Engen wins gold for Sweden
Stirnemann, Zakelj round out top three
The under 23 races at the European Cross Country championships on Thursday were the perfect dress rehearsal for tomorrow's elite races taking place in Haifa, Israel. The weather was hot and slightly humid, but that did not stop the young Europeans from showing everyone their talent.
The under 23 women raced in the cooler morning temperatures, but it wasn't too early for a heated battle between riders. Paula Gorycka (Poland) led the pack on the opening lap, and would eventually finish in sixth place.
Local favourite Noga Korem (Israel) had a bit of a slow start, then worked herself into a top 15 spot, much to the delight of the crowds there to support her.
Meanwhile, in the front of the race, Kathrin Stirnemann (Switzerland) was in a good position, with almost half a minute ahead of Alexandra Engen (Sweden). However, after a slow start, Engen set a blistering third lap pace, where she all but made up the deficit.
Stirnemann's batteries ran out near the end of the final lap, yet she hung on to finish a respectful second place behind Engen, who clocked a sub-22 minute final lap on her way to the win.
Slovenia's Tanja Zakelj put in consistent lap times to secure the final spot on the podium.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Alexandra Engen (Sweden) | 1:27:45 |
2 | Kathrin Stirnemann (Switzerland) | 0:00:34 |
3 | Tanja Zakelj (Slovenia) | 0:02:01 |
4 | Annie Last (Great Britain) | 0:02:36 |
5 | Barbara Benko (Hungary) | 0:03:01 |
6 | Paula Gorycka (Poland) | 0:04:18 |
7 | Anne Terpstra (Netherlands) | 0:04:31 |
8 | Lily Matthews (Great Britain) | 0:06:50 |
9 | Katarzyna Solus-Miskowicz (Poland) | 0:07:33 |
10 | Judith Pollinger (Italy) | 0:08:01 |
11 | Vera Andreeva (Russia) | 0:08:13 |
12 | Ekaterina Anoshina (Russia) | 0:08:28 |
13 | Mona Eberweiser (Germany) | 0:08:37 |
14 | Vivienne Meyer (Switzerland) | 0:08:52 |
15 | Noga Korem (Israel) | 0:09:27 |
16 | Serena Calvetti (Italy) | 0:11:03 |
17 | Joana Barbosa (Portugal) | 0:14:35 |
-1lap | Viktoria Sultanova (Ukraine) | Row 17 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Nadezhda Orlova (Russia) | Row 18 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Kseniya Kirillova (Russia) | Row 19 - Cell 2 |

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
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Most Popular
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
Orluis Aular wins CRO Race despite late crash on final stage
Campbell Stewart lands bunch sprint in Zagreb -
'We gave him the green light' - Jumbo-Visma accept Roglic's transfer request
Plugge hails contribution of team's 'king' -
Tour de l'Avenir winner Isaac Del Toro joins UAE Team Emirates
Mexican arrives from A.R. Monex on three-year deal -
Charm City C1: Ferdinande takes narrow victory over Strohmeyer, White
Belgian nearly pipped at the line by fast-sprinting American