May 26/08 5:26 am - European XC: Swiss Power Cup #4, Bundesliga #2, Lugagnano Val d'Arda
Posted by Editoress on 05/26/08
Swiss Power Cup #4 May 25th, Gränichen SUI
Report courtesy Multivan Merida Biking Team
Swiitzerland's Ralph Näf dominated at the Swisspower Cup in Gränichen (SUI) and won the race in a superior style in front of Martin Gujan and Lukas Flückiger. It is Näfs first victory after a unlucky start to the season and he feels now very optimistic toward the upcoming world cup races in Andorra and Scotland. "My top form was essential today and my Merida 96 made me a winner" Ralph Näf said after the race. He is now ready to attack in one week at the world cup in Andorra.
| Men | |
| 1. Ralph Näf (Sui) Multivan Merida Biking Team | 1:42:11 |
| 2. Martin Gujan (Sui) Athleticum MTB Team | at 0:59 |
| 3. Lukas Flückiger (Sui) Athleticum MTB Team | 1:24 |
| 4. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Orbea | 2:51 |
| 5. Nicola Rohrbach (Sui) Central Ghost Pro Team | 3:02 |
| 6. Gion Manetsch (Sui) Athleticum MTB Team | 3:28 |
| 7. Alexandre Moos (Sui) BMC Racing | 3:30 |
| 8. Andreas Kugler (Sui) Fischer-BMC | 4:07 |
| 9. Jürg Graf (Sui) Swisspower Mountainbike-Team | 4:18 |
| 10. Till Marx (Sui) Swisspower Mountainbike-Team | 4:32 |
| Women | |
| 1. Sabine Spitz (Ger) central GHOST Pro Team | 1:27:50 |
| 2. Katrin Leumann (Sui) goldwurst-power / Sputnik | at 0:17 |
| 3. Maroussia Rusca (Sui) Scott Allianz Suisse | 1:18 |
| 4. Esther Süss (Sui) Wheeler Pro Team/RC Gränichen | 1:49 |
| 5. Marielle Saner Guinchard (Sui) Bikepark.ch / BMC | 2:07 |
| 6. Sandra Walter (Can) X.0-Felt Womens MTB Team | 3:40 |
| 7. Fabienne Niederberger (Sui) X.0-Felt Womens MTB Team | 6:55 |
| 8. Kathrin Stirnemann (Sui) Merida Suisse Team | 7:41 |
| 9. Myriam Saugy (Sui) Texner BMC | 9:23 |
| 10. Francisca Campos Salas (Chi) Centre Mondial du Cyclisme | 11:22 |
Bundesliga XC - Bike the Rock May 25th, Heubach GER
Report by Erhard Goller
In second round of the German Cross-Country-Bundesliga, Austrian Christoph Soukup took the win ahead of Moritz Milatz (Ger) and Julien Absalon (Fra). The women's race saw Ivonne Kraft (Ger) cross the finish line six seconds ahead of Sabrina Enaux (Fra). Hanna Klein (Ger) took third.
Spectators lined the side of the track at the BiketheRock-Festival in Heubach, cheering the along the steep climbs and the difficult downhill sections. Early on Christoph Soukup and Moritz Milatz took the lead ahead of Julien Absalon. The four time world champion, coming off of a hard training week, was not able to follow them."They were too strong for me today but I enjoyed the race with all the spectators around", Absalon said after the race. Absalon finished third, while Soukup was able to drop Milatz in lap five. "My legs worked really fine in the uphill and for me it's a great pleasure to win Heubach because it is a wonderful event, hardly comparable to others„, Soukup commented.
Milatz, returning after some difficult weeks with illness was glad to be competitive again. "Christoph was much stronger in the climb but I'm okay with my shape, looking forward to the world cup in Andorra."
Kraft faster in the downhill sections
In women's race Ivonne Kraft used her technical skills to beat Sabrina Enaux by six seconds. When the pair reached the top Enaux was always close to Kraft. But he 37 year old German was much faster in the tricky and steep downhill. "I'm happy to feel my body again in this way", Kraft said after the race. Since Cape Epic, which Kraft won in the mixed category together with Nico Pfitzenmaier, she never was really healthy and noted some bad results in worldcup round one to three.
Enaux was not unhappy to take second place, and is now leading the Bundesliga overall.
In third position was U23 rider Hanna Klein, but she was 5 41 behind Kraft.
Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor) was not able to start due to problems resulting from a crash at Houffalize.
Irina Kalentieva (Rus) started, but has been sick since the European Championships and has been on antibiotics. The world champion lives most of the year in Aalen, which is only ten kilometres from Heubach. So she decided to be at the start and but dropped out of the race after two laps. "I like this race and there are a lot of fans. So I was anxious to to be here", she said. Kalentieva and Dahle are both possible non starters at the Andorra worldcup.
Elisabeth Osl (Aut) crashed on Saturday while training and was not able to be at the start.
| Elite Men | |
| 1. Christoph Soukup (Aut) Team FUJI-BIKES Europe | 1:58:59 |
| 2. Moritz Milatz (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team | at 1:39 |
| 3. Julien Absalon (Fra) ORBEA | 2:44 |
| 4. Fabian Giger (Sui) SKS M.I.G. Team | 3:22 |
| 5. Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team | 6:05 |
| 6. Marek Galinski (Pol) JBG2-APC PRESMET | 7:05 |
| 7. Tim Böhme (Ger) Team ALB-GOLD Mountainbike | 7:49 |
| 8. Karl Markt (Aut) Team SRM Stevens | 8:26 |
| 9. Jochen Käß (Ger) Team ALB-GOLD Mountainbike | 8:32 |
| 10. Robert Mennen (Ger) Team FUJI-BIKES Europe | 9:07 |
| Elite Women | |
| 1. Ivonne Kraft (Ger) Joybike / MBC Bochum | 1:34:28 |
| 2. Sabrina Enaux (Fra) Team LAPIERRE International | at 0:06 |
| 3. Hanna Klein (Ger) Rothaus-Cube MTB Team | 5:41 |
| 4. Julie Krasniak (Fra) Time Lapierre International | 7:07 |
| 5. Silke Schmidt (Ger) Fuji Bikes Europe | 7:25 |
| 6. Agnes Naumann (Ger) Rothaus-Cube MTB Team | 9:29 |
| 7. Nina Kunz (Ger) Merida Deutschland | 9:43 |
| 8. Tatjana Dold (Ger) Fuji-Bikes Europe | 12:16 |
| 9. Silja Vetter (Ger) SC Hausach Neumayer Tekfor | 13:28 |
| 10. Stefanie Andris (Ger) Rothaus-Cube MTB Team | 14:19 |
Lugagnano Val d'Arda May 25th, Lugagnano ITA
| Elite Men | |
| 1. Yader Zoli (Ita) Giant Italia Team | 1:30:57 |
| 2. Johann Pallhuber (Ita) Team Silmax Amd Kona | 1:31:15 |
| 3. Andrea Tiberi (Ita) Giant Italia Team | 1:37:18 |
| 4. Hubert Pollinger (Ita) Sunshine Racers Asv Nals | 1:37:52 |
| 5. Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Esp) Giant Italia Team | 1:40:09 |
| 6. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Cannondale-Vredestein | 1:40:13 |
| 7. Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Hard Rock Frw | 1:42:01 |
| 8. Mike Felderer (Ita) Sintesi Corse A.S.D. | 1:42:07 |
| 9. Massimo De Bertolis (Ita) Team Full-Dynamix | 1:42:36 |
| 10. Alessandro Fontana (Ita) Gruppo Sportivo Forestale | 1:43:01 |
| Elite Women | |
| 1. Eva Lechner (Ita) Colnago Arreghini Filago | 1:36:27 |
| 2. Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Giant Italia Team | 1:37:58 |
| 3. Nina Homovec (Slo) Slovenia National Team | 1:40:07 |
| 4. Annabella Stropparo (Ita) Ideal Bikes Romania | 1:42:36 |
| 5. Elena Gaddoni (Ita) Progress-Frm | 1:43:40 |
| 6. Evelyn Staffler (Ita) Colnago Arreghini Filago | 1:47:07 |
| 7. Barbara Oberdorfer (Ita) L'arcobaleno Carraro Team | 1:48:08 |
| 8. Alexandra Hober (Ita) Profi Bike Team | 1:48:47 |
| 9. Zoe King (Aus) Cycling Australia Tis | 1:49:50 |
| 10. Francesca Leonardelli (Ita) L'arcobaleno Carraro Team | 2:03:52 |
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