC                                             4.46
4 Ksenia Chernykh (Rus) Russian National Team                               6.26
5 Inbar Ronen (Isr)                                                         7.21
6 Elina Sophokleous (Cyp) Bikin’cyprus Int’l MTB team                      11.39
7 Oxana Rybakova (Rus) Russian National Team                               12.11
8 Evgenia Belozerova (Rus) Russian National Team                           16.02
9 Ruth Moll Marques (Spa) Spain                                            19.48
10 Ivanda Eiduka (Lat) ZZK-Extreme sport                                   25.40
11 Elena Gogoleva (Rus) Russian National Team                              26.33
Three laps down
12 Sabrina Tviss (Gre) PANERYTHRAIKOS                                           
13 Yelena Petrova (Lat)                                                         
14 Eleni Soula (Gre) PANERYTHRAIKOS