Engen wins Val di Sole eliminator

In the third round of the eliminator at the Mountain Bike World Cup, world champion Alexandra Engen (Ghost Factory) won her second World Cup of the year.

The Val di Sole, Italy course was very different from the preceding two rounds, with a steep climb followed by jumps and banked turns on a four cross circuit, and finally a long grass straightaway to the finish. The winning tactic - for those who were strong enough - was to reach the top of the climb in first place, and then open a gap in the four cross section.

Engen qualified first among the women, and then won each of her heats on the way to the final. The Swedish rider was joined in the final by three Swiss riders - Kathrin Stirnemann (Sabine Spitz Haibike), Linda Indergand (Strubi MTB Kader) and Jolanda Neff (Giant Pro XC). Engen got the lead up the climb, but Stirnemann was hot on her wheel, forcing Engen to sprint all the way to the line. Indergand took third, followed by Neff.

"It was really, really tough," said Engen. "The uphill is really something. I wanted to be at the front on the top because I know then I can hold my lines. I really fought like a maniac so they wouldn't pass me But it was terribly hard."

"Of course, the final was the hardest one, I know the Switzerland mafia are really good starters. In the other heats, I could take the first position before we went onto the road and here it was a fight almost all the way to the top, to see would would make the first turn, but I took it."

Engen now leads the overall World Cup standings with 150 points, followed by Stirnemann at 120 and Jenny Rissveds (Swedish National) at 80. Rissveds, who won round 2, was absent writing school exams. Pichette is the top Canadian in the rankings, in 15th place. No Americans are ranked in the World Cup standings.

Full Results

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Elite women eliminator
#Rider Name (Country) Team
1Alexandra Engen (Swe) Ghost Factory Racing Team
2Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team
3Linda Indergand* (Swi) Strübi MTB Kader
4Jolanda Neff* (Swi) Giant Pro XC Team
5Ingrid Sofie Jacobsen* (Nor)
6Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Pro Team
7Andréanne Pichette (Can)
8Anna Oberparleiter (Ita)
9Anne Terpstra* (Ned) Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team
10Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) Team Colnago Sudtirol
11Elisabeth Sveum (Nor)
12Alessia Bulleri* (Ita)
13Nadine Rieder (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team
14Aleksandra Dawidowicz (Pol) Bi&Esse Carrera
15Ramona Forchini* (Swi) Strübi MTB Kader
16Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Calcit Bike Team
17Catharine Pendrel (Can) Luna Pro Team
18Rachel Pageau° (Can)
19Deidre York* (USA)
20Kate Courtney° (USA)
21Sabrina Maurer (Swi) BSK Graf-Rollmat-Koba MTB Team
22Iryna Popova* (Ukr) Cycling Club Roma MTB Team
23Yana Belomoyna* (Ukr) Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team
24Tina Kindlhofer* (Aut)
25Shayna Powless* (USA)
26Marta Tereshchuk* (Ukr) Cycling Club Roma MTB Team
27Frederique Trudel* (Can)
28Mikaela Kofman (Can) Scott-3Roxracing
DNSSabrina Enaux (Fra)
DNSAlice Barnes° (GBr)
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Elite women World Cup standings after three rounds
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Alexandra Engen (Swe) Ghost Factory Racing Team150pts
2Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team120Row 1 - Cell 3
3Jenny Rissveds* (Swe)80Row 2 - Cell 3
4Jolanda Neff* (Swi) Giant Pro XC Team51Row 3 - Cell 3
5Linda Indergand* (Swi) Strübi MTB Kader50Row 4 - Cell 3
6Nadine Rieder (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team44Row 5 - Cell 3
7Ingrid Sofie Jacobsen* (Nor)39Row 6 - Cell 3
8Eva Lechner (Ita) Team Colnago Sudtirol37Row 7 - Cell 3
9Anne Terpstra* (Ned) Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team28Row 8 - Cell 3
10Cécile Ravanel (Fra) Team GT Skoda25Row 9 - Cell 3
11Aleksandra Dawidowicz (Pol) Bi&Esse Carrera22Row 10 - Cell 3
12Anna Oberparleiter (Ita)22Row 11 - Cell 3
13Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Pro Team20Row 12 - Cell 3
14Pauline Ferrand Prevot * (Fra) Giant Pro XC Team18Row 13 - Cell 3
15Andréanne Pichette (Can)16Row 14 - Cell 3
16Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) Team Colnago Sudtirol16Row 15 - Cell 3
17Ramona Forchini* (Swi) Strübi MTB Kader16Row 16 - Cell 3
18Katrin Leumann (Swi) Ghost Factory Racing Team14Row 17 - Cell 3
19Andreane Lanthier-Nadeau* (Can)14Row 18 - Cell 3
20Elisabeth Sveum (Nor)8Row 19 - Cell 3
21Alessia Bulleri* (Ita)6Row 20 - Cell 3
22Lena Putz* (Ger)6Row 21 - Cell 3
23Elvira Khayrullina (Rus)3Row 22 - Cell 3
24Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Calcit Bike Team1Row 23 - Cell 3
25Laura Turpijn (Ned) SBJ Bike Team1Row 24 - Cell 3

 

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