September 19/99 9:12 am - Fullana Wins Worlds-Sydor Takes Silver

Posted by Editor on 09/19/99
 

Fullana Takes Women‚s XC Title

Margarita Fullana (Spain), who gave us a foretaste of her fitness a couple of weeks ago with her dominant win at the World Cup final, has won the 1999 world championship in Are, Sweden. Canada‚s Alison Sydor held off a mid-race challenge by Paola Pezzo to take the silver medal.

Alison Sydor got off to her usual fast start,and was leading the field after the first of four laps. However, Fullana was right on her heels. Swiss riders Barb Blatter and Chantal Daucourt were next, some 40 seconds back. Chrissy Redden, off to a slow start was in 20th place at this point in the race (two and a half minutes back), with Lesley Tomlinson sitting in 28th position, a further minute down.

One lap later, and Fullana is showing her power, taking a 1:17 lead on Sydor. Barb Blatter had moved into sole possesion of third, 1:51 down. The real story was Italian Paola Pezzo, moving up in one lap from 11th to fourth. There was not much movement for Canadians Redden and Tomlinson, with the former jumping up a couple of spots.

As the riders ended their third lap, and entered the final tour of the circuit, Fullana was still out in front, but Pezzo had made her way up to join Sydor, with the chasing duo sitting a minute and a half down on the leader. Blatter was in fourth, a further minute back, and American Alison Dunlap had moved into 5th, 3:29 behind Fullana. Chrissy Redden had also started to move up, to 13th by the start of the last lap. One of the pre-race favourites, Gunn-Rita Dahle of Norway abandoned on this lap.

Fullana padded her lead slightly in the final lap, cruising in 1:47 ahead of Sydor. Pezzo blew in the final lap, dropping back to finish nearly a minute and a half down on Sydor. Dunlap moved up to fourth, and Blatter took the final podium spot.

Chrissy Redden was the next Canadian, in 14th place, followed by Lesley Tomlinson, who had worked her way back into 21st. Other Canadians: Melanie Dorion in 45th, Melanie McQuaid 51st and Trish Sinclair 52nd.