Gehbauer wins second straight Under 23 men's World Cup

Alexander Gehbauer (Austria National Team) extended his lead in the men's under 23 cross country World Cup series at round three in Offenburg, Germany, with his second straight victory in a blazing fast race.

After rain earlier in the week, the skies cleared and the sun came out for the start of racing on Saturday. This led to the track drying out and lap times in the sub-16 minute range for the five-lap race. A group of 11 riders formed at the front on the first lap, and were still together on lap two. It wasn't until the third lap that the pace began to reduce the numbers at the front.

Gerhard Kerschbaumer (TX Active Bianchi), the winner of round one and tied for points with Gehbauer after round two, crashed heavily through the rough, rooty Snake Pit section on lap two and backed off after that, eventually finishing 10th.

Markus Schulte-Luenzum (Focus MIG), Fabien Canal (GT Skoda Chamonix), Markus Bauer (German National Team), Matthias Stirnemann (Thoemus Racing), Diego Rosa (Giant Italia), Ondrej Cink (Merida) and Stephen Ettinger (US National Team) remained at the front and taking turns setting the pace with Gehbauer.

Rosa tried an attack in the third lap, but Gehbauer chased him down and the group stayed together until the final climb on the last lap, when it exploded under a series of attacks, with Gehbauer carving out a slim nine-second victory over a chase group led by Schulte-Luenzum, who beat Canal for second. Ettinger came in just behind the group for sixth.

Gehbauer now holds a 68-point lead in the World Cup standings over Kerschbaumer, with Schulte-Luenzum a distant 120 points back.

Ettinger moved up from his second row start position to join the leaders on lap two, managing to stay in contention until the final climb. "I had a much better start position than last week," the Washington rider said, "and it made a big difference passing people. I got up to the leaders, but I was yo-yoing off the back on the climbs, and I just didn't have it for the attacks on the last climb. It would have been great to finish top-five, but I'm really happy with this, it's my best finish ever."

Full Results

Swipe to scroll horizontally
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Alexander Gehbauer (Aut)1:20:05
2Markus Schulte-Luenzum (Ger) Focus MIG Team0:00:09
3Fabien Canal (Fra) Gt Skoda Chamonix0:00:10
4Markus Bauer (Ger)Row 3 - Cell 2
5Matthias Stirnemann (Swi) Thoemus Racing Team0:00:11
6Stephen Ettinger (USA)0:00:18
7Ondrej Cink (Cze) Merida Biking Team0:00:49
8Diego Rosa (Ita) Giant Italia Team0:01:06
9Michiel Van Der Heijden (Ned) Rabobank - Giant Off-Road Team0:01:24
10Gerhard Kerschbaumer (Ita) TX Active Bianchi0:01:31
11Jordan Sarrou (Fra) Scott Les Saisies0:01:32
12Marek Konwa (Pol) Milka Trek MTB Racing Team0:01:34
13Ruben Scheire (Bel) MPL Specialized MTB Team0:01:35
14Ivan Smirnov (Rus)0:01:38
15Jérémy Huguenin (Swi) Giant Swiss Sr - Suntour0:01:40
16Jeff Luyten (Bel) MPL Specialized MTB Team0:01:49
17Zsolt Juhasz (Hun) Euro One - Cube MTB Team0:01:52
18Marco Minnaard (Ned) Rabobank - Giant Off-Road Team0:02:11
19Luca Braidot (Ita)0:02:38
20Marek Rauchfuss (Cze)0:02:39
21Marcel Fleschhut (Ger)0:02:43
22Bryan Falaschi (Ita)0:02:55
23Reto Indergand (Swi) MK - Zentralschweiz0:03:11
24Piotr Brzozka (Pol) Jbg - 2 Professional MTB Team0:03:18
25Julian Schelb (Ger)0:03:21
26Julien Trarieux (Fra) Gt Skoda ChamonixRow 25 - Cell 2
27Hugo Drechou (Fra)0:03:24
28Nicholas Pettina (Ita) Elettroveneta - Corratec0:03:26
29Sascha Bleher (Ger)0:03:29
30Shlomi Haimy (Isr) Focus MIG TeamRow 29 - Cell 2
31Emilien Barben (Swi)0:03:32
32Sebastien Carabin (Bel) Versluys - Evenza Team0:03:34
33David Fletcher (GBr)0:03:46
34Felix Euteneuer (Ger)0:03:55
35Daniel Eymann (Swi) Thoemus Racing Team0:04:30
36Olof Jonsson (Swe) Rocky Roads - Orbea0:04:42
37Matej Nepustil (Cze) Merida Biking Team0:04:55
38Mikhail Baryshnikov (Rus)0:05:02
39Jonas Pedersen (Den)0:05:06
40Daniele Braidot (Ita)0:05:13
41Timofei Ivanov (Rus)0:05:15
42Kerry Werner (USA)0:05:16
43Thibaut Bellanger (Fra) Team Veloroc Lapierre0:05:28
44Rens De Bruin (Ned)0:05:30
45Kornel Osicki (Pol) Jbg - 2 Professional MTB Team0:05:45
46Jakub Magnusek (Cze) S&H Superior MTB Team0:05:46
47Stefan Peter (Swi) MK - Zentralschweiz0:05:52
48Fabrice Mels (Bel) Rocky Roads - OrbeaRow 47 - Cell 2
49David Simon (Ger) Team Firebike - Droessiger0:05:56
50Evan Mcneely (Can)0:05:58
51Gregor Raggl (Aut)Row 50 - Cell 2
52Matthias Hoi (Aut)Row 51 - Cell 2
53Gilles Sarrazin (Fra) Team Veloroc Lapierre0:06:03
54Tomas Pesek (Cze)0:06:04
55Trenton Day (Aus)0:06:13
56Ludwig Döhl (Ger)0:06:28
57Kenta Gallagher (GBr)0:06:36
58Bart De Vocht (Bel)0:06:46
59Jack Hinkens (USA)0:06:52
60Sebastian Batchelor (GBr) Infotre - Bi & Esse - Leecougan0:06:55
61Thomas Lapeyrie (Fra) Lapierre International0:07:05
62Kevin Krieg (Swi)0:07:09
63Jonas De Backer (Bel) Rocky Roads - Orbea0:07:16
64Marvin Gruget (Fra)0:07:24
65Russell Finsterwald (USA) Subaru - TrekRow 64 - Cell 2
66Marcus Nicolai (Ger)0:07:28
67Rourke Croeser (RSA) Orange Monkey / Cannondale0:07:34
68Marc Stutzmann (Swi)0:07:38
69Cameron Ivory (Aus)0:07:45
70Vasilis Adamou (Cyp)0:07:48
71Tomas Paprstka (Cze)0:08:05
72Kenneth Hansen (Den)0:08:09
73Manfred Zöger (Aut)0:08:14
74Christopher Schwab (Aut)0:08:38
75Mirco Widmer (Swi) Giant Swiss Sr - Suntour0:08:44
76Martino Di Pierdomenico (Ita) Infotre - Bi & Esse - Leecougan0:08:47
77Michael Crosbie (Aus)0:08:56
78Maximilian Holz (Ger)0:09:07
79Dominic Calitz (RSA) Team Protek0:09:38
80Andy Eyring (Ger)0:09:51
81Paul Van Der Ploeg (Aus) Felt Oetztal X - Bionic Team0:10:21
82Samuel Shaw (NZl)0:10:25
83Idan Shapira (Isr)0:10:43
84Dimitrios Antoniadis (Gre)0:11:01
85Mykhaylo Batsutsa (Ukr) Infotre - Bi & Esse - Leecougan0:11:26
86Pietro Sarai (Ita) Giant Italia Team0:11:42
87Urban Ferencak (Slo) Torpado Surfing Shop0:12:35
88Roger Walder (Swi) Scott - Swisspower MTB - Racing0:13:18
89Kyle Ward (Aus)0:13:42
90Anton Liyubuy (Ukr)0:14:59
91Mark Csielka (Hun) Euro One - Cube MTB TeamRow 90 - Cell 2
92Merlin Spranz (Aus)0:15:00
93Michalis Kittis (Cyp)0:15:50
94Nikolay Zaitsev (Kaz)0:16:22
95Simon Stiebjahn (Ger)Row 94 - Cell 2
96Timotheos Skettos (Cyp)Row 95 - Cell 2
97Jan Svorada (Cze) Merida Biking TeamRow 96 - Cell 2
DNFDaniel Geismayr (Aut)Row 97 - Cell 2
DNFFabian Strecker (Ger)Row 98 - Cell 2
DNFWenzel Böhm-Gräber (Ger)Row 99 - Cell 2
DNFSimon Seehofer (Aut)Row 100 - Cell 2
DNFHenrique Avancini (Bra) ISD Cycling TeamRow 101 - Cell 2
DNFMarc Metzler (Swi)Row 102 - Cell 2
DNFMartin Gluth (Ger)Row 103 - Cell 2
DNFBenjamin Buchi (Swi)Row 104 - Cell 2
DNFJose Maria Sanchez Ruiz (Spa)Row 105 - Cell 2
DNFAndras Szatmary (Hun) Euro One - Cube MTB TeamRow 106 - Cell 2
DNFMarkus Preiss (Aut)Row 107 - Cell 2
DNFDmytro Titarenko (Ukr) ISD Cycling TeamRow 108 - Cell 2
DNFJan Nesvadba (Cze)Row 109 - Cell 2
DNSNicolas Jeantet (Ita) ISD Cycling TeamRow 110 - Cell 2
DNSFrancis Morin (Can) BH - Suntour - Peisey VallandryRow 111 - Cell 2

Under 23 men individual World Cup standings after three rounds

Swipe to scroll horizontally
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Alexander Gehbauer (Aut)250pts
2Gerhard Kerschbaumer (Ita) TX Active Bianchi182Row 1 - Cell 3
3Markus Schulte-Luenzum (Ger) Focus MIG Team130Row 2 - Cell 3
4Fabien Canal (Fra) Gt Skoda Chamonix110Row 3 - Cell 3
5Markus Bauer (Ger)100Row 4 - Cell 3
6Michiel Van Der Heijden (Ned) Rabobank - Giant Off-Road Team94Row 5 - Cell 3
7Marek Konwa (Pol) Milka Trek MTB Racing Team78Row 6 - Cell 3
8Jordan Sarrou (Fra) Scott Les Saisies69Row 7 - Cell 3
9David Fletcher (GBr)62Row 8 - Cell 3
10Jérémy Huguenin (Swi) Giant Swiss SR - Suntour58Row 9 - Cell 3
11Stephen Ettinger (USA)57Row 10 - Cell 3
12Marco Minnaard (Ned) Rabobank - Giant Off-Road Team52Row 11 - Cell 3
13Diego Rosa (Ita) Giant Italia Team51Row 12 - Cell 3
14Matthias Stirnemann (Swi) Thoemus Racing Team50Row 13 - Cell 3
15Ondrej Cink (Cze) Merida Biking Team48Row 14 - Cell 3
16Piotr Brzozka (Pol) JBG - 2 Professional MTB Team40Row 15 - Cell 3
17Sebastien Carabin (Bel) Versluys - Evenza Team39Row 16 - Cell 3
18Ruben Scheire (Bel) MPL Specialized MTB Team32Row 17 - Cell 3
19Zsolt Juhasz (Hun) Euro One - Cube MTB Team24Row 18 - Cell 3
20Marcel Fleschhut (Ger)23Row 19 - Cell 3
21Olof Jonsson (Swe) Rocky Roads - Orbea22Row 20 - Cell 3
22Erik Groen (Ned) Feenstra Stevens Bike Team20Row 21 - Cell 3
23Jeff Luyten (Bel) MPL Specialized MTB Team18Row 22 - Cell 3
24Rourke Croeser (RSA) Orange Monkey / Cannondale16Row 23 - Cell 3
25Kornel Osicki (Pol) JBG - 2 Professional MTB Team14Row 24 - Cell 3
26Ivan Smirnov (Rus)14Row 25 - Cell 3
27Matthias Rupp (Swi) Team Firebike - Droessiger13Row 26 - Cell 3
28Andy Eyring (Ger)12Row 27 - Cell 3
29Julien Trarieux (Fra) Gt Skoda Chamonix10Row 28 - Cell 3
30Shlomi Haimy (Isr) Focus MIG Team7Row 29 - Cell 3
31Henrique Avancini (Bra) ISD Cycling Team7Row 30 - Cell 3
32Luca Braidot (Ita)7Row 31 - Cell 3
33Marek Rauchfuss (Cze)6Row 32 - Cell 3
34Gilles Sarrazin (Fra) Team Veloroc Lapierre5Row 33 - Cell 3
35Bart De Vocht (Bel)5Row 34 - Cell 3
36Bryan Falaschi (Ita)4Row 35 - Cell 3
37Martin Gluth (Ger)4Row 36 - Cell 3
38Simon Stiebjahn (Ger)4Row 37 - Cell 3
39Reto Indergand (Swi) MK - Zentralschweiz3Row 38 - Cell 3
40Marc Metzler (Swi)3Row 39 - Cell 3
41Paul Van Der Ploeg (Aus) Felt Oetztal X - Bionic Team2Row 40 - Cell 3
42Thibaut Bellanger (Fra) Team Veloroc Lapierre2Row 41 - Cell 3
43Hugo Drechou (Fra)1Row 42 - Cell 3
44Julian Schelb (Ger)1Row 43 - Cell 3

Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*

Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets

After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Join now for unlimited access

Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Latest on Cyclingnews