May 2/10 4:47 am - World Cup Houffalize: Women's XC UPDATES
Posted by Editoress on 05/2/10
Good morning and welcome to our live lap by lap coverage of the women's XC in Houffalize Belgium.
Editors message before the start:
We woke up to drizzle, and it has been alternating between rain and mist for most of the morning - it's going to be a grey, grey day... So, the dust is gone for sure, but there is a enough rain on the ground now that some of the rutted downhills and climbs in the open will get pretty sloppy. That first steep climb will likely become a run for most riders - and it is a long, steep one, so that will help anyone with cyclo-cross skills, like Hermida or Gould, or good mud skills like Absalon or Pendrel. Start loop plus 4 laps for women, start + 6 for the men.
A large field on the start line of 119 women take the start and they set off in the rain slipping and sliding with some crashes causing some of the mid field and back riders having to get off their bikes as they head out onto the start loop.
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Start Loop
The better riders have startted to sort themselves out as they make themselves out on the technical start loop. Lots of slipping and sliding.
5am - Eva Lechner (Colnago Arreghini Sudtirol) and Elisabeth Osl (Central Pro Team) have gapped the field a wee bit but Margarita Fullana Riera (Massi Team) has started to make a fast move up through the field from a start position well back.
Lap 1
Heading out onto lap 1 it is Lechner, Osl , Fullana together with Willow Koerber (Subaru-Gary Fisher) in 4th at 14 sec back, Julie Bresset (BH-Suntour) 5th, Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) 5th,
Pendrel 12th at 24 sec, Premont 16th at 1:05, Kalentieva 23rd at 1:24, Batty 24th s.t., Dyck 32nd at 2 min
5:08 am
Osl has taken over the lead up the climb and has gapped the chasers, Fullana 2nd, but closing
5:11 am
Fullana has caught and passed Osl, but Osl is taking back the lead on the technical sections. Koerber is 3rd having caught and passed Lechner
5:13 am
Leaders together across the bridge with Koerber chasing alone at 10 seconds. Lechner at another 2 seconds, then Pendrel chasing hard at another 3 seconds then Bressett another 4 seconds
5:17 am
Descending and about the finish the first full lap
As they pass under the bridge Fullana has taken the lead with Koerber now in 2nd, Osl in 3rd a couple seconds back with Lechner 4th, Pendrel 5th, Bressett 5th
Premont has had a mechanical
Lap 2
21 min lap time for the first lap
Koeber had taken the lead with a 1 sec gap on Fullana. Osl 3rd at 9 sec, Pendrel 4th at 27 sec, Lechner 5th at s.t., Bresset 6th at 38 sec, Nash 7th at 1:11, Anna Szafraniec (JBG-2 Professional Mtb Team) 8th, Katrin Leumann 9th,
Gould 12th, Kalentieva 17th at 2:26
5:30 am
Fullana has taken back the lead on the 2nd climb, but Koerber and Osl right on her wheel
5:33 am
Three leaders descending together and over the bridge ab 1/2 way around lap 2. Lechner 4th and Pendrel 5th at ~ 25 sec back
5:39 am
Koerber and Fullana have dropped Osl up the 2nd last climb
5:42am
Up the final climb and Koerber has taken the lead over Fullana by 1 second, Osl is dropping back now ~ 5 sec
Lechner has dropped Pendrel and taken over the 4th spot, but is closing on Osl
Lap 3
Crossing the line to start the 3rd lap.
Koerber with Fullana atr 1 second. Osl at 12 sec, Lechner at 17 sec. Pendrel at 14 sec, Bressett at 54 sec
Koerber is starting to attack on teh descents forcing Fullana to chase.
5:52 am
Lechner and Osl are together chasing and are closing on the leaders
5:55 am
Third of the way into the 3rd lap now and Koerber us away on the long descent with now 3 chasers, at 10 sec, Lechner 2nd, Fullana 3rd and Osl 4th. Pendrel is well off the pace
5:59 am
Heading down the last descent and heading to the end of the lap: Koerber is stretching out her lead, Lechner 2nd at 15 sec, Osl 3rd at 17 sec and Fullana 4th at 20 sec
6:02
Up the last climb Koerber with Lechner at 10 sec nad Osl at 17 sec chasing. Fullana is really struggling and at 35 sec
Bressett and Pendrel now together at 1 min
Heading to the line to start the final lap and Lechner has caught Koerber
Last Lap
Koerber and Lechner with Osl 4th at 7 sec. Fullana 4th at 50 sec, Bressett 5th at 1:19 with Pendrel at s.t.
Byberg 11th, Kalentieva 14th, Gould 15th, Irmiger 18th,
6:10 am
Pendrel leading Bressette and chasing Fullana down up the climb
Lechner and Koerber are swapping back and forth the lead. Koerber leading on the climbs and Lechner leading on descents.
6:14 am
Lechner has now dropped Koerber and has a 10 sec gap. Osl has caught Koerber and moved into 2nd, but they are swapping positions
6:16 am
Half way around
Koerber has caught Lechner
6:18 am
Koerber has taken the lead back from Lechner. Osl at 5 sec.
Pendrel and Bressett have caught passed and dropped Fullana to move into the 4th and 5th positions
Emily Batty has caught the 2nd U 23 rider Tanja Zakelj (Mbk Orbea) in 13th spot
6:21 am
Koerber and Lechner still going at it wheel to wheel.
Lapped riders are hindering the pagge of the leaders
Lechner has taken the opportunity to attack and has dropped Koerber and has 10 seconds. Osl, Bresset and Pendrel is the order
Final
1 Eva Lechner (Colnago Arreghini Sudtirol) 1:40:30
2 Willow Koerber (Subaru-Gary Fisher) at 0:05
3 Elisabeth Osl (Central Pro Team) 0:36
4 Julie Bresset (BH-Suntour) 1:50
5 Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro Team) 2:32
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