July 27/13 7:43 am - World Cup Vallnord: Men's XC Updates
Posted by Editoress on 07/27/13
The men are ready to go for 6 laps of the 4.4 km course. They were originally set to do 7 laps, but after the effects of the heat and altitude were taken into consideration, the officials decided 6 laps was optimal.
There are 85 starters today with just 2 Canadians Geoff Kabush (Scott-3Roxracing) and Derek Zandstra (Scott-3Roxracing) making the trip across the pond. Zandstra is the new Canadian Champ and will be wearing the Canadian flag for the first time in his career.
See the preview for the course info and more.
Lap 1
Fabian Giger (Giant Pro XC Team) gets the holeshot as they head out on lap 1.
Long LONG line of riders as they head up the first climb
1/2 way
Lap 1 - it is Nino Schurter (Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team) leading Lukas Flückiger (BMC Mountainbike Racing Team) with Fabian Giger (Giant Pro XC Team) 3rd at 1s, Gerhard Kerschbaumer (Tx Active Bianchi) 4th at 2s and Florian Vogel (Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team) 5th at s.t.
Geoff Kabush (Scott-3Roxracing) sitting 20th at 19s back
Derek Zandstra (Scott-3Roxracing) 48th at 53s
Julien Absalon (BMC Mountainbike Racing Team) has had a poor start or mechanical, sitting 60th at 1:10 back
Schurter has had a flat as he hits the Tech zone and but gets a quick change and re-enters the race in ~ 12th spot
8:11 am
Fabian Giger (Giant Pro XC Team) and Lukas Flückiger (BMC Mountainbike Racing Team) in the lead
Lap 2
Lap 1 completed in a time of 14:01
Ondrej Cink (Multivan Merida Biking Team) leads out onto lap 2 with Lukas Flückiger (BMC Mountainbike Racing Team) at 1s, Fabian Giger (Giant Pro XC Team) 3rd, Thomas Litscher (Multivan Merida Biking Team) 4th, Gerhard Kerschbaumer (TX Active Bianchi) 5th, Florian Vogel (Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team) 6th l, at 2s .
Nino Schurter (Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team) sitting 11th at 16s
Geoff Kabush (Scott-3Roxracing) 29th at 40s
Derek Zandstra (Scott-3Roxracing) 56th at 1:29
1/2 way
Cink, Flückiger and Kerschbaumer have opened a gap to Giger and Vogel
Schurter 12th at 26s
Kabush 36th at 1:30
Zandstra 54th at 2m
Absalon dropped his chain in the opening sprint on lap 1 and is now 27th at 1:21 back
Lap 3
Cink has opened a gap of 22s ongroup of 3- Giger, Kerschbaumer and Thomas Litscher (Multivan Merida Biking Team)
Next group Maxime Marotte (BH - SR Suntour - KMC), Florian Vogel (Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team), Alexander Gehbauer (TX Active Bianchi), Schurter now 8th, Marco Aurelio Fontana (Cannondale Factory Racing) at 36s with Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Wild Wolf Trek Pro Racing), Miguel Martinez ( Factory FRM ISD), José Hermida (Multivan Merida Biking Team) at another second back
Abslaon has moving up, now 22nd at 1:22
Kabush 46th at 2:32
1/2 way
Cink leading with Giger at 22s, Kerschbaumer 3rd at 23s, Marotte 4th at 29s, Litcher 5th at 33s, Schurter and Fontana 6/7 at 39s, Vogel 8th, Gehbauer 9th both at 40s
Martinez 13th at 42s
Absalon 15th at 1:10
Kabush 19th at 3:05
8:38 am
Schurter is charging and has caught the riders in 2/3/4 positions on the climb
This is the course from 2008, and while it is shortened a bit (to 4.4 km) it gives an idea of the amount of climbing required per lap.
Lap 4
Cink heads out onto lap 4 with a gap of 28s on 6 chasers: Kerschbaumer, Schurter, Giger, Marotte, Vogel, Fontana, Tempier
Next group of chasers at 45s: Hermida, Gehbauer, Gutierrez, Martinez and Litcher.
Absalon 14th at 1:05
Daniel Mcconnell (Trek Factory Racing) 18th at 1:22
Kabush 51st at 3:51
8:48 am - 1/2 way
Cink has opened the gap to 5 chasers: Marotte, Schurter, Vogel, Kerschbaumer and Tempier to 38 s
Fontana and Giger at 40s
Absalon 9th at 56s
Hermida 10th at 59s
8:52 am
Chasers lead by Schurter have Cink in sight on the switchbacks.
Fontana has a flat at the bottom of the climb
Absalon has caught 6th place and is still moving up
Absalon has had ANOTHER mechanical problem and gets off his bike to put the chain back on and now loses momentum
Lap 5
8:58 am
Cink crosses line with a gap of 39s on 5 chasers: Marotte, Schurter, Vogel, Kerschbaumer and Tempier
Giger and Martinez 7/8 at 58s
Absalon 9th at 1:13 with Gehbauer and Gutierrez on his wheel
Daniel Mcconnell (Trek Factory Racing) up to 14th at 1:38
Kabush 50th at 5:30
1/2 way - 9:03 am
Cink still leading but the gap is starting to come down. Group lead by Schurter at 35s.
Vogel has been dropped for chasers at is sitting 6th at 42s
Giger 7th at 1:03
Martinez 8th at 1:08
Absalon 9th at 1:13
Hermida 10th at 1:25
Absalon's drivetrain problems persist and he is having to be cautious with his shifts
Last lap 9:13 am
Cink starts the last lap with a 29s gap on 4 chasers lead by Marotte with Tempier, Schurter and then Kerschbaumer at 30s.
Vogel 6th at 49s
Asalon 7th, Giger 8th and martinez 9th all at 59s
McConnell 13th at 1:36
1/2 way 9:17 am
Cink leading but the gap is now 18s to 3 chasers: Tempier, Schurter and Marotte.
Kerschbaumer 5th
Absalon passes Vogel and Giger and moves up to 6th
Schurter is flying on the descent clsing the gap even more to leader Cink
... and has now caught him and passed to take the lead
9:22am
starting up the last climb and Schurter has opened a good gap on Cink
Cink is starting to come back to Schurter with Tempier sitting 3rd
Schurter opens the gap again in the singletrack in the woods
Finish
1 Nino Schurter (Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team)
2 Ondrej Cink (Multivan Merida Biking Team)
3 Stéphane Tempier (BH - SR Suntour - KMC)
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