Hermida unbeatable in Austria
Spaniard Ruzafa Cueto takes silver ahead of Flückiger
José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Multivan Merida Biking Team) bracketed the 2009 World Cup, winning the first round in South Africa and the last on Saturday in Schladming, Austria. The win moved him from fourth to second in the overall standings behind Julien Absalon (Orbea)
Absalon locked up the World Cup title a week earlier. However, second for fifth in the series were still in play among seven riders, and it was Hermida who took control.
Spanish compatriot Ruben Ruzafa Cueto (Orbea) took second for his first World Cup podium, followed by Trek's Mathias Flückiger, the first Under 23 rider. Absalon, after racing at the front three for most of the six-lap race retired after a flat just before the start of the final lap. Adam Craig (Giant) was the top North American in 21st, two spots ahead of Canada's Geoff Kabush (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain).
The short men's race started very aggressively, with a group of eight forming at the front. World Champion Nino Schurter (Scott-Swisspower) and Roel Paulissen (Cannondale) set the early pace, joined by Hermida, Absalon, Ralph Näf (Multivan Merida), Florian Vogel (Scott-Swisspower), Flückiger and Alexis Vuillermoz (Lapierre). Early in lap two, Absalon decided it was time to shake things up a bit, and attacked on one of the steep climbs.
The Olympic champion opened a small 10-second gap on Hermida and Flückiger, who were the only two able to respond initially to his attack after Näf broke his chain. Hermida, the winner of the opening round of the World Cup, five long months ago in South Africa, slowly closed the gap, and joined Absalon early in lap four. After a brief time together, Hermida launched the attack which would put him into the lead for good.
"Between Pietermaritzburg [South Africa] and here, it has been a long season," said Hermida, "but my balance through the year has been very good, very stable. I came to this race feeling pretty good, and looking for a final strong result. When I caught Julien, I took a short rest of maybe 30 seconds, and then I attacked again, and he could not come with me. Today was the final exams for the season, and I wanted a strong result."
Behind, Absalon was at 20 seconds at the start of lap five, but Flückiger and Ruzafa Cueto were gaining ground. While the French rider would not give in easily, he did not feel the pressure to come back from his flat.
"I was without pressure," Absalon said. "The plan was if I felt good, then (I would) fight for victory. So I went to the front and got a little gap, but Jose came up. I was thinking that second would be good at the end of the season, but I got my flat tire at the end of the fifth lap, and I knew it would not be possible to get back up there with one lap left in the race."
Ruzafa Cueto was suddenly into second, having passed Flückiger midway through the lap, and the front three were set, with Schurter just holding off Vuillermoz for fourth place.
Hermida's victory moved him up to second in the final standings, as he bumped the Under 23 champion Burry Stander down to third, with Näf fourth and Schurter fifth. Geoff Kabush remained in eighth overall for the series.
"I didn't have the legs today," said Kabush. "I felt really bad last week [in Champery], so I rested all this week. But for this course you needed wings, and I didn't have them. The first lap I made a big effort and milked out everything, but I didn't have it. It's hard to have a mediocre end to the season."
"My goal this year was to win a World Cup, and I achieved that, which was a pretty big dream, and then fifth at the Worlds was big, so I would definitely have to say that this has been my best year ever, and I'll just keep trying to improve for next year."
Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spa) Multivan Merida Biking Team | 1:40:42 |
2 | Ruben Ruzafa Cueto (Spa) Orbea | 0:00:30 |
3 | Mathias Flückiger* (Swi) Trek World Racing | 0:01:26 |
4 | Nino Schurter (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing | 0:01:52 |
5 | Alexis Vuillermoz* (Fra) Lapierre International | 0:01:58 |
6 | Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Massi | 0:02:25 |
7 | Roel Paulissen (Bel) Cannondale Factory Racing | 0:02:29 |
8 | Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) Cemelorca-Trek-Lorca Taller Del Tiempo | 0:02:41 |
9 | Moritz Milatz (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team | 0:03:15 |
10 | Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team | 0:03:26 |
11 | Cédric Ravanel (Fra) Lapierre International | 0:03:51 |
12 | Christoph Sauser (Swi) Specialized Factory Racing | 0:04:04 |
13 | Lukas Flückiger (Swi) Trek World Racing | 0:04:05 |
14 | Inaki Lejarreta Errasti (Spa) Orbea | 0:04:06 |
15 | Burry Stander* (RSA) Specialized Factory Racing | 0:04:23 |
16 | Guillaume Vinit* (Fra) Team Scott Valloire Galibier | 0:04:28 |
17 | Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Spa) Msc Bikes | 0:04:36 |
18 | Fabian Giger* (Swi) SKS M.I.G. Team | 0:05:10 |
19 | Oliver Beckingsale (GBr) Giant Mountain Bike Team | 0:05:16 |
20 | Jochen Kass (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team | 0:05:31 |
21 | Adam Craig (USA) Giant Mountain Bike Team | 0:05:39 |
22 | Maxime Marotte (Fra) BH-Suntour | 0:05:45 |
23 | Geoff Kabush (Can) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles | 0:05:53 |
24 | Christoph Soukup (Aut) Merida Biking Team | 0:06:02 |
25 | Marek Konwa* (Pol) | 0:06:12 |
26 | Nicola Rohrbach (Swi) Central Ghost Pro Team | 0:06:38 |
27 | Robert Mennen (Ger) | 0:06:56 |
28 | Martin Gujan (Swi) Cannondale Factory Racing | 0:07:04 |
29 | Martin Fanger* (Swi) Giant Mountain Bike Team | 0:07:08 |
30 | Liam Killeen (GBr) Trek World Racing | 0:07:42 |
31 | Patrik Gallati* (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing | 0:07:49 |
32 | Yader Zoli (Ita) Torpado-4Us | 0:08:12 |
33 | Jan Skarnitzl (Cze) Giant Mountain Bike Team | 0:08:27 |
34 | Daniel Mcconnell (Aus) Torq Performance Nutrition | 0:08:44 |
35 | Thomas Litscher* (Swi) SKS M.I.G. Team | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
36 | Giuseppe Lamastra (Ita) | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
37 | Fabien Canal* (Fra) Lapierre International | 0:08:46 |
38 | Bjorn Brems (Bel) Team Saeco | 0:08:49 |
39 | Jelmer Pietersma (Ned) Trek-Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Tea | 0:09:21 |
40 | Samuel Schultz (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher | 0:09:22 |
41 | Lukas Kaufmann* (Swi) | 0:09:39 |
42 | Sebastien Carabin* (Bel) Lingier-Versluys Team | 0:09:52 |
43 | Filip Eberl (Cze) | 0:09:58 |
44 | Pascal Meyer* (Swi) SKS M.I.G. Team | 0:10:16 |
45 | Piotr Brzozka* (Pol) JBG-2 Professional MTB Team | 0:10:43 |
46 | Rene Tann (Ger) | 0:10:46 |
47 | Emil Lindgren (Swe) De Brink-Ten Tusscher | 0:10:52 |
48 | Marti Gispert Labarta (Spa) Msc Bikes | 0:10:53 |
49 | François Bailly Maitre (Fra) Team Scott Valloire Galibier | 0:10:56 |
50 | Torsten Marx (Ger) Ds-Rennsport | 0:10:59 |
51 | Stéphane Tempier (Fra) Tx Active Bianchi | 0:11:05 |
52 | Karl Markt (Aut) Srm Stevens Team | 0:11:13 |
53 | Henk Jaap Moorlag* (Ned) De Brink-Ten Tusscher | 0:11:19 |
54 | Marek Galinski (Pol) JBG-2 Professional MTB Team | 0:11:28 |
55 | Marc Colom (Fra) | 0:11:57 |
56 | Lachlan Norris* (Aus) Discovertasmania.Com | 0:11:58 |
57 | Matous Ulman (Cze) Scott & Hagget MTB Team | 0:12:05 |
58 | Nicolas Vermeulen (Bel) Lingier-Versluys Team | 0:12:17 |
59 | Christof Bischof (Swi) ISD Cycling Team | 0:12:41 |
60 | Anders Hovdenes* (Nor) Team Etto Hoydahl | 0:13:13 |
61 | Simon Scheiber* (Aut) Sunshine Racers Asv Nals | 0:13:21 |
62 | Kristian Hynek (Cze) Scott & Hagget MTB Team | 0:13:33 |
63 | Catriel Andres Soto* (Arg) Infotre - Leecougan | 0:14:01 |
64 | Uwe Hochenwarter (Aut) | 0:14:37 |
65 | Severin Disch* (Swi) Giant Mountain Bike Team | 0:15:12 |
66 | Tim Wynants* (Bel) Trek-Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Tea | 0:15:55 |
-1lap | Andras Parti (Hun) Srm Stevens Team | Row 66 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Derek Zandstra (Can) | Row 67 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Irjan Luttenberg* (Ned) | Row 68 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Adrian Brzozka* (Pol) JBG-2 Professional MTB Team | Row 69 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Zsolt Juhasz* (Hun) | Row 70 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Periklis Ilias (Gre) ISD Cycling Team | Row 71 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Ludovic Mottet (Bel) | Row 72 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Marcel Fleschhut* (Ger) | Row 73 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Fabian Strecker* (Ger) | Row 74 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Michael Broderick (USA) | Row 75 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Peter Glassford (Can) | Row 76 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Niels Wubben* (Ned) | Row 77 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Sergiy Rusenko (Ukr) ISD Cycling Team | Row 78 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Oleksandr Gerashenko (Ukr) ISD Cycling Team | Row 79 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Andrew Blair (Aus) | Row 80 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Connor Mcconvey* (Irl) De Brink-Ten Tusscher | Row 81 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Dario Alejandro Gasco* (Arg) Massi | Row 82 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Cristobal Silva Ibaceta (Chi) | Row 83 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Matej Nepustil* (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna MTB | Row 84 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Erik Groen* (Ned) De Brink-Ten Tusscher | Row 85 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Matthys Beukes* (RSA) | Row 86 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Matthias Hoi* (Aut) | Row 87 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Sepp Freiburghaus* (Swi) | Row 88 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Thibaut Bellanger* (Fra) | Row 89 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Alexis Swetloff (Fra) Keops | Row 90 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Rob Vangenechten* (Bel) Team Saeco | Row 91 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Robert Kircher (Aut) | Row 92 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Luka Mezgec* (Slo) Mbk Orbea | Row 93 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Jiri Hudecek (Cze) Scott & Hagget MTB Team | Row 94 - Cell 2 |
-1lap | Marco Minnaard* (Ned) De Brink-Ten Tusscher | Row 95 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Felix Euteneuer* (Ger) | Row 96 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | David Fletcher* (GBr) | Row 97 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Silvio Bundi (Swi) Giant Mountain Bike Team | Row 98 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Matej Lovse (Slo) | Row 99 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Henrique Avancini* (Bra) ISD Cycling Team | Row 100 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Kornel Osicki* (Pol) JBG-2 Professional MTB Team | Row 101 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Daniel Eymann* (Swi) | Row 102 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Guido Thaler (Aut) | Row 103 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Renay Groustra (RSA) | Row 104 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Andrew Watson (Can) | Row 105 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Michael Wiessner (Ger) | Row 106 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Jan Jobanek (Cze) Merida Biking Team | Row 107 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Heiko Gutmann* (Ger) | Row 108 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Matej Mugerli (Slo) | Row 109 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Daniel Kaufmann* (Swi) | Row 110 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Benjamin Buchi* (Swi) | Row 111 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Amaury Gernez Aurenge* (Fra) Keops | Row 112 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Roberto Crisi* (Ita) | Row 113 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Mirco Widmer* (Swi) | Row 114 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Tim Lemmers* (Ned) De Brink-Ten Tusscher | Row 115 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Manfred Zöger* (Aut) | Row 116 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Oleksandr Kachanov* (Ukr) | Row 117 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Simon Stiebjahn* (Ger) | Row 118 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Cameron Jette* (Can) | Row 119 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Patxi Cia Apezteguia (Spa) Conor - Camping La Siesta | Row 120 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Hermann Pernsteiner* (Aut) | Row 121 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Zsolt Szlobodnyik (Hun) | Row 122 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Leni Trudel* (Can) | Row 123 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Valentin Fiderer* (Ger) | Row 124 - Cell 2 |
-2laps | Eric Batty (Can) | Row 125 - Cell 2 |
-3laps | Markus Bauer* (Ger) | Row 126 - Cell 2 |
-3laps | Georgios Pattes-Toumanis (Gre) | Row 127 - Cell 2 |
-3laps | Dennis Ebert* (Ned) | Row 128 - Cell 2 |
-3laps | Jonas De Backer* (Bel) | Row 129 - Cell 2 |
-3laps | Matthias Grick* (Aut) | Row 130 - Cell 2 |
-3laps | Nejc Cernilogar* (Slo) | Row 131 - Cell 2 |
-3laps | David Puskas* (Hun) | Row 132 - Cell 2 |
-3laps | Lukas Sablik* (Cze) | Row 133 - Cell 2 |
-3laps | Alexios Kokovikas* (Gre) | Row 134 - Cell 2 |
-4laps | Frank Beemer* (Ned) Trek-Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Tea | Row 135 - Cell 2 |
-5laps | Roman Rametsteiner (Aut) | Row 136 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea | Row 137 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Tony Longo (Ita) | Row 138 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Jiri Friedl (Cze) Merida Biking Team | Row 139 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Josef Kamler* (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna MTB | Row 140 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Florian Vogel (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing | Row 141 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Ralph Naef (Swi) Multivan Merida Biking Team | Row 142 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Cannondale Factory Racing | Row 143 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Milan Spesny (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna MTB | Row 144 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Pierre Geoffroy Plantet (Fra) Lapierre International | Row 145 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Benjamin Sonntag (Ger) | Row 146 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Lee Williams (GBr) | Row 147 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Todd Wells (USA) Specialized Factory Racing | Row 148 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Manfred Reis* (Ger) Team Marin Bikes | Row 149 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Ondrej Cink* (Cze) Merida Biking Team | Row 150 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Calle Friberg (Swe) | Row 151 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Alexander Gehbauer* (Aut) | Row 152 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Balint Lukacs* (Hun) | Row 153 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Balz Weber (Swi) Ds-Rennsport | Row 154 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Rudi Van Houts (Ned) Multivan Merida Biking Team | Row 155 - Cell 2 |
DNS | Robert Gehbauer* (Aut) Multivan Merida Biking Team | Row 156 - Cell 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | Header Cell - Column 3 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Multivan Merida Biking Team | 73 | pts |
2 | Orbea | 52 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
3 | Trek World Racing | 51 | Row 2 - Cell 3 |
4 | Lapierre International | 48 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
5 | Specialized Factory Racing | 35 | Row 4 - Cell 3 |
6 | Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing | 30 | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
7 | Cannondale Factory Racing | 27 | Row 6 - Cell 3 |
8 | Massi | 26 | Row 7 - Cell 3 |
9 | Giant Mountain Bike Team | 24 | Row 8 - Cell 3 |
10 | Cemelorca-Trek-Lorca Taller Del Tiempo | 23 | Row 9 - Cell 3 |
11 | Topeak Ergon Racing Team | 21 | Row 10 - Cell 3 |
12 | Team Scott Valloire Galibier | 15 | Row 11 - Cell 3 |
13 | MSC Bikes | 14 | Row 12 - Cell 3 |
14 | SKS M.I.G. Team | 13 | Row 13 - Cell 3 |
15 | BH-Suntour | 9 | Row 14 - Cell 3 |
16 | Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles | 8 | Row 15 - Cell 3 |
17 | Merida Biking Team | 7 | Row 16 - Cell 3 |
18 | Central Ghost Pro Team | 5 | Row 17 - Cell 3 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | Header Cell - Column 3 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea | 1472 | pts |
2 | José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spa) Multivan Merida Biking Team | 1190 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
3 | Burry Stander* (RSA) Specialized Factory Racing | 1166 | Row 2 - Cell 3 |
4 | Ralph Naef (Swi) Multivan Merida Biking Team | 970 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
5 | Nino Schurter (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing | 859 | Row 4 - Cell 3 |
6 | Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team | 796 | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
7 | Lukas Flückiger (Swi) Trek World Racing | 794 | Row 6 - Cell 3 |
8 | Geoff Kabush (Can) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles | 741 | Row 7 - Cell 3 |
9 | Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Massi | 720 | Row 8 - Cell 3 |
10 | Roel Paulissen (Bel) Cannondale Factory Racing | 663 | Row 9 - Cell 3 |
11 | Christoph Sauser (Swi) Specialized Factory Racing | 654 | Row 10 - Cell 3 |
12 | Alexis Vuillermoz* (Fra) Lapierre International | 644 | Row 11 - Cell 3 |
13 | Moritz Milatz (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team | 596 | Row 12 - Cell 3 |
14 | Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) Cemelorca-Trek-Lorca Taller Del Tiempo | 580 | Row 13 - Cell 3 |
15 | Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Cannondale Factory Racing | 542 | Row 14 - Cell 3 |
16 | Stéphane Tempier (Fra) TX Active Bianchi | 541 | Row 15 - Cell 3 |
17 | Cédric Ravanel (Fra) Lapierre International | 537 | Row 16 - Cell 3 |
18 | Ruben Ruzafa Cueto (Spa) Orbea | 522 | Row 17 - Cell 3 |
19 | Adam Craig (USA) Giant Mountain Bike Team | 519 | Row 18 - Cell 3 |
20 | Mathias Flückiger* (Swi) Trek World Racing | 507 | Row 19 - Cell 3 |
21 | Florian Vogel (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing | 481 | Row 20 - Cell 3 |
22 | Martin Gujan (Swi) Cannondale Factory Racing | 446 | Row 21 - Cell 3 |
23 | Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Spa) Giant Italia Team | 423 | Row 22 - Cell 3 |
24 |