Neff wins Pietermaritzburg cross country World Cup

Jolanda Neff (Liv Pro XC) won the first elite World Cup of her career in the women's race at the first round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, on Sunday.

The 5.7-kilometre course is completely new from the one riders saw last fall at the world championships, and most riders considered it to be harder. It challenged riders with technical rock gardens and jumps, and gave them no chance to rest with multiple climbs per lap. The heat also took its toll, particularly during the women's race in the early afternoon.

Neff, the under 23 world champion in Pietermaritzburg last fall, chose to ride with the elite field this season, and she came into the race as a favourite after dominating early season races in Europe. She did not disappoint, jumping to an early lead on the first of five laps, and did not relinquish the front spot for the rest of the race.

The young Swiss rider had a bit of a scare on the second lap when a moment's inattention led to a crash, forcing her to stop and straighten her saddle, but she managed to hold onto the lead by a slim nine seconds over a chasing Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Multivan Merida), who was shadowed by Neff's teammate Maja Wloszczowska.

Once Neff had stopped and banged her saddle straight, she extended her lead slowly over the remainder of the race to finish 25 seconds ahead of Dahle Flesjaa, with Wloszczowska taking third, a minute down on her teammate.

"I had a crash on the second lap after I had a lead of over a minute and when I crashed I lost a lot of time and hurt myself, and my saddle was out of place so I had to get off and fix it," Neff said. "It is not the best thing that can happen, but I was happy that I could find the rhythm again in the next lap and keep the lead until the finish line."

"It is such an amazing feeling; I knew that I was in good shape after I had a really good winter, where I could do a lot of good training, so I knew my shape was good. It is always really special when you can put it together when it counts, and it is amazing that I could do it today."

In the under 23 race held earlier in the day, Swedish national champion JennyRissveds (Scott-Odlo) took the title.

Full Results

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Elite women
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Jolanda Neff* (Swi) Liv Pro XC Team1:38:00
2Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Nor) Multivan Merida Biking Team0:00:25
3Maja Wloszczowska (Pol) Liv Pro XC Team0:01:00
4Annika Langvad (Den) Specialized Racing XC0:01:37
5Alexandra Engen (Swe) Ghost Factory Racing0:01:55
6Sabine Spitz (Ger) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team0:02:04
7Irina Kalentieva (Rus)0:02:08
8Julie Bresset (Fra) BH-Suntour-KMC0:02:48
9Emily Batty (Can) Trek Factory Racing0:03:05
10Tereza Hurikova (Cze) Specialized Racing XC0:03:27
11Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Feenstra Felt Pb Kenda Bike Team0:04:08
12Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Ghost Factory Racing0:04:18
13Eva Lechner (Ita) Team Colnago Sudtirol0:04:43
14Tanja Zakelj (Slo) Unior Tools Team0:05:00
15Katrin Leumann (Swi) Ghost Factory Racing0:06:10
16Rebecca Henderson (Aus) Trek Factory Racing0:06:38
17Corina Gantenbein (Swi) Fischer-BMC0:08:58
18Hanna Klein (Ger) BH-Suntour-KMC0:09:22
19Mariske Strauss (RSA) Orange Monkey Pro Team0:11:14
20Esther Süss (Swi) Wheeler - Ixs Team0:11:39
21Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Pro Team0:12:00
22Paula Gorycka (Pol) 4F Racing Team0:12:21
23Serena Calvetti (Ita)0:13:02
24Michelle Hediger (Swi) Fischer-BMC0:13:21
25Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team0:13:35
26Karen Hanlen (NZl)0:13:59
27Barbara Benko (Hun) Focus XC Team0:14:16
28Vera Andreeva (Rus)0:14:31
29Tracy Moseley (GBr)0:16:46
30Cindy Montambault (Can)0:17:13
31Tory Thomas (Aus)0:19:43
-1lapEkateryna Anoshina (Rus)Row 31 - Cell 2
-2lapsElisabeth Brandau (Ger)Row 32 - Cell 2
DNFAdelheid Morath (Ger) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro TeamRow 33 - Cell 2
DNSLene Byberg (Nor)Row 34 - Cell 2
DNSCherie Vale (RSA)Row 35 - Cell 2
DNSJenni King (Aus)Row 36 - Cell 2
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Teams
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Liv Pro XC Team72pts
2Ghost Factory Racing63Row 1 - Cell 3
3Specialized Racing XC51Row 2 - Cell 3
4Trek Factory Racing37Row 3 - Cell 3
5BH-Suntour-KMC36Row 4 - Cell 3
6Multivan Merida Biking Team35Row 5 - Cell 3
7Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team32Row 6 - Cell 3
8Fischer-BMC21Row 7 - Cell 3
9Feenstra Felt Pb Kenda Bike Team20Row 8 - Cell 3
10Team Colnago Sudtirol18Row 9 - Cell 3
11Unior Tools Team17Row 10 - Cell 3
12Orange Monkey Pro Team12Row 11 - Cell 3
13Wheeler - Ixs Team11Row 12 - Cell 3
14Luna Pro Team10Row 13 - Cell 3
154F Racing Team9Row 14 - Cell 3
16Focus XC Team4Row 15 - Cell 3
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Elite women World Cup standings after round 1
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Jolanda Neff* (Swi) Liv Pro XC Team250pts
2Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Nor) Multivan Merida Biking Team200Row 1 - Cell 3
3Maja Wloszczowska (Pol) Liv Pro XC Team160Row 2 - Cell 3
4Annika Langvad (Den) Specialized Racing XC150Row 3 - Cell 3
5Alexandra Engen (Swe) Ghost Factory Racing140Row 4 - Cell 3
6Sabine Spitz (Ger) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team130Row 5 - Cell 3
7Irina Kalentieva (Rus)120Row 6 - Cell 3
8Julie Bresset (Fra) BH-Suntour-KMC110Row 7 - Cell 3
9Emily Batty (Can) Trek Factory Racing100Row 8 - Cell 3
10Tereza Hurikova (Cze) Specialized Racing XC95Row 9 - Cell 3
11Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Feenstra Felt Pb Kenda Bike Team90Row 10 - Cell 3
12Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Ghost Factory Racing85Row 11 - Cell 3
13Eva Lechner (Ita) Team Colnago Sudtirol80Row 12 - Cell 3
14Tanja Zakelj (Slo) Unior Tools Team78Row 13 - Cell 3
15Katrin Leumann (Swi) Ghost Factory Racing76Row 14 - Cell 3
16Rebecca Henderson (Aus) Trek Factory Racing74Row 15 - Cell 3
17Ekateryna Anoshina (Rus)42Row 16 - Cell 3
18Elisabeth Brandau (Ger)40Row 17 - Cell 3
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Team World Cup standings
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Liv Pro XC Team72pts
2Ghost Factory Racing63Row 1 - Cell 3
3Specialized Racing XC51Row 2 - Cell 3
4Trek Factory Racing37Row 3 - Cell 3
5BH-Suntour-KMC36Row 4 - Cell 3
6Multivan Merida Biking Team35Row 5 - Cell 3
7Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team32Row 6 - Cell 3
8Fischer-BMC21Row 7 - Cell 3
9Feenstra Felt Pb Kenda Bike Team20Row 8 - Cell 3
10Team Colnago Sudtirol18Row 9 - Cell 3
11Unior Tools Team17Row 10 - Cell 3
12Orange Monkey Pro Team12Row 11 - Cell 3
13Wheeler - Ixs Team11Row 12 - Cell 3
14Luna Pro Team10Row 13 - Cell 3
154F Racing Team9Row 14 - Cell 3
16Focus XC Team4Row 15 - Cell 3

 

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