Vogel, Leumann win Racer Bikes Cup finale in Muttenz

Racers enjoyed glorious weather at the final round of the Swiss Racer Bikes Cup in Muttenz this weekend. In the men's race, Florian Vogel beat Ralph Näf in the final meters for the win while Nino Schurter won the final sprint for third ahead of Julien Absalon and Christoph Sauser. A three-way sprint decided the women's race with European Champion Katrin Leumann winning ahead of Marielle Saner and Esther Süss.

Racers got to fine tune their form before the final World Cup next weekend in Windham, New York, and the World Championships the following weekend in Canada. The course was fast and major groups with the favorites soon formed at the front of each race, setting up tight sprint finishes.

In the men's race, a crash by Schurter on a narrow section of the course, with three to go, brought nearly the whole group to a stop. Näf took advantage of the opportunity and put the hammer down. Only Vogel could catch Näf, and he still had enough energy at the end to be able to overtake him in the final sprint.

Absalon secured the Racer Bikes Cup series win ahead of Lukas Flückiger and Schurter.

The women's race was no less exciting and was also decided in a sprint. Women's Olympic champion Sabine Spitz missed the podium and finished fourth. With her third place in the final round, Esther Süss won the overall Swiss Racer Bikes Cup ahead of Leumann and Marielle Saner.

In the junior men's race, Lars Forster won the race. Third place gave Roger Walder overall victory in the junior series.

Jolanda Neff dominated the junior women's race, taking the day's competition and the overall.

In 2011, the Racer Bikes Cup will resume with the opening round in Schaan.

Full Results

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Elite men
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Florian Vogel (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB Racing1:50:51
2Ralph Näf (Swi) Multivan Merida Biking Team0:00:11
3Nino Schurter (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB Racing0:00:22
4Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea0:00:23
5Christoph Sauser (Swi) Specialized Factory Racing0:00:24
6Lukas Kaufmann (Swi) Trek Brentjens-Milka0:00:40
7Patrik Gallati (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB Racing0:00:54
8Fabian Giger (Swi) Giant-Swiss-Team0:01:01
9Thomas Litscher (Swi) MIG-Bike-Team0:01:12
10Lukas Flückiger (Swi) 23 deegres/Trek0:03:14
11Martin Gujan (Swi) Cannondale Factory Racing0:03:41
12Martin Fanger (Swi) Giant-Swiss-Team0:05:58
13Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB Racing0:07:01
14Severin Disch (Swi) Giant-Swiss-Team0:07:03
15Matthias Rupp (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB Racing0:07:26
16Mirco Widmer (Swi) Giant-Swiss-Team0:07:34
17Nicolas Lüthi (Swi) Prof Raiffeisen0:07:51
18Benjamin Büchi (Swi) GS Domaine du Frigoulet0:08:30
19Matthias Allenspach (Swi) Tower Sports-VC Eschenbach0:08:52
20Florian Meyer (Swi) Freemountain - Koba0:09:11
21Marcel Fleschhut (Ger) Lexware Racing Team0:09:25
22Marco Arnold (Swi) Giant-Swiss-Team0:10:00
23Dumeni Vincenz (Swi) Thömus Racing Team0:10:21
24Bryan Falaschi (Swi) Giant Italia Team0:10:43
25Daniel Eymann (Swi) Thömus Racing Team0:11:22
26Roberto Giacobazzi (Ita) Team CBE Merida0:11:28
27Dirk Peters (NZl) Rotorua0:11:29
28Tobias Hollenstein (Swi) Giant-Swiss-Team0:12:10
29Jeremy Huguenin (Swi) Giant-Swiss-Team0:12:57
30Olof Jonsson (Swi) Eliza-Orbea0:13:52
-1lapGiancarlo Sax (Swi) Thömus Racing TeamRow 30 - Cell 2
-1lapJonas Baumann (Swi) Haibike-Swiss IT Repair MTBRow 31 - Cell 2
-2lapsMichael Pesse (Ita) CBE TecnoimpiantiRow 32 - Cell 2
-2lapsPatrick Tresch (Swi) GU Plus/Thomyk/VMC SilenenRow 33 - Cell 2
-2lapsUmberto Carlo Corti (Ita) Team CBE MeridaRow 34 - Cell 2
-3lapsMarkus Bless (Swi) Tower Sports-VC EschenbachRow 35 - Cell 2
-4lapsSimon Weber (Swi) Merida Suisse TeamRow 36 - Cell 2
-5lapsChristian Bickel (Swi) christianbickel.ch/RV WinterthurRow 37 - Cell 2
DNFAlexander Gehbauer (Aut) RC ARBÖ ASKÖ KlagenfurtRow 38 - Cell 2
DNFNicola Rohrbach (Swi) SRM StevensRow 39 - Cell 2
DNFJosé Antonio Hermida (Spa) Multivan Merida Biking TeamRow 40 - Cell 2
DNFPascal Meyer (Swi) M.I.G Bike TeamRow 41 - Cell 2
DNFBalz Weber (Swi) DS-RENNSPORTRow 42 - Cell 2
DNFChristophe Geiser (Swi) Prof RaiffeisenRow 43 - Cell 2
DNFMichael Hutter (Swi) Pink Gili SwissRow 44 - Cell 2
DNFPascal Schmutz (Swi) Corratec World TeamRow 45 - Cell 2
DNFRourke Croeser (RSA)Row 46 - Cell 2
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Elite women
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Katrin Leumann (Swi) goldwurst-power / Sputnik1:38:59
2Marielle Saner-Guinchard (Swi) BikePark.ch/Scott0:00:00
3Esther Süss (Swi) Wheeler-IXS Pro Team0:00:00
4Sabine Spitz (Ger) central Pro Team0:00:10
5Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) Colnago Arreghini Südtirol0:03:41
6Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi) Merida Suisse Team0:03:52
7Eva Lechner (Ita) Colnago Arreghini Südtirol0:06:25
8Michelle Hediger (Swi) Fischer-BMC0:06:45
9Sarah Koba (Swi) Giant-Swiss-Team0:07:50
10Fabienne Niederberger (Swi) Felt0:08:32
11Samara Sheppard (NZl)0:08:43
12Tatjana Dold (Ger) Team Easton Rockets0:09:08
13Vivienne Meyer (Swi) Colnago Arreghini Südtirol0:10:14
14Jennifer Sägesser (Swi) Thömus Racing Team0:11:03
15Marina Giger (Swi) Tower Sports-VC Eschenbach0:11:10
16Nicole Hanselmann (Swi) bike-import.ch0:11:43
17Corina Gantenbein (Swi) Fischer-BMC0:12:11
18Sofia Pezzatti (Swi) Team Wittwer0:12:24
19Lorraine Truong (Swi) Prof Raiffeisen/ccl0:12:59
20Rahel Rüegge (Swi) Cumpin Crazy Team0:13:23
21Alexandra Serrano (Ecu) Nissan Specialized0:13:59
22Virginie Pointet (Swi) BikePark.ch/Scott0:22:53
-1lapJessica Schneeberger (Swi) Bike-Import.chRow 22 - Cell 2
-1lapTanja Starkermann (Swi) Fischer Junior MTB TeamRow 23 - Cell 2
-1lapKarin Rappo (Swi) Mahu/BSORow 24 - Cell 2
-1lapCéline Farner (Swi) Velo Franz/UnivegaRow 25 - Cell 2
-2lapsGabrielle Mosset (Swi) Alouettes.ch/C.C.MoutierRow 26 - Cell 2
DNFNadine Rieder (Ger) FBI racingteam.youngstarsRow 27 - Cell 2
DNFMaria Osl (Aut) Fischer-BMCRow 28 - Cell 2
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Junior men
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Lars Forster (Swi) Tower Sports-VC Eschenbach1:30:02
2Stefan Peter (Swi) FRM TG Zentralschweiz0:00:20
3Roger Walder (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB Racing0:01:13
4Fabian Paumann (Swi) Merida Suisse Team0:01:21
5Claude Koster (Swi) MTB Cycletech Racing Team0:01:51
6Florian Chenaux (Swi) Vélo Club Fribourg/Cycles Pache0:02:46
7Kevin Krieg (Swi) PBR-Matic Swiss MTB Team0:02:46
8Richard Anderson (NZl) Avanti Bikes0:04:11
9Erik Jonsson (Swi) Jonsson Dom Cycle-Merida0:04:35
10Philipp Hediger (Swi) Fischer Junior MTB TeamRow 9 - Cell 2
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Junior women
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Jolanda Neff (Swi) ewz-Giant MTB-Team1:14:15
2Lisa Mitterbauer (Aut) BikePark.ch/Scott0:00:21
3Helen Grobert (Ger) SV Kirchzarten Lexware Racingteam0:00:51
4Vania Schumacher (Swi) Merida Suisse Team0:02:30
5Fabienne Andres (Swi) Cannondale Küttel Team/VMC Hägglingen0:04:16
6Jil Saxer (Swi) Fischer Junior MTB Team0:07:25
7Romaine Wenger (Swi) Thömus/ Bergsportcenter0:08:09
8Carmen Gehriger (Swi) Team Brander0:11:28
-1lapJanine Hanselmann (Swi)Row 8 - Cell 2

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Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews.  She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.

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