May 10/08 6:46 am - Maribor World Cup: report, results and photos

Posted by Editoress on 05/10/08
 

UCI 4-Cross World Cup #1 - Maribor, Slovenia
by Larry Ireland

The first UCI MTB World Cup 4-Cross of the 2008 season got underway late this afternoon here in Maribor, Slovenia. Qualifying took place late yesterday, and 110 men and 16 women attempted to work their way to the main event. The main began as the sun started to get low in the sky, and the first race of the season did not disappoint the crowds who came out. The huge first berm and flat second corner led to all sorts of excitement as riders came into the second corner flat out, resulting in multiple pileups.

Early favorites Dan Atherton (who qualified first by over a second), Cedric Gracia (FRA), Brian Lopes (USA) and Romain Saladini (FRA) all went down in random accidents. One rider was even flung over the 7' catch netting after trying to throw his muscle in Gracia's direction. Lopes was leading his heat when he caught the gate, got squirrely, started to recover, only to have his rear wheel come out of the dropouts, ending his day early. "I don't know what happened, no idea. I think I must have caught my quick release on someone's bike when I hit the gate" the defending world champ commented during the next round of racing.

Even the women's race saw crashes, as a few women went down in the stretch between the two first corners. Mio Suemesa (JAP) went down hard out of the gate and didn't run in the small final.

Beerton



Anneke Beerten (NED) and newcomer Alvarez de Lara Lu, in his first World Cup event, took home the wins. Beerten slid to her knees in the finish corral, pumping her fist in the air. She picks up right where she left off in 2007, winning here in Maribor.

Beerten dominated all night, never losing a heat and never having to make a pass. Melissa Buhl (USA) looked to be charging, but got pushed outside in the second corner and couldn't catch up, ending up in fourth place. Anita Molcik and Fionn Griffiths (GBR) hooked their cars to the Beerten train and followed her down for second and third, respectively.

The men's final saw Lara Lu go wire to wire, getting out in front and staying there. Guido Tschugg (GER) and Johannes Fischbach (GER) played follow the leader while Tomas Slavik (CZE) slipped a pedal right of the gate and was knocked out of contention.

Lara Lu



There were no Canadians in either the men's or women's competition.



Women

Big Final
1. Anneke Beerten (Ned) Ms-Intense Factory-Racing
2. Anita Molcik (Aut) 4 Elements Yet
3. Fionn Griffiths (GBr) Norco World Team
4. Melissa Buhl (USA) Khs

Small Final
5. Lucia Oetjen (Sui)
6. Helene Fruhwirth (Aut)
7. Eva Castro Fernandez (Esp)
8. Diana Marggraff (Ecu)

1/4 Finals
9. Kathleen Pruitt (USA)
10. Marielle Jonker (Ned)
11. Tereza Votavova (Cze)
12. Katarina Tothova (Cze)
13. Elisa Canepa (Ita) Playbiker - Iron Horse
14. Angelika Hohenwarter (Aut)
DNF. Mio Suemasa (Jpn) Ms-Intense Factory-Racing

Men

Big Final
1. Rafael Alvarez De Lara Lu (Esp)
2. Guido Tschugg (Ger)
3. Johannes Fischbach (Ger) Team Ghost International
4. Tomas Slavik (Cze)

Small Final
5. CÈdric Gracia (Fra) Commencal - Furious - Oak
6. Romain Saladini (Fra) Team Sunn
7. Mickael Deldycke (Fra)
8. Jurg Meijer (Ned)

1/4 Finals
9. Kamil Tatarkovic (Cze) Suzuki-Rb
10. Tomas Haluza (Cze)
11. Dave Wardell (GBr)
12. Sidney Gerber (Sui)
13. Filip Polc (Svk) Kenda Tomac
14. William Evans (GBr)
15. Miroslav Jirka (Cze)
16. Livio Zampieri (Ita)

1/8 Finals
17. Dan Atherton (GBr) Animal Commencal
18. Ross Milan (USA) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Rac
19. Tilen Frank (Slo) Team Scott Lactat
20. Lewis Lacey (GBr)
21. Lukas Mechura (Cze)
22. Matthew Simmonds (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycle
23. Luka Novak (Slo) Team Enduro Mulisha
24. Bernard Kerr (GBr)
25. Joost Wichman (Ned) Cannondale Factory Racing
26. Dominik Gspan (Sui)
27. Scott Beaumont (GBr) Rocky Mountain Uk
28. Nathan Rennie (Aus) Santa Cruz Syndicate
29. Radim Kvacek (Cze)
30. Premek Tejchman (Cze)
31. Markus Sedlak (Aut)
32. Federico Ravizzini (Ita)

1/16 Finals
33. Brian Lopes (USA) Gt
34. Matej Stapic (Slo) Team Enduro Mulisha
35. Mathieu Faury (Fra)
36. Michael Robert Haderer (USA)
37. Sascha Meyenborg (Ger)
38. Thomas Sch≈fer (Ger)
39. Rastislav Pirman (Svk) 4 Elements Yeti
40. Jakub Pytlik (Cze)
41. Peter Prajczer (Hun)
42. Gabor Vigh-Kiss (Hun)
43. Adrian Kiener (Sui)
44. Patrick Campbell-Jenner (GBr)
45. Marek Pesko (Svk)
46. Nicolas Siedl (Aut)
47. Thomas Warmuth (Aut)
48. Federico Mattia Gemme (Ita)
49. Joey Van Veghel (Ned)
50. Daniel Prijkel (Ned)
51. Peter Novacik (Svk)
52. Adrian Weiss (Sui)
53. Sascha Vetsch (Sui)
54. Zdenek Nasinec (Cze)
55. FrÈdÈric Lange (Bel)
56. Lukasz Baran (Pol)
57. Nicolas Gspan (Sui)
58. Alejandro Lozano (Esp)
59. Hannes Slavik (Aut)
60. Peter Fernbach (Aut)
61. Matej Vitko (Svk)
62. Martin Frei (Sui)
63. Ales Rogozan (Cze)
64. Will Longden (GBr)

 

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