Litscher and Langvad win final stage

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Two world champions Thomas Litscher (U23 cross country) and Annika Langvad (marathon) won the final stage of the four-day mountain bike race on Lanzarote. The last day on Tuesday was the longest at 80km, and it featured 1600m of climbing.

Most of the climbing came on a 7km long climb at the halfway point. Sandy tracks, rocky trails, loose downhills and wind all challenged riders during the stage. The final 6km took racers alongside the sea with the Club La Santa resort in the background.

The race's fast men emerged at the front soon after the start: Thomas Litscher (X-Bionic Felt), Karl Markt (X-Bionic Felt), Luis Pinto (Bike Esteve), Ismael Ventura (ESMTB.com), Karl Platt (Team Bulls) and Ben Justesen (T-Bikes). Marking each other slowed them down and a second group eventually caught up with the leaders.

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At 26km, three X-Bionic Felt riders took advantage of a place where riders had to dismount to get around a muddy ditch. The three got away and were chased by Pinto, Ventura and Justesen. Over time , it was just Litscher and Markt left together at the front; the two worked together to slowly increase their lead.

At the big climb of the day, the leaders were little more than one and a half minute ahead. Behind them, the battle was unleashed. Justesen, Pinto, Ventura and Schneidawind forced the pace and went away from the other riders. Justesen increased pace, leaving Ventura behind, and the others would not be able to catch him again.

The remaining 40km of the course offered flat and wide tracks enabling more teamwork.

Litscher and Markt easily maintained their position to take another top two spots and to confirm their first and second places overall. Among the chasing riders, Pinto was the fastest and got his first top three in the race. Justesen's flat tyre a few yards from the finish did not prevent him from placing third overall. As to Ventura, he finished all alone, and lost the the fourth place overall, to the Portuguese rider Pinto.

In the women's race, marathon world champion Annika Langvad made a clear show of why she is wearing the rainbow jersey and won the stage and the race. Adelheid Morath and Sally Bigham took second and third.

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