Rissveds wins women's eliminator at Hafjell World Cup

The final round of the eliminator series at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Hafjell, Norway, offered some of the most exciting racing of the season, with multiple lead changes in almost every race. While neither of the World Cup leaders won their respective final, each won the overall title, with Alexandra Engen (Ghost Factory) taking the women's title and Daniel Federspiel (Otztal Scott) the men's.

The tough circuit started with a steep climb before traversing the ski slopes and then taking the riders through a series of BMX jumps. From here they dropped into a rock garden, went up another short and steep climb, and then dropped down to the final finishing straight.

Engen was joined in the women's final by her closest rival Kathrin Stirnemann (Sabine Spitz Haibike), who was only 10 points behind Engen. A win by Stirnemann would vault her into the lead and the title. Also joining the two series leaders in the final were Jenny Rissveds (Swedish National) and Eva Lechner (Colnago Sudtirol).

Rissveds, the winner of round two at Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, took an early lead and did not relinquish it. Engen was battling to stay in front of Stirnemann until her rival ran out of power on the climb, and from that point just cruised in, to finish third behind Lechner.

Rissveds was overjoyed with her second win of the season, "It was really, really tough. It was a crazy course with an incredible uphill at the beginning. and then the jumps, after the jumps it was crazy. I was so tired, it felt like I had bad legs from the beginning. It was crazy. It is incredible (to win), amazing. After I messed up the world championships, it feels really good."

Engen decided to play it a little cautious after almost crashing out in the first round. "It's so crazy. If you would have asked me after the first heat, I was like 'I don't know if I want to go hard today'. I messed up in a jump and lost a tooth. But I have been training too hard all season to give up on the finish line, so it's just not me. But I felt like the hardest part was the semi-final. It was crazy."

"And in the final I decided to be before Kathrin (Stirnemann) because I really wanted to have the World (Cup) win. When she disappeared I was so shocked, I had expected a fight on the finish line. When she was not there I was 'what do I do now?' I just rode safely down so I wouldn't mess up."

Engen took the overall title with 220 points, followed by Stirnemann at 205 points and Rissveds with 170.

Full Results

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Elite women eliminator
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Jenny Rissveds* (Swe)60pts
2Eva Lechner (Ita) Team Colnago Sudtirol40Row 1 - Cell 3
3Alexandra Engen (Swe) Ghost Factory Racing Team30Row 2 - Cell 3
4Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team25Row 3 - Cell 3
5Jolanda Neff* (Swi) Giant Pro XC Team20Row 4 - Cell 3
6Nadine Rieder (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team18Row 5 - Cell 3
7Lea Davison (USA) Specialized Racing Xc16Row 6 - Cell 3
8Linda Indergand* (Swi) Strübi MTB Kader14Row 7 - Cell 3
9Andrea Waldis* (Swi) Team Colnago Sudtirol12Row 8 - Cell 3
10Ingrid Sofie Jacobsen* (Nor)10Row 9 - Cell 3
11Mariske Strauss* (RSA) Orange Monkey Pro Team8Row 10 - Cell 3
12Heidi Rosasen Sandsto (Nor) Team Giant/United Bakeries6Row 11 - Cell 3
13Kajsa Snihs (Swe)4Row 12 - Cell 3
14Cindy Montambault (Can)3Row 13 - Cell 3
15Elisabeth Sveum (Nor)2Row 14 - Cell 3
16Angelica Edvardsson (Swe)1Row 15 - Cell 3
17Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) Team Colnago SudtirolRow 16 - Cell 2 Row 16 - Cell 3
18Meda Petrusauskaite° (Ltu)Row 17 - Cell 2 Row 17 - Cell 3
19Ramona Forchini* (Swi) Strübi MTB KaderRow 18 - Cell 2 Row 18 - Cell 3
20Oksana Rybakova (Rus)Row 19 - Cell 2 Row 19 - Cell 3
21Elisabeth Brandau (Ger)Row 20 - Cell 2 Row 20 - Cell 3
22Lena Putz* (Ger) Muskelkater Genesis TeamRow 21 - Cell 2 Row 21 - Cell 3
23Erin Huck (USA)Row 22 - Cell 2 Row 22 - Cell 3
24Dina Gordiuk° (Ukr) Cycling Club Roma MTB TeamRow 23 - Cell 2 Row 23 - Cell 3
25Jasmin Kansikas* (Fin) Medilaser-Specialized MTB-TeamRow 24 - Cell 2 Row 24 - Cell 3
DNSAnne Terpstra* (Ned) Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing TeamRow 25 - Cell 2 Row 25 - Cell 3
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Elite women eliminator World Cup final standings
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Alexandra Engen (Swe)220pts
2Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi)205Row 1 - Cell 3
3Jenny Rissveds* (Swe)170Row 2 - Cell 3
4Jolanda Neff* (Swi)96Row 3 - Cell 3
5Linda Indergand* (Swi)84Row 4 - Cell 3
9Eva Lechner (Ita)77Row 5 - Cell 3
6Nadine Rieder (Ger)76Row 6 - Cell 3
7Ingrid Sofie Jacobsen* (Nor)49Row 7 - Cell 3
8Anne Terpstra* (Ned)38Row 8 - Cell 3
10Nathalie Schneitter (Swi)34Row 9 - Cell 3
11Cécile Ravanel (Fra)25Row 10 - Cell 3
12Aleksandra Dawidowicz (Pol)22Row 11 - Cell 3
13Anna Oberparleiter (Ita)22Row 12 - Cell 3
15Elisabeth Sveum (Nor)22Row 13 - Cell 3
14Katerina Nash (Cze)20Row 14 - Cell 3
16Pauline Ferrand Prevot* (Fra)18Row 15 - Cell 3
16Lea Davison (USA)16Row 16 - Cell 3
17Georgia Gould (USA)16Row 17 - Cell 3
18Andréanne Pichette (Can)16Row 18 - Cell 3
19Ramona Forchini* (Swi)16Row 19 - Cell 3
20Katrin Leumann (Swi)14Row 20 - Cell 3
21Andreane Lanthier-Nadeau* (Can)14Row 21 - Cell 3
21Andrea Waldis* (Swi)12Row 22 - Cell 3
21Mariske Strauss* (RSA)8Row 23 - Cell 3
22Ann Berglund (Swe)8Row 24 - Cell 3
23Alessia Bulleri (Ita)8Row 25 - Cell 3
24Elvira Khayrullina (Rus)7Row 26 - Cell 3
24Heidi Rosasen Sandsto (Nor)6Row 27 - Cell 3
25Oksana Rybakova (Rus)6Row 28 - Cell 3
26Lena Putz* (Ger)6Row 29 - Cell 3
26Kajsa Snihs (Swe)4Row 30 - Cell 3
26Cindy Montambault (Can)3Row 31 - Cell 3
27Pauline Pajot (Fra)3Row 32 - Cell 3
27Angelica Edvardsson (Swe)1Row 33 - Cell 3
28Blaza Klemencic (Slo)1Row 34 - Cell 3
29Laura Turpijn (Ned)1Row 35 - Cell 3

 

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