Stirnemann, Engen got toe-to-toe for minor placings
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Jenny Rissveds (Swedish National) beats Kathrin Stirnemann (Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team)(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Andreane Lanthier-Nadeau (Canada) leading her first heat. She finishes 11th on the night.(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Andreane Lanthier-Nadeau (Canada) sprinting out of the saddle(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Kathrin Stirnemann (Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team) goes on to finish second on the night(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Kathrin Stirnemann (Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team) leading through a banked turn(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Linda Indergand (Strubi MTB Kader) riding the stairs. She goes on to win the small final(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) executing a perfect inside pass(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) leading her heat on the pavement(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Jenny Rissveds (Sweden) on her way to winning the World Cup eliminator(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
A rider goes down on the tricky BMX whoops(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Aleksandra Dawidowicz (BI&Esse Carrera) riding through the sharp rocks(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Jolanda Neff (Giant Pro Team) looked impressive for the second week in a row(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Katrin Leumann (Ghost Factory Team) leading her heat, as they are about to turn uphill(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Andreane Lanthier-Nadeau (Canada) riding some dangerous rocks(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
World Champion Alexandra Engen (Ghost Factory Racing) was having little problem with the rocks(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
World Champion Alexandra Engen (Ghost Factory Racing) leading her first heat(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Jenny Rissveds (Sweden) warming up before winning the big final(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
The fields around the race venue are currently ablaze with rapeseed flowers(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Jenny Rissveds (Sweden) warming up before her qualifying round (second from left)(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Former cross country World Champion Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro Team) is about to do her first eliminator race(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) warming up on her trainer(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
World Champion Alexandra Engen (Ghost Factory Racing) was all smiles before the event(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Eva Lechner (Team Colnago) is fresh off her World Cup cross country win in Germany(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro Team) decided to go with a slick tire for the Nove Mesto course(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Ghost Factory Racing teammates Alexandra Engen (L) and Katrin Leumann warming up before the event(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Linda Indergand (Strübi MTB Kader)(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Catharine Pendrel (Luna) didn't make it past the first round(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Andreane Lanthier-Nadeau (Team Canada) was the early leader in her 1/4 final heat(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Kathrin Stirnemann (Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team) biding her time at the back(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Alexandra Engen (Swe) Ghost Factory Racing Team leading Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team in SemiFinal heat(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Podium: Eva Lechner, Kathrin Stirnemann, Jenny Rissveds, Alexandra Engen, Linda Indergand(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
World Cup leader Alexandra Engen(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
Jenny Rissveds (Swedish National Team) became the second Swedish rider in two rounds of the UCI Eliminator World Cup to win, following in the footsteps of compatriot Alexandra Engen (Ghost Factory). Engen retained her overall lead in the series after finishing third.
The Nove Mesto eliminator course was very different from the first round, in Albstadt, Germany, last week. Where the opening round was very technical, running through city streets, this week incorporated parts of the cross country circuit, with a rock garden and long climb, requiring power and endurance.
Rissveds, who had been favoured to make the final in the first round before crashing in the semi-final there, had a clean run through to final with the exception of her quarter-final race, when she had to play catch up from last place after slipping a pedal in the start.
In the final, Rissveds was up against round one winner and world champion Engen, Kathrin Stirnemann (Sabine Spitz Haibike) and cross country World Cup leader Eva Lechner (Colnago Sudtirol). The group rode together through the opening jumps and rock garden, and then Rissveds made her move on the long paved climb halfway through the 1070-metre circuit, attacking to get the lead as the riders headed into singletrack.
"Jenny was too strong," said Engen. "She attacked at the top of hill and I just couldn't get on her wheel. She was fastest today. This is a course that you can be tactical on and wait until later in the race, but Jenny was just too strong."
Rissveds cruised in for the win, while Engen lost a close sprint for second to Stirnemann.
"My tactic was to be powerful at the beginning and look back at technical section to see if anyone was there," Rissveds said. "It wasn't easy, but I think my tactic was the best today. The course had everything - tech sections and you had to be powerful on the climb. The crash last week gave me some motivation, but I was also a little bit nervous because of it."
Engen retains the eliminator World Cup overall lead with 90 points, with Rissved in second 10 points back, tied for points with Stirnemann.
Elite women's eliminator full results
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Big Final
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
1
Jenny Rissveds (Swe)
2
Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team
3
Alexandra Engen (Swe) Ghost Factory Racing Team
4
Eva Lechner (Ita) Team Colnago Sudtirol
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Small Final
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
5
Linda Indergand (Swi) Strübi MTB Kader
6
Pauline Ferrand Prevot* (Fra) Giant Pro XC Team
7
Aleksandra Dawidowicz (Pol) Bi&Esse Carrera
8
Katrin Leumann (Swi) Ghost Factory Racing Team
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1/4 Finals
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
9
Jolanda Neff* (Swi) Giant Pro XC Team
10
Nadine Rieder (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team
11
Andreane Lanthier-Nadeau (Can)
12
Lena Putz (Ger)
13
Ramona Forchini (Swi) Strübi MTB Kader
14
Elvira Khayrullina (Rus)
15
Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) Team Colnago Sudtirol
16
Ingrid Sofie Jacobsen (Nor)
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1/8 Finals
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
17
Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Pro Team
18
Veronika Bruchle (Ger)
19
Lucie Chainel-Lefevre (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - KMC
20
Anna Oberparleiter (Ita)
21
Alessandra Keller (Swi) Strübi MTB Kader
22
Pavla Havlikova (Cze)
23
Sabrina Enaux (Fra)
24
Pavlina Sulcova (Cze)
25
Catharine Pendrel (Can) Luna Pro Team
26
Marta Tereshchuk (Ukr) Cycling Club Roma MTB Team
27
Cayley Brooks (Can)
28
Ana Zupan (Slo)
29
Pauline Pajot (Fra) Asptt Definitive Tec
30
Iryna Popova (Ukr) Cycling Club Roma MTB Team
31
Haley Smith (Can)
DNF
Irena Berkova (Cze)
Elite women's eliminator World Cup standings after round 2
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#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
Header Cell - Column 3
1
Alexandra Engen (Swe) Ghost Factory Racing Team
90
pts
2
Jenny Rissveds (Swe)
80
Row 1 - Cell 3
3
Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team
80
Row 2 - Cell 3
4
Nadine Rieder (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team
40
Row 3 - Cell 3
5
Eva Lechner (Ita) Team Colnago Sudtirol
37
Row 4 - Cell 3
6
Jolanda Neff* (Swi) Giant Pro XC Team
26
Row 5 - Cell 3
7
Cécile Ravanel (Fra) Team GT Skoda
25
Row 6 - Cell 3
8
Linda Indergand (Swi) Strübi MTB Kader
20
Row 7 - Cell 3
9
Ingrid Sofie Jacobsen (Nor)
19
Row 8 - Cell 3
10
Aleksandra Dawidowicz (Pol) Bi&Esse Carrera
19
Row 9 - Cell 3
11
Pauline Ferrand Prevot* (Fra) Giant Pro XC Team
18
Row 10 - Cell 3
12
Anne Terpstra (Ned) Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team
16
Row 11 - Cell 3
13
Katrin Leumann (Swi) Ghost Factory Racing Team
14
Row 12 - Cell 3
14
Ramona Forchini (Swi) Strübi MTB Kader
14
Row 13 - Cell 3
15
Andreane Lanthier-Nadeau (Can)
14
Row 14 - Cell 3
16
Anna Oberparleiter (Ita)
8
Row 15 - Cell 3
17
Lena Putz (Ger)
6
Row 16 - Cell 3
18
Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) Team Colnago Sudtirol
6
Row 17 - Cell 3
19
Elvira Khayrullina (Rus)
3
Row 18 - Cell 3
20
Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Pro Team
2
Row 19 - Cell 3
21
Laura Turpijn (Ned) SBJ Bike Team
1
Row 20 - Cell 3
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