Posted by Editoress on 05/22/11
The final race of the World Cup XC #2 is about to start with riders now on the line
Our coverage brought to you with the support of Velirium
They will complete a start loop of 2.4 km then complete 6 full laps of the course
The wind continues to pick up and it is raining intermittently
5 Canadian men riding today: Geoff Kabush (Team Maxxis - Rocky Mountain), Derek Zandstra (Team Canada), Max Plaxton, Raphael Gagne , Andrew Watson all Team Canada)
Start Loop
Marco Aurelio Fontana (Cannondale Factory Racing) gets the holeshot and they head out. A total of 138 entries today.
9:03 am ET - Jose Hermida (Multivan Merida Biking Team) now leading a long, long line as they make their way around the short loop
Lap 1
As they head out it is Hermida across first followed by Nino Schurter (Scott - Swisspower MTB - Racing), Manuel Fumic (Cannondale Factory Racing), Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized Racing)
Geoff Kabush 45th at 28 sec back
Gagne 56th
Zandstra 69
Watson 85
Plaxton 96
9:11 am ET. Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized Racing) has taken the lead, folowed by Nino Schurter (Scott - Swisspower MTB - Racing) and then a long line still. Gaps are starting to form
9:19 am ET - Kulhavy is setting a blistering pace but Schurter is not matching it, opting to set his own pace, hopeing Kulhavy will flame out
Schurter is leading a group of 6 chasers: Fontana, Fumic, Absalon, Gujan, Tempier
Lap 2
Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized Racing) leading across the line with Stéphane Tempier (TX Active Bianchi) at the front of the chasers at 35 sec back.
Todd Wells 12th
Kabush 46th at 2:13
Zandstra 59th at 2:30
Sam Schultz 60th
JHK 61st
Jeremiah Bishop 65th
Plaxton 79th
Gagne 82
Watson 88
9:24 am ET - Kulhavy (on a Specialized 29er) continues to pound the pedals and open the gap to the chasers.
9:29 am ET - Kulhavy extending his lead, but the chase group is now ~ 10 riders
9:33 am ET - Kulhavy still leading with Absalon chasing on his own
Then Fontana, Schurter and Fumic
Lap 3
Heading out onto Lap 3 Kulhavy has a gap of 20 sec on Absalon
Schurter 3rd at 45 sec, with Sauser 4th Fumic 5th and Fontana 6th all same time
Stander 7th at 46 sec
Temper 8th at s.t.
Wells 14th
Kabush 48th
JHK 51
Bishop 54
Zandstra 50th
Schultz 66
Plaxton 72
Watson 91
Gagne 108
16th place Florian Vogel (Scott - Swisspower MTB - Racing) has had a mechanical
9:45 am ET - Kulhavy leading with Absalon holing that 20 second gap. Schurter leading the chasrg of the chase group, but they seem to be losing ground.
The wind is blowing up a lot of dust.
Mathias Flückiger (Trek World Racing) and Ralph Naef (Multivan Merida Biking Team) are both DNF
9:49 am ET - Absalon has closed the gap on Kulhavy, now under 15 sec. Chase group at 57 seconds
Lap 4 - 3 to go
Kulhavy goes through with a gap of 19 sec on Absalon.
The chase group is still 9 riders and they are at 1:19 back
Stander, Sauser, Fumic, Schurter, Fontana, Tempier, Litscher, Milatz, Wells
JHK 42
Zandstra 45
Kabush 45
Bishop 48
Plaxton 67
Schultz 72
Watson 94
10am ET - Kulhavy has opened up the gap on Absalon, it is now ~ 30 sec.
Chase group at 1:30
10:05 am ET - as they head to the end of the 3rd lap, the gap between the 2 leaders is ~ 38 seconds
Chasers at 1:50
Lap 5 - 2 to go
Kulhavy, Absalon at 39 sec
Chasers now 5 only at 1:44 - Sauser, Fumic, Fontana, Schurter adn Stander
Tempier 8th at 1:54
Milatz 9th at 1:58
Litsch 10th at 1:59
Wells 11th 2:12
Zandstra 38th
JHK 37th
Bishop 40th
Kabush 48th
Plaxton 57th
Schultz 63rd
Last Lap
Kulhavy begins the final lap with a gap of 44 seconds on Absalon
Chase group of 5 (Fontana, Sauser, Fumic, Stander, Milatz) at 2:04
Maxime Marotte (BH - Suntour - Peisey Vallandry) 8th at 2:19
Thomas Litscher (Felt Oetztal X - Bionic Team) 9th
Nino Schurter (Scott - Swisspower MTB - Racing) 10th both at s.t.
Wells now 14th
Zandstra 32nd
JHK 36th
Bishop 40th
Kabush 46th
Plaxton 49th
10:37 am ET - Kulhavy heading to the finish is looking tires and Absalon at 35 seconds has closed the gap a bit.
The race is now on for 3rd, with Fontana pushing very hard, but maybe doing too much work at the front into the wind
Final
Unofficial
1 Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized Racing), 1:40:53
2 Julien Absalon (Orbea), at 0:50
3 Marco Aurelio Fontana (Cannondale Factory Racing), 1:39
4 Maxime Marotte (BH - Suntour - Peisey Vallandry), s.t.
5 Manuel Fumic (Cannondale Factory Racing), 1:40
6 Moritz Milatz (BMC Mountainbike Racing Team), s.t.
7 Burry Stander (Specialized Racing), 1:51
8 Christoph Sauser (Specialized Racing), 1:52
9 Nino Schurter (Scott - Swisspower MTB - Racing), 1:58
10 Stéphane Tempier (TX Active Bianchi), 2:00
Note: First World Cup win for a 29er
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