Kulhavy outsprints Schurter

Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized) topped off his incredible World Cup season by winning the his fifth race in seven rounds at the World Cup final in Val di Sole. Kulhavy fended off a strong challenge by the Swiss duo of Nino Schurter and Florian Vogel (both Scott-Swisspower) to outsprint Schurter for the win.

In previous races this year, Kulhavy has attacked early, riding away from the rest of the field. This time, he allowed Schurter and Vogel to set the pace over the six laps, content to follow them up the steep climbs and never looking to be in difficulty.

The trio dropped Julien Absalon (Orbea) by the second lap, and the Frenchman chased in vain all race, eventually finishing fourth. Behind Absalon, a chase group formed, containing world champion Jose Hermida (Multivan Merida), Lukas and Matthias Flückiger (Trek World Racing), Stephane Tempier (TX Active Bianchi), Christoph Sauser (Specialized), Todd Wells (Specialized), Thomas Litscher (Felt Oetztal X-Bionic), Manuel Fumic (Cannondale) and Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Wildwolf-Trek).

This group was steadily losing ground, and started shedding riders as the race wore on, with Lukas Flückiger eventually dropping the remaining members to take the fifth and final podium spot.

A crash on the start loop also took out of contention some top riders.  Burry Stander (Specialized) found himself with a broken chain just after the start and rode an amazing race, moving up from 120th on the first lap to finish 23rd.

In the front trio, Vogel was finally dropped on the fifth lap, leaving Schurter to try and ditch Kulhavy, without success. Kulhavy attacked in the final kilometre and easily outsprinted Schurter, popping a wheelie as he crossed the line.

"He was playing with us," said Schurter, a little bitterly. "I tried to attack, but he just sat on, and I could not drop him. I will have to think about what I can do in the next two weeks, to be able to beat him at the Worlds, but it will be hard."

"I am very happy to have won the World Cup," said Kulhavy, "but I am surprised that I was able to ride so well on a course with so much climbing. This has been a perfect season for me."

Kulhavy finished the series with five first places, one second place and a third place, for a total of 1610 points. Schurter was a distant second, with 1270 and Absalon held onto third with 960 points. Hermida took fourth with 813 points, just squeaking ahead of Maxime Marotte (BH-Suntour-Peisey Vallandry) at 810. Todd Wells was the top North American, in 21st, followed by Geoff Kabush (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain) in 24th.

Full results

Swipe to scroll horizontally
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) Specialized Racing1:25:08
2Nino Schurter (Swi) Scott - Swisspower MTB - RacingRow 1 - Cell 2
3Florian Vogel (Swi) Scott - Swisspower MTB - Racing0:01:21
4Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea0:02:05
5Lukas Flückiger (Swi) Trek World Racing0:02:37
6Stéphane Tempier (Fra) TX Active Bianchi0:02:45
7Mathias Flückiger (Swi) Trek World Racing0:02:49
8Christoph Sauser (Swi) Specialized Racing0:02:51
9Thomas Litscher (Swi) Felt Oetztal X - Bionic Team0:03:00
10Fabian Giger (Swi) Rabobank - Giant Off-Road Team0:03:04
11Manuel Fumic (Ger) Cannondale Factory Racing0:03:06
12José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spa) Multivan Merida Biking Team0:03:10
13Moritz Milatz (Ger) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team0:03:14
14Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) Wildwolf - Trek Racing0:03:43
15Catriel Andres Soto (Arg) Team ProtekRow 14 - Cell 2
16Henk Jaap Moorlag (Ned) Rabobank - Giant Off-Road Team0:03:44
17Todd Wells (USA) Specialized Racing0:04:06
18Maxime Marotte (Fra) BH - Suntour - Peisey Vallandry0:04:29
19Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Cannondale Factory Racing0:05:00
20Samuel Schultz (USA) Subaru - Trek0:05:13
21Kevin Van Hoovels (Bel) Versluys - Evenza Team0:05:29
22Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Spa) Wildwolf - Trek RacingRow 21 - Cell 2
23Burry Stander (RSA) Specialized Racing0:05:48
24Kohei Yamamoto (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor0:05:58
25Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team0:06:08
26Inaki Lejarreta Errasti (Spa) Orbea0:06:11
27Martin Gujan (Swi) Cannondale Factory Racing0:06:15
28Liam Killeen (GBr) Giant Factory Off-Road Team0:06:27
29Matous Ulman (Cze) S&H Superior MTB Team0:06:43
30Rudi Van Houts (Ned) Multivan Merida Biking Team0:06:55
31Sergji Rysenko (Ukr) ISD Cycling Team0:07:06
32Michele Casagrande (Ita) Elettroveneta - Corratec0:07:15
33Jukka Vastaranta (Fin) Milka Trek MTB Racing Team0:07:24
34Jochen Kass (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team0:07:32
35Geoff Kabush (Can) Team Maxxis - Rocky Mountain0:07:36
36Sid Taberlay (Aus)0:07:39
37Christoph Soukup (Aut)0:07:41
38Karl Markt (Aut) Felt Oetztal X - Bionic Team0:07:44
39Andras Parti (Hun) Euro One - Cube MTB TeamRow 38 - Cell 2
40Cédric Ravanel (Fra) GT Skoda Chamonix0:07:52
41Andrea Tiberi (Ita) Torpado Surfing Shop0:08:01
42Emil Lindgren (Swe) Rabobank - Giant Off-Road Team0:08:02
43Marek Galinski (Pol) JBG - 2 Professional Mtb Team0:08:04
44Robby De Bock (Bel)0:08:12
45Umberto Corti (Ita) Team CBE Tecnoimpianti A.S.D.0:08:13
46Derek Zandstra (Can)Row 45 - Cell 2
47Niels Wubben (Ned) Rabobank - Giant Off-Road Team0:08:29
48Adam Craig (USA) Rabobank - Giant Off-Road TeamRow 47 - Cell 2
49Daniel Mcconnell (Aus)0:08:44
50Jan Skarnitzl (Cze) Rubena - Birell - Specialized Cycling Team0:08:53
51Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) Subaru - Trek0:09:08
52Lukas Kaufmann (Swi)0:09:14
53Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) Lapierre International0:09:18
54Martino Fruet (Ita)0:09:26
55Milan Spesny (Cze) S&H Superior MTB Team0:09:36
56Pascal Meyer (Swi) Thoemus Racing Team0:09:46
57Patrik Gallati (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team0:10:04
58Hector Leonardo Paez Leon (Col)0:10:07
59Giuseppe Lamastra (Ita) Elettroveneta - Corratec0:10:12
60Michal Lami (Svk)0:10:26
61Tony Longo (Ita) TX Active Bianchi0:10:31
62Julien Taramarcaz (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team0:11:00
63Bas Peters (Ned) Team Merida Combee0:11:14
64Giancarlo Sax (Swi) Thoemus Racing Team0:11:23
65Adam Morka (Can)0:11:46
66Uwe Hochenwarter (Aut) Muskelkater Genesis Team0:12:05
67Adrian Brzozka (Pol) JBG - 2 Professional MTB Team0:13:23
68Irjan Luttenberg (Ned) MPL Specialized MTB TeamRow 67 - Cell 2
69Johannes Schweiggl (Ita)Row 68 - Cell 2
70Mario Alberto Rojas Rojas (Col)0:14:14
71Michael Broderick (USA)0:14:38
-1 lapBenjamin Wittrup Justesen (Den)Row 71 - Cell 2
-1 lapFabio Ursi (Ita) Team CBE Tecnoimpianti A.S.D.Row 72 - Cell 2
-1 lapKazuhiro Yamamoto (Jpn)Row 73 - Cell 2
-1 lapRenay Groustra (RSA)Row 74 - Cell 2
-1 lapMatthew Hadley (Can)Row 75 - Cell 2
-1 lapPaolo Cesar Montoya Cantillo (CRc) GT Stacplastic TeamRow 76 - Cell 2
-1 lapRobert Gehbauer (Aut)Row 77 - Cell 2
-1 lapLudovic Dubau (Fra) Team NewcyclingRow 78 - Cell 2
-1 lapHannes Metzler (Aut) Muskelkater Genesis TeamRow 79 - Cell 2
-1 lapMirko Pirazzoli (Ita)Row 80 - Cell 2
-1 lapJiri Novak (Cze) S&H Superior MTB TeamRow 81 - Cell 2
-1 lapYader Zoli (Ita) Torpado Surfing ShopRow 82 - Cell 2
-1 lapDavide Di Marco (Ita)Row 83 - Cell 2
-1 lapSeiya Hirano (Jpn) Team Bridgestone AnchorRow 84 - Cell 2
-1 lapSang Hoon Na (Kor)Row 85 - Cell 2
-1 lapMatthias Waldhart (Aut)Row 86 - Cell 2
-1 lapPascal Hossay (Bel) G - Skin - Deforche MTB Racing TeamRow 87 - Cell 2
-2 lapsChun Hing Chan (HKg)Row 88 - Cell 2
-2 lapsChris Jongewaard (Aus) Milka Trek MTB Racing TeamRow 89 - Cell 2
-2 lapsOliver Munnik (RSA)Row 90 - Cell 2
-2 lapsKen Onodera (Jpn)Row 91 - Cell 2
-2 lapsPierre Lebreton (Fra) BH - Suntour - Peisey VallandryRow 92 - Cell 2
-2 lapsSeverin Disch (Swi) Thoemus Racing TeamRow 93 - Cell 2
-2 lapsJiri Friedl (Cze) Rubena - Birell - Specialized Cycling TeamRow 94 - Cell 2
-2 lapsOleksandr Gerashchenko (Ukr) ISD Cycling TeamRow 95 - Cell 2
-2 lapsPaul Remy (Fra)Row 96 - Cell 2
-2 lapsRoberto Crisi (Ita)Row 97 - Cell 2
-2 lapsSamuele Porro (Ita)Row 98 - Cell 2
-2 lapsPeriklis Ilias (Gre) Team ProtekRow 99 - Cell 2
-3 lapsCarl Jones (NZl)Row 100 - Cell 2
-3 lapsBalz Weber (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing TeamRow 101 - Cell 2
-3 lapsEmmanuel Valencia Guadarrama (Mex) Turbo Bike TeamRow 102 - Cell 2
-3 lapsNicola Rohrbach (Swi) Elettroveneta - CorratecRow 103 - Cell 2
-3 lapsCameron Jette (Can)Row 104 - Cell 2
-3 lapsDror Pekatch (Isr)Row 105 - Cell 2
-4 lapsJohn Whittington (GBr)Row 106 - Cell 2
-5 lapsMartin Loo (Est) Infotre - Bi & Esse - LeecouganRow 107 - Cell 2
DNFMarc Colom (Fra) Team NewcyclingRow 108 - Cell 2
DNFJelmer Pietersma (Ned) Milka Trek MTB Racing TeamRow 109 - Cell 2
DNFSepp Freiburghaus (Swi) Thoemus Racing TeamRow 110 - Cell 2
DNFMartin Fanger (Swi) Giant Swiss SR - SuntourRow 111 - Cell 2
DNFAnton Sintsov (Rus)Row 112 - Cell 2
DNFPierre-Geoffroy Plantet (Fra) Lapierre InternationalRow 113 - Cell 2
DNFLuis Anderson Mejia Sanchez (Col) ASPTT Definitive GitaneRow 114 - Cell 2
DNFIvan Alvarez Gutierrez (Spa) Giant Italia TeamRow 115 - Cell 2
DNFRene Tann (Ger)Row 116 - Cell 2
DNFAlexey Medvedev (Rus) Elettroveneta - CorratecRow 117 - Cell 2
DNFSimon Scheiber (Aut) Felt Oetztal X - Bionic TeamRow 118 - Cell 2
DNFRamon Sagues Portabella (Spa)Row 119 - Cell 2
DNFEddie Andres Rendon (Col)Row 120 - Cell 2
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Teams
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Specialized Racing77pts
2Scott - Swisspower MTB- Racing67Row 1 - Cell 3
3Trek World Racing52Row 2 - Cell 3
4Rabobank - Giant Off-Road Team36Row 3 - Cell 3
5Cannondale Factory Racing36Row 4 - Cell 3
6Orbea35Row 5 - Cell 3
7TX Active Bianchi26Row 6 - Cell 3
8Wildwolf - Trek Racing26Row 7 - Cell 3
9Felt Oetztal X - Bionic Team22Row 8 - Cell 3
10Multivan Merida Biking Team20Row 9 - Cell 3
11BMC Mountainbike Racing Team18Row 10 - Cell 3
12Team Protek16Row 11 - Cell 3
13BH - Suntour - Peisey Vallandry13Row 12 - Cell 3
14Subaru - Trek11Row 13 - Cell 3
15Versluys - Evenza Team10Row 14 - Cell 3
16Team Bridgestone Anchor7Row 15 - Cell 3
17Topeak Ergon Racing Team6Row 16 - Cell 3
18Giant Factory Off-Road Team3Row 17 - Cell 3
19S&H Superior MTB Team2Row 18 - Cell 3
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Elite men cross country final World Cup standings
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) Specialized Racing1610pts
2Nino Schurter (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing1270Row 1 - Cell 3
3Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea960Row 2 - Cell 3
4José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spa) Multivan Merida Biking Team813Row 3 - Cell 3
5Maxime Marotte (Fra) BH-Suntour-Peisey Vallandry810Row 4 - Cell 3
6Burry Stander (RSA) Specialized Racing768Row 5 - Cell 3
7Christoph Sauser (Swi) Specialized Racing760Row 6 - Cell 3
8Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Cannondale Factory Racing668Row 7 - Cell 3
9Stéphane Tempier (Fra) TX Active Bianchi662Row 8 - Cell 3
10Florian Vogel (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing658Row 9 - Cell 3
11Manuel Fumic (Ger) Cannondale Factory Racing658Row 10 - Cell 3
12Lukas Flückiger (Swi) Trek World Racing636Row 11 - Cell 3
13Mathias Flückiger (Swi) Trek World Racing598Row 12 - Cell 3
14Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Spa) Wildwolf-Trek Racing550Row 13 - Cell 3
15Thomas Litscher (Swi) Felt Oetztal X-Bionic Team537Row 14 - Cell 3
16Fabian Giger (Swi) Rabobank-Giant Offroad Team529Row 15 - Cell 3
17Moritz Milatz (Ger) BMC Mountain Bike Racing Team511Row 16 - Cell 3
18Rudi Van Houts (Ned)496Row 17 - Cell 3
19Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) Wildwolf-Trek Racing470Row 18 - Cell 3
20Martin Gujan (Swi) Cannondale Factory Racing465Row 19 - Cell 3
21Todd Wells (USA) Specialized Racing441Row 20 - Cell 3
22Inaki Lejarreta Errasti (Spa) Orbea421Row 21 - Cell 3
23Liam Killeen (GBr) Giant Factory Off-Road Team368Row 22 - Cell 3
24Geoff Kabush (Can) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain363Row 23 - Cell 3
25Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Spa) Giant Italia Team358Row 24 - Cell 3
26Karl Markt (Aut) Felt Oetztal X-Bionic Team334Row 25 - Cell 3
27Samuel Schultz (USA) Subaru-Trek279Row 26 - Cell 3
28Jochen Kass (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team273Row 27 - Cell 3
29Jan Skarnitzl (Cze) Rubena - Birell - Specialized Cycling Team267Row 28 - Cell 3
30Henk Jaap Moorlag (Ned) Rabobank-Giant Offroad Team256Row 29 - Cell 3
31Patrik Gallati (Swi) BMC Mountain Bike Racing Team252Row 30 - Cell 3
32Matous Ulman (Cze) S&H Superior MTB Team252Row 31 - Cell 3
33Ralph Naef (Swi) Multivan Merida Biking Team249Row 32 - Cell 3
34Derek Zandstra (Can)247Row 33 - Cell 3
35Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) Subaru-Trek245Row 34 - Cell 3
36Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team235Row 35 - Cell 3
37Martin Fanger (Swi) Giant Swiss SR-Suntour214Row 36 - Cell 3
38Kevin Van Hoovels (Bel) Versluys-Evenza Team206Row 37 - Cell 3
39Kohei Yamamoto (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor199Row 38 - Cell 3
40Cédric Ravanel (Fra) GT Skoda Chamonix197Row 39 - Cell 3
41Lukas Kaufmann (Swi)184Row 40 - Cell 3
42Ruben Ruzafa Cueto (Spa) Orbea174Row 41 - Cell 3
43Jiri Friedl (Cze) Rubena - Birell - Specialized Cycling Team173Row 42 - Cell 3
44Andras Parti (Hun) Euro One-Cube MTB Team163Row 43 - Cell 3
45Adam Craig (USA) Rabobank-Giant Offroad Team162Row 44 - Cell 3
46Marek Galinski (Pol) JBG-2 Professional MTB Team162Row 45 - Cell 3
47Catriel Andres Soto (Arg) Team Protek160Row 46 - Cell 3
48Oliver Beckingsale (GBr)135Row 47 - Cell 3
49Marc Colom (Fra) Team Newcycling130Row 48 - Cell 3
50Pierre-Geoffroy Plantet (Fra) Team Newcycling125Row 49 - Cell 3
51Nicola Rohrbach (Swi) Elettroveneta-Corratec125Row 50 - Cell 3
52Severin Disch (Swi) Thoemus Racing Team114Row 51 - Cell 3
53Martino Fruet (Ita)113Row 52 - Cell 3
54Christoph Soukup (Aut)110Row 53 - Cell 3
55Jukka Vastaranta (Fin) Milka Trek MTB Racing Team110Row 54 - Cell 3
56Uwe Hochenwarter (Aut) Muskelkater Genesis Team109Row 55 - Cell 3
57Jeremiah Bishop (USA)100Row 56 - Cell 3
58Daniel Mcconnell (Aus)92Row 57 - Cell 3
59Emil Lindgren (Swe) Rabobank-Giant Offroad Team91Row 58 - Cell 3
60Jiri Novak (Cze) S&H Superior MTB Team90Row 59 - Cell 3
61Jelmer Pietersma (Ned) Milka Trek MTB Racing Team85Row 60 - Cell 3
62Irjan Luttenberg (Ned) MPL Specialized MTB Team82Row 61 - Cell 3
63Andrea Tiberi (Ita) Torpado Surfing Shop69Row 62 - Cell 3
64Sepp Freiburghaus (Swi) Thoemus Racing Team68Row 63 - Cell 3
65Milan Spesny (Cze) S&H Superior MTB Team67Row 64 - Cell 3
66Pascal Meyer (Swi) Thoemus Racing Team63Row 65 - Cell 3
67Michele Casagrande (Ita) Elettroveneta-Corratec61Row 66 - Cell 3
68Kristian Hynek (Cze)58Row 67 - Cell 3
69Niels Wubben (Ned) Rabobank-Giant Offroad Team58Row 68 - Cell 3
70Umberto Corti (Ita) Team CBE Tecnoimpianti A.S.D.55Row 69 - Cell 3
71Robert Mennen (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team52Row 70 - Cell 3
72Balz Weber (Swi) BMC Mountain Bike Racing Team50Row 71 - Cell 3
73Chris Jongewaard (Aus)47Row 72 - Cell 3
74Hannes Metzler (Aut) Muskelkater Genesis Team46Row 73 - Cell 3
75Michal Lami (Svk)46Row 74 - Cell 3
76Sergji Rysenko (Ukr) ISD Cycling Team44Row 75 - Cell 3
77Adam Morka (Can)43Row 76 - Cell 3
78Tony Longo (Ita) TX Active Bianchi41Row 77 - Cell 3
79Filip Eberl (Cze)38Row 78 - Cell 3
80Sid Taberlay (Aus) Kenda/H2O Overdrive34Row 79 - Cell 3
81Matthew Hadley (Can)34Row 80 - Cell 3
82Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra)32Row 81 - Cell 3
83Andrew Watson (Can)32Row 82 - Cell 3
84Spencer Paxson (USA) Kona30Row 83 - Cell 3
85Lachlan Norris (Aus) Giant Factory Off-Road Team30Row 84 - Cell 3
86Anton Sintsov (Rus)26Row 85 - Cell 3
87Peter Glassford (Can)25Row 86 - Cell 3
88Robby De Bock (Bel)24Row 87 - Cell 3
89Periklis Ilias (Gre) Team Protek21Row 88 - Cell 3
90Max Plaxton (Can)20Row 89 - Cell 3
91Eric Batty (Can)19Row 90 - Cell 3
92Rotem Ishai (Isr)17Row 91 - Cell 3
93Martin Loo (Est) Infotre - Bi&Esse- Leecougan17Row 92 - Cell 3
94Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) Lapierre International15Row 93 - Cell 3
95Robert Gehbauer (Aut)15Row 94 - Cell 3
96Benjamin Wittrup Justesen (Den)15Row 95 - Cell 3
97Raphael Gagne (Can)13Row 96 - Cell 3
98Alban Lakata (Aut) Topeak Ergon Racing Team13Row 97 - Cell 3
99Joshua Carlson (Aus)11Row 98 - Cell 3
100Hector Leonardo Paez Leon (Col)10Row 99 - Cell 3
101Rene Tann (Ger)10Row 100 - Cell 3
102Giuseppe Lamastra (Ita) Elettroveneta-Corratec9Row 101 - Cell 3
103Michael Broderick (USA)9Row 102 - Cell 3
104Simon Scheiber (Aut) Felt Oetztal X-Bionic Team8Row 103 - Cell 3

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