April 26/09 8:38 am - Offenburg XC World Cup: Men's UPDATES

Posted by Editoress on 04/26/09
 

222 men are registered for the start of today's men's race, so with just one start loop and before the 7 full laps it should be an "interesting" start.


The sun is shining and it is dry and hot!


Through the start loop and they seem to have gotten 1/2 way around with NO CRASHES and Florian Vogel    (Scott-Swisspower Mtb-Racing) takes the lead.


Lap 1: As they head out for the first lap, Lukas Flückiger    (Trek World Racing) is at the front followed by Vogel, then Julien Absalon    (Orbea) .  Geoff Kabush    (Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles) sitting low 20's.  It took over 1 minute for the entire bunch to pass by the finishline to head out.

Update:  4 riders were DNS:  Liam Killeen (Specialized) , Torsten Marx    (Ds-Rennsport), Luis Alberto Costa Leao Pinto and Filip Meirhaeghe.  It is being reported that Filip Meirhaeghe wioll race his final World Cup in Houffalize next weekend and will then retire.

Killeen is still suffering from a bad back.

8:45am EST - Up the climb, there is a bunch of 11 at the front followed by a chase group of 4 at 5 sec and then another bunch at another 5 sec

Lap one completed in 17:50

Lap 2:  As they start the lap, Hemida is at the front followed by Absalon, Vogel, Burry Stander (Specialized), Roel Paulissen (Cannondale), Flückiger, Christoph Sauser    (Specialized Factory Racing), Jaroslav Kulhavy    (Rubena-Specialized), Martin Gujan    (Cannondale Factory Racing), Todd Wells (Trek), Jean-Christophe Peraud    (Massi), .  Geoff Kabush is sitting 14th.  Derek Zandstra 87th, Raph Gagne 108th, Kris Sneddon 183rd,  Adam Morka 202nd

Leaders are heading to the finishline and the bunch is still all together  and is now 12 with the addition of Marco Aurelio Fontana    (Cannondale Factory Racing) wiith a chase group of 3 at 13 sec with Geoff Kabush just  off the back of it

Lap 3: Across the finish to start Lap 3 now with a time of 33:31.  12 riders still togther.

Absalon has attached on the climb.  As he heads past the tech zone he has a 10 sec + gap on Flückiger , Stander, Sauser.  The bunch is now well spread out as they chase.

Through the 'Snake Pit" his gap is 25 seconds on the chase group now down to  8

9:20 am EST - Lap  4:  As they start the 4th lap Absalon has a gap of 38 seconds on Jean-Christophe Peraud    (Massi) leading the group of 8 chasers.  Sauser, Vogel, Schurter, Paulissen, Stander, Fluckiger, Fontana.  Wells and Hermida are at another 5 sec.  Adam Craig is up to 15th and Kabush 17th. 

Hermida arrived onsite with a bad cold, said to have originated with his son.

9:25 am:  Wells has flatted and is running to the tech zone.  He is out of the race

9:32 am:  Through the 'Snake Pit',  Absalon has a gap of ~ 48 seconds on Stander followed by Sauser and Lukas Flückiger at 3 sec.

Lap 5:  Starting the lap, Absalon  with Sauser and Stander at nearly 1 min.  Flückiger 4th at another  2 seconds.  Fontana, Perraud, Paulissen  and Vogel at  another 18 sec.  Adam Craig is in 12th (1:52) and seems to be picking up steam.  Kabush is up to 14th at 2:02 back of the leader. Zandstra 70th

Midway:  Sauser and Stander at  1:05, The chase group of 7 at 1:35, Ralph Naef    (Multivan Merida Biking Team) at 2 min.  Kabush 15th,

Through the 1st techzone, it appears Stander has lost Sauser, who has not come through

Lap 6:  Absalon through with a total time of 1:18:21 for 5 laps.  Stander 2nd at 1:18, Wolfram Kurschat    (Topeak Ergon Racing Team) 3rd, Peraud 4th, Flückiger 5th, Paulissen 6th, Ralph Naef    (Multivan Merida Biking Team) 7th

Kabush 11th, Craig 13th.  Still no sign of Sauser

Partway through, things are heating up for the 2nd spot.  Stander has been caught by Fluckinger, Peraud and Kurschat

Sauser update:  He crashed on teh Northshore downhill section and broke off the brakes.  Fixable?  but would take too long to remain competitive.

Lap 7:  Absalon crosses to start the final lap.  Kurschat and Perraud at 1:20.  Stander at another 10 sec. Näf leads a group of 3 (Fontana and Flückiger) at nearly 2 min back.

Kabush up to 9th, Sam Schultz 13th, Craig 14th

10:17am:  Absalon  cruises through the 'snake pit' for the last time.  Wolfram Kurschat in 2nd,  Jean-Christophe Peraud 3rd, Burry Stander 4th, Ralph Näf  5th

Finish

Unofficial

1 Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea,  1:49:26
2 Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team, at 1:09
3 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Massi, 1:24
4 Burry Stander * (RSA) Specialized Factory Racing, 1:32
5 Ralph Naef (Sui) Multivan Merida Biking Team, 1:54

9 Geoff Kabush (Can) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles, 2:57