May 20/12 7:14 am - La Bresse World Cup: Men's XC UPDATES

Posted by Editoress on 05/20/12
 

The men are lining up and will take their start at 8 am ET

See our Preview for Course information

 

Missing from today's start will be World Cup leader Nino Schurter (Scott - Swisspower MTB Racing Team) suffering from some sort of flu.

 

The favourite has got to be Julien Absalon (Orbea Racing Team), who lives just 10 km away, and who designed the course,  along with his brother Remi

 

It rained most of the night, and the course has beendrying up all morning.  The junior and women's races earier today will have torn up the course a bit, so it will be interesting how the races develops on the first lap

 

Men will do a start loop and 6 full laps

 

Start Loop

8 am

And they are off, along the paved first section  as one big bunch

 

The usual fast starters are at the front

with Manuel Fumic (Cannondale Factory Racing) leading as they head out onto the trail

 

Lap 1

 

Fumic still leads as they head out at the end of the start loop.  Marco Aurelio Fontana (Cannondale Factory Racing) 2nd, Fabian Giger (Rabobank Giant Offroad Team) 3rd

Julien Absalon (Orbea Racing Team) sitting 7th

Geoff Kabush (Scott-3Roxracing) 20th

Max Plaxton (Specialized Canada) 23rd

 

The track is quite narrow in places and the speed combined with this fact is spreading the field out.

 

8:07 am

As they head up the climb, Florian Vogel (Scott - Swisspower MTB Racing Team) leading Fontana and Ralph Naf (Multivan Merida Biking Team) and Giger

 

The race within the race is between the Swiss rides hoping for the 2nd and 3rd spots on the Olymic team.  Schurter has a lock, but there are at least 5 other Swiss riders going for the remaining 2 positions.  A top 8 position at a World Cup is a requirement for selection consideration.

 

 

Lap 2

 

Naf leading Vogel at 5 sec and Fontana at 10 sec.  Fontana has a flat tho' and will have a very hard time maintaining his spot as the next tech zone is at the top of the climb.

Julien Absalon (Orbea Racing Team) 4th

Moritz Milatz (Bmc Mountainbike Racing Team) 5th

 

8:26 am

 

Lots of technical problems;  Stander flat on Lap 1, Fontana flatted. Riders are showing signs of having gone down.

 

8:27 am

 

1/2 way through Lap 2

Absalon now leading with Florian Vogel (Scott - Swisspower MTB Racing Team) and Moritz Milatz (BMC Mountainbike Racing Team) 3rd

Naf now 5th

Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized Racing) 7th at 25 sec

Plaxton 16th at 58 sec back

Kabush 42nd at 2:53

 

8:30 am

 

Absalon starting to stretch his legs and push the pace.  Vogel is getting dropped

 

Fontana is out after flatting

 

Lap 3 - 8:34 am

 

Absalon starts the 3rd lap with a gap of 10 sec on Vogel and Miltaz at 11 sec

Giger at 22 sec,

Lukas Flückiger (Trek World Racing) 5th at 22 sec

Naf 6th at 22 sec

Kulhavy 7th at 34 sec

 

Plaxton up to 15th at 1:24

Samuel Schultz (Subaru - Trek) 31st

Kabush 42nd

Zandstra 70th

 

The technical descent is causing a lot of flats.  Fumic is now a victim at the end of the 2nd lap

 

8:38 am

 

Absalon heads up the climb, and is pushing hard to open up a bit more of a gap on chasers Vogel and Milatz

 

1/2 way though lap 3

Absalon leading with Milatz, Vogel and Giger at 14 sec

Naf 5th at 28 sec

Kulhavy 6th at 29 sec

Jean-Christophe Peraud (AG2R La Mondiale) 7th at 39 sec

Maxime Marotte (BH - SR Suntour - Peisey Vallandry) 8th at 44 sec

Lukas Flückiger (Trek World Racing) at 9th 45 sec

Christoph Sauser (Specialized Racing) 10th at 50 sec

Plaxton 15th at 1:43 back

 

 

Lap 4  8:50 am

 

Absalon leading Vogel by 14 sec, Giger at s.t.

Naf at 15 sec

Kulhavy 5th at 22 sec

Perraud 6th at 36 sec

Milatz at 47 sec - Milatz has just had a flat just metres past the  tech zone, so unless he has some way of fixing himself, he is out

 

Plaxton 12th at 1:44

Jeremiah Bishop (Cannondale Factory Racing) 32nd

Sam Schultz 33rd

Stephen Ettinger (Bmc Mountainbike Racing Team) 37th

Kabush 49th

 

8:53 am

 

Heading up the climb, Absalon is leading, but there is a chase group of 4 now chasing: Naf, Vogel, Giger and Kulhavy all at ~ 14 sec putting the pressure on Absalon.

 

Big crowds out to watch this race. France does not get an XC World Cup very often, so the French usually have to go outside the country to see the Absalon race.

 

9 am - 1/2 way round

Absalon

Kulhavy, Vogel and Naf at 19 sec. and Giger struggling a bit at 21 sec

Perraud 6th at 56

Perraud the 2008 silver medalist is trying to qualify for the 2nd spot for France

 

Plaxton is up to 11th, and is just about to  pass Hermida and Fluckiger to move into the top 10

 

Lap 5 of 6

9:06 am

Starting the 5th lap, Naf has closed the gap to pass Absalon as they cross the line

Kulhavy 3rd at 22 sec

Vogel 4th at s.t.

Peraud 5th at 56 sec

Giger and Marotte 6th/7th  at 1:13

Sauser 8th at 1:26

Hermida 9th at 1:55

Plaxton 10th at 1:56

 

9:09 am

Up the climb and Absalon back in control, gapping Naf

 

9:16 am

 

1/2 way round

Absalon, Naf 2nd at 17 sec, Kulhavy 3rd at 22 sec, Vogel 4th at 54 sec, Peraud 5th at 1:15

Marotte 7th at 1:35, Sauser 8th at 1:35, Plaxton 9th at 2:26

 

9:18 am

Kulhavy and Naf together now and battling it out to see who gets to hit the descent first - Naf 'wins'

 

Kulhavy almost comes off on the descent, allowing naf to get away

 

Lap 6 LAST LAP  9:21 am

 

Absalon hits the line to head out for the final lap with a gap of 11 sec on Naf.  Kulhavy 3rd at 17 sec

Vogel 4th at 1:07

Peraud 5th at 1:23

Giger 6th at 1:43

Marotte 7th at 1:48

Sauser 8th at 1:51

Fluckiger 9th at 2:24

Plaxton 10th at 2:25

 

9:26 am

Starting the climb, Absalon leading, but Kulhavy is starting to reel him in.

Naf 3rd

 

9:31 am

1/2 way through the final lap.  Absalon leading a tiring Kulhavy, at 23 sec.  Naf 3rd at 50 sec

 

Vogel at 4th at 1:32, Giger at 5th 1:46, Peraud 6th at 2:04

Sauser 7th at 2:08, Marotte 8th at 2:37, Plaxton 9th at 2:49, Fluckiger 10th at 3:18

 

Final

1 Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea Racing Team , 1:37:33
2 Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) Specialized Racing , at 0:07
3 Ralph Naef (Sui) Multivan Merida Biking Team , 0:40
4 Florian Vogel (Sui) Scott - Swisspower MTB Racing Team , 1:24
5 Fabian Giger (Sui) Rabobank Giant Offroad Team , 1:41
6 Christoph Sauser (Sui) Specialized Racing , 2:08
7 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale , 2:20
8 Maxime Marotte (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - Peisey Vallandry , 2:35
9 Max Plaxton (Can) Team Canada , 2:51
10 Lukas Flückiger (Sui) Trek World Racing , 3:20

 

 

Course map

 

 

 

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