Spitz wins Vallnord women's cross country World Cup
Zakelj continues as World Cup leader
Sabine Spitz (Sabine Spitz Haibike) made a strong return to competition, after missing the first half of the season due to injury, by winning the fourth round of the UCI Cross Country Mountain Bike World Cup in Vallnord, Andorra. Altitude, heat and strong winds all played a factor in making this one of the hardest races of the season. Tanja Zakelj (Unior Tools) held onto the women's overall lead with a fifth place result.
Katerina Nash (Luna) set an aggressive pace in the first lap of the women's race, quickly shattering the field. Five riders joined Nash at the front of the race by lap two: Spitz, Eva Lechner (Colnago Sudtirol), Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Multivan Merida), Maja Wloszczowska (Giant Pro XC) and Jolanda Neff (Giant Pro XC). Zakelj was just behind, but losing ground.
A lap later, both Neff and Wloszczowska were gone, unable to hold the pace. The front four stayed together through most of lap four until Nash attacked, opening a five-second gap as she began the final lap. The Luna rider extended her lead to 10 seconds by the halfway mark of the lap, as the chase began to fall apart.
Spitz, who is just back from shoulder surgery that took her out of action just before the start of the World Cup season, began to surge in the final two kilometres, catching Nash in the final 600 metres as the pair entered the last section of singletrack before a short climb to the finish.
Spitz, the 2008 Olympic champion, put in a last effort over the final 200 metres to take her first World Cup win since 2002, finishing just one second in front of Nash, with Lechner at four seconds and Dahle Flesjaa at nine seconds - one of the closest finishes in recent history.
"With the headwind, nobody wanted to go into the lead," said Spitz. "Eight weeks ago I crashed on my home course in Albstadt [before the World Cup], and, yeah, it's amazing to win. I never expected to come back like this."
"I had hoped for a top ten place...but this win is unbelievable. It [the win] means so much because when you have an accident and have to go out of competition, then you are not sure how your fitness is when you get back to the World Cup circuit. It means so much to me."
Zakelj now leads the women's World Cup standings with 790 points, with two races remaining. Lechner moves up from third to second, 160 points back, and Nash moves up a spot to third, a further 15 points in arrears.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Sabine Spitz (Ger) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team | 1:26:54 |
2 | Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Pro Team | 0:00:01 |
3 | Eva Lechner (Ita) Team Colnago Sudtirol | 0:00:04 |
4 | Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Nor) Multivan Merida Biking Team | 0:00:09 |
5 | Tanja Zakelj (Slo) Unior Tools Team | 0:01:24 |
6 | Katrin Leumann (Swi) Ghost Factory Racing Team | 0:01:35 |
7 | Jolanda * Neff (Swi) Giant Pro XC Team | 0:01:49 |
8 | Alexandra Engen (Swe) Ghost Factory Racing Team | 0:02:20 |
9 | Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Calcit Bike Team | 0:02:32 |
10 | Julie Bresset (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - KMC | 0:02:43 |
11 | Maja Wloszczowska (Pol) Giant Pro XC Team | 0:02:54 |
12 | Esther Süss (Swi) Wheeler - Ixs Team | 0:03:05 |
13 | Adelheid Morath (Ger) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team | 0:03:09 |
14 | Irina Kalentieva (Rus) Topeak Ergon Racing Team | 0:03:20 |
15 | Hanna Klein (Ger) | 0:03:23 |
16 | Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Ghost Factory Racing Team | 0:04:01 |
17 | Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) Team Colnago Sudtirol | 0:04:43 |
18 | Jacquelina Alvarez (Arg) | 0:05:17 |
19 | Corina Gantenbein (Swi) Fischer-BMC | 0:05:38 |
20 | Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Pro Team | 0:05:47 |
21 | Elisabeth Brandau (Ger) | 0:05:52 |
22 | Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team | 0:06:13 |
23 | Marianne Vos (Ned) | 0:06:18 |
24 | Annika Langvad (Den) Team Davinci - Specialized | 0:06:26 |
25 | Agustina Maria Apaza (Arg) | 0:08:17 |
26 | Elisabeth Sveum (Nor) | 0:08:37 |
27 | Lucie Chainel-Lefevre (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - KMC | 0:08:57 |
28 | Sabrina Enaux (Fra) | 0:09:20 |
29 | Githa Michiels (Bel) Toka Print MTB Team | 0:09:40 |
30 | Nadine Rieder (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team | 0:09:58 |
31 | Fanny Bourdon (Fra) Look - Beaumes De Venise | 0:10:20 |
32 | Tereza Hurikova (Cze) Specialized Racing XC | 0:10:25 |
33 | Jitka Skarnitzlova (Cze) | 0:10:44 |
34 | Anna Villar Argente (Spa) | 0:10:51 |
35 | Judy Freeman (USA) | 0:11:06 |
36 | Sandra Santanyes Murillo (Spa) | 0:11:11 |
37 | Lee Craigie (GBr) | 0:11:16 |
38 | Ann Berglund (Swe) | 0:11:39 |
39 | Barbara Benko (Hun) Focus XC Team | 0:12:26 |
40 | Oksana Rybakova (Rus) | 0:13:15 |
41 | Lucia Vazquez Crespo (Spa) | 0:15:38 |
42 | Joana Barbosa (Por) | 0:15:55 |
-2laps | Elvira Khayrullina (Rus) | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Kate Fluker (NZl) | Row 43 - Cell 2 |
DNF | Samara Sheppard (NZl) Toka Print MTB Team | Row 44 - Cell 2 |
DNS | Emily Batty (Can) Trek Factory Racing | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | Header Cell - Column 3 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team | 67 | pts |
2 | Ghost Factory Racing Team | 64 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
3 | Luna Pro Team | 46 | Row 2 - Cell 3 |
4 | Team Colnago Sudtirol | 46 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
5 | Giant Pro XC Team | 44 | Row 4 - Cell 3 |
6 | Multivan Merida Biking Team | 30 | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
7 | Unior Tools Team | 28 | Row 6 - Cell 3 |
8 | BH - SR Suntour - KMC | 25 | Row 7 - Cell 3 |
9 | Calcit Bike Team | 22 | Row 8 - Cell 3 |
10 | Wheeler - Ixs Team | 19 | Row 9 - Cell 3 |
11 | Topeak Ergon Racing Team | 18 | Row 10 - Cell 3 |
12 | Fischer-BMC | 12 | Row 11 - Cell 3 |
13 | Team Davinci - Specialized | 7 | Row 12 - Cell 3 |
14 | Toka Print MTB Team | 2 | Row 13 - Cell 3 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | Header Cell - Column 3 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Tanja Zakelj (Slo) Unior Tools Team | 790 | pts |
2 | Eva Lechner (Ita) Team Colnago Sudtirol | 630 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
3 | Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Pro Team | 615 | Row 2 - Cell 3 |
4 | Maja Wloszczowska (Pol) Giant Pro XC Team | 580 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
5 | Alexandra Engen (Swe) Ghost Factory Racing Team | 495 | Row 4 - Cell 3 |
6 | Katrin Leumann (Swi) Ghost Factory Racing Team | 456 | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
7 | Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Nor) Multivan Merida Biking Team | 449 | Row 6 - Cell 3 |
8 | Adelheid Morath (Ger) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team | 406 | Row 7 - Cell 3 |
9 | Emily Batty (Can) Trek Factory Racing | 390 | Row 8 - Cell 3 |
10 | Jolanda * Neff (Swi) Giant Pro XC Team | 386 | Row 9 - Cell 3 |
11 | Catharine Pendrel (Can) Luna Pro Team | 375 | Row 10 - Cell 3 |
12 | Esther Süss (Swi) Wheeler - Ixs Team | 365 | Row 11 - Cell 3 |
13 | Irina Kalentieva (Rus) Topeak Ergon Racing Team | 328 | Row 12 - Cell 3 |
14 | Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Calcit Bike Team | 298 | Row 13 - Cell 3 |
15 | Lea Davison (USA) Specialized Racing XC | 292 | Row 14 - Cell 3 |
16 | Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team | 267 | Row 15 - Cell 3 |
17 | Sabine Spitz (Ger) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team | 250 | Row 16 - Cell 3 |
18 | Annika Langvad (Den) Team Davinci - Specialized | 250 | Row 17 - Cell 3 |
19 | Tereza Hurikova (Cze) Specialized Racing XC | 244 | Row 18 - Cell 3 |
20 | Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Pro Team | 244 | Row 19 - Cell 3 |
21 | Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) Team Colnago Sudtirol | 242 | Row 20 - Cell 3 |
22 | Corina Gantenbein (Swi) Fischer-BMC | 242 | Row 21 - Cell 3 |
23 | Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Ghost Factory Racing Team | 236 | Row 22 - Cell 3 |
24 | Hanna Klein (Ger) | 218 | Row 23 - Cell 3 |
25 | Aleksandra Dawidowicz (Pol) Bi&Esse Carrera | 194 | Row 24 - Cell 3 |
26 | Sabrina Enaux (Fra) | 194 | Row 25 - Cell 3 |
27 | Vera Andreeva (Rus) Team Protek | 182 | Row 26 - Cell 3 |
28 | Githa Michiels (Bel) Toka Print MTB Team | 180 | Row 27 - Cell 3 |
29 | Mary Mcconneloug (USA) | 168 | Row 28 - Cell 3 |
30 | Pauline * Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Giant Pro XC Team | 164 | Row 29 - Cell 3 |
31 | Daniela Campuzano (Mex) | 154 | Row 30 - Cell 3 |
32 | Marianne Vos (Ned) | 150 | Row 31 - Cell 3 |
33 | Annie Last (GBr) Trek Factory Racing | 141 | Row 32 - Cell 3 |
34 | Julie Bresset (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - KMC | 124 | Row 33 - Cell 3 |
35 | Anna Villar Argente (Spa) | 123 | Row 34 - Cell 3 |
36 | Jacquelina Alvarez (Arg) | 117 | Row 35 - Cell 3 |
37 | Fanny Bourdon (Fra) Look - Beaumes De Venise | 104 | Row 36 - Cell 3 |
38 | Nina Wrobel (Ger) | 99 | Row 37 - Cell 3 |
39 | Nadine Rieder (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team | 95 | Row 38 - Cell 3 |
40 | Mikaela Kofman (Can) Scott-3Roxracing | 90 | Row 39 - Cell 3 |
41 | Agustina Maria Apaza (Arg) | 88 | Row 40 - Cell 3 |
42 | Katarzyna Solus-Miskowicz (Pol) | 88 | Row 41 - Cell 3 |
43 | Lene Byberg (Nor) | 84 | Row 42 - Cell 3 |
44 | Judy Freeman (USA) | 81 | Row 43 - Cell 3 |
45 | Nataliya Krompets (Ukr) ISD MTB Team | 79 | Row 44 - Cell 3 |
46 | Jitka Skarnitzlova (Cze) | 79 | Row 45 - Cell 3 |
47 | Lee Craigie (GBr) | 79 | Row 46 - Cell 3 |
48 | Anja Gradl (Ger) Team Bulls | 79 | Row 47 - Cell 3 |
49 | Barbara Benko (Hun) Focus XC Team | 79 | Row 48 - Cell 3 |
50 | Kate Fluker (NZl) | 78 | Row 49 - Cell 3 |
51 | Elisabeth Brandau (Ger) | 77 | Row 50 - Cell 3 |
52 | Paula Gorycka (Pol) 4F Racing Team | 75 | Row 51 - Cell 3 |
53 | Chengyuan Ren (Chn) | 74 | Row 52 - Cell 3 |
54 | Elisabeth Sveum (Nor) | 74 | Row 53 - Cell 3 |
55 | Anna Szafraniec (Pol) | 70 | Row 54 - Cell 3 |
56 | Serena Calvetti (Ita) Torpado Surfing Shop | 70 | Row 55 - Cell 3 |
57 | Lucie Chainel-Lefevre (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - KMC | 68 | Row 56 - Cell 3 |
58 | Amanda Sin (Can) Scott-3Roxracing | 66 | Row 57 - Cell 3 |
59 | Samara Sheppard (NZl) Toka Print MTB Team | 64 | Row 58 - Cell 3 |
60 | Elvira Khayrullina (Rus) | 57 | Row 59 - Cell 3 |
61 | Kateryna Naberezhna (Ukr) ISD MTB Team | 49 | Row 60 - Cell 3 |
62 | Judith Pollinger (Ita) | 48 | Row 61 - Cell 3 |
63 | Franziska Brun (Swi) | 45 | Row 62 - Cell 3 |
64 | Katherine O'neill (NZl) | 44 | Row 63 - Cell 3 |
65 | Lucia Vazquez Crespo (Spa) | 41 | Row 64 - Cell 3 |
66 | Lucie Vesela (Cze) | 39 | Row 65 - Cell 3 |
67 | Sandra Santanyes Murillo (Spa) | 34 | Row 66 - Cell 3 |
68 | Erin Huck (USA) | 34 | Row 67 - Cell 3 |
69 | Nikki Harris (GBr) | 32 | Row 68 - Cell 3 |
70 | Ann Berglund (Swe) | 30 | Row 69 - Cell 3 |
71 | Sarah Koba (Swi) JB Felt Team | 29 | Row 70 - Cell 3 |
72 | Oksana Rybakova (Rus) | 28 | Row 71 - Cell 3 |
73 | Irina Slobodyan (Ukr) | 28 | Row 72 - Cell 3 |
74 | Joana Barbosa (Por) | 26 | Row 73 - Cell 3 |
75 | Anna Oberparleiter (Ita) | 23 | Row 74 - Cell 3 |
76 | Andréanne Pichette (Can) | 18 | Row 75 - Cell 3 |
77 | Laura Metzler (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - KMC | 18 | Row 76 - Cell 3 |
78 | Helle Qvortrup Bachmann (Den) | 17 | Row 77 - Cell 3 |
79 | Hielke Elferink (Ned) | 14 | Row 78 - Cell 3 |
80 | Lenka Bulisova (Cze) | 13 | Row 79 - Cell 3 |
81 | Ruth Owen-Evans (GBr) | 12 | Row 80 - Cell 3 |
82 | Asuman Bura Balci (Tur) | 11 | Row 81 - Cell 3 |
83 | Laura Turpijn (Ned) SBJ Bike Team | 8 | Row 82 - Cell 3 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | Header Cell - Column 3 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Giant Pro XC Team | 226 | pts |
2 | Luna Pro Team | 226 | Row 1 - Cell 3 |
3 | Ghost Factory Racing Team | 226 | Row 2 - Cell 3 |
4 | Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team | 170 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
5 | Team Colnago Sudtirol | 151 | Row 4 - Cell 3 |
6 | Unior Tools Team | 138 | Row 5 - Cell 3 |
7 | Trek Factory Racing | 105 | Row 6 - Cell 3 |
8 | Specialized Racing XC | 95 | Row 7 - Cell 3 |
9 | Multivan Merida Biking Team | 89 | Row 8 - Cell 3 |
10 | Wheeler - Ixs Team | 79 | Row 9 - Cell 3 |
11 | Topeak Ergon Racing Team | 68 | Row 10 - Cell 3 |
12 | Calcit Bike Team | 55 | Row 11 - Cell 3 |
13 | Team Davinci - Specialized | 37 | Row 12 - Cell 3 |
14 | Fischer-BMC | 33 | Row 13 - Cell 3 |
15 | Bi&Esse Carrera | 31 | Row 14 - Cell 3 |
16 | BH - SR Suntour - KMC | 25 | Row 15 - Cell 3 |
17 | Team Protek | 25 | Row 16 - Cell 3 |
18 | Toka Print MTB Team | 14 | Row 17 - Cell 3 |
19 | ISD MTB Team | 8 | Row 18 - Cell 3 |
20 | Scott-3Roxracing | 5 | Row 19 - Cell 3 |
21 | 4F Racing Team | 1 | Row 20 - Cell 3 |
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