Race info by nissan-ucimtbworldcup
Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada hosted the thrilling fourth round of Cross-Country World Cup Series. The World Cup was held on the last weekend in Canada’s three-week cycling festival. Over 100 men lined up for the 7-lap technical course. Spain’s Jose Hermida and Nino Schurter from Switzerland took the lead on the first lap. Christophe Sauser and Julien Absalon were in the chasing group with five riders. Hermida was the first to escape and stayed in front until Absalon narrowed the gap on lap six. It was obvious that one of these riders would win the race, just as it was in Houffalize (Belgium). Absalon won his third World Cup race this season, but that was not the case in Houffalize. Geoff Kabush, a Canadian rider, took a great 3rd place before his home crowd. Nino Schurter, U23 World Champion and Christophe Sauser, were the Swiss riders who took 4th and 5th place respectively. With a comfortable lead over Jose Hermida, Julien Absalon is leading the overall World Cup standings.
WOMEN CROSS COUNTRY
At Mont-Sainte-Anne, eighty-two women were present at the start for the five lap cross-country course. It was held in perfect conditions. After the first lap, a group of eight women managed to escape. They were able to gain 45 seconds in advance. However, by the end of the second lap, the lead group was down to four. Marie-Helene Premont, a local rider, crashed on the second lap and lost more than one minute. The race was still being won by the same four-man group: Irina Kalentyeva from Germany, Spain’s Margarita Fullana and Ren Chengyuan of China. In the final round of the course, the fight for the lead group began. It was Irina Kalentyeval who won her second World Cup race, after Offenburg, Germany. She moved up to the top of the overall standings. Ren Chengyuan placed 2nd after finding the form that won her the World Cup opener in Houffalize (Belgium) in 2011. Sabine Spitz was third. Despite her fall Marie-Helene Premont, Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup winner in 2005 and 2006, came back to claim a 4th place. She was cheered on by thousands of fans.
On July 1, the next leg of World Cup Cross-Country will take place in St F?licien (Canada).
1. Julien Absalon (Fra)Orbea 2. Jose Hermida (Spn)Multivan Merida+ 3. Geoff Kabush (Can).Maxxis 4. Christoph Sauser (Swi)Specialized 5. Nino Schurter (Swi)Swisspower 6. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe)Cannondale-Vredestein 7. Roel Paulissen (Bel)Cannondale-Vredestein 8. Kashi Leuchs (NZl)Cannondale-Vredestein 9. Florian Vogel (Swi)Swisspower 10. Jakob Fuglsang (Den)Cannondale-Vredestein 22. Adam CraigGiant 23. Jeremy Horgan-KobelskiSubaru-Gary Fisher 24. Todd WellsGTHyundai 52. Michael BroderickKenda-Seven1 53. Jeff HallSalsa+ 64 Carl DeckerGiant-1 lap
66. Samuel SchultzSubaru–Gary Fisher-2 laps
67. Sam JurekovicU.S. National
78. Colin CaresU.S. National
80. Spencer PaxsonDiscover by B
81. Adam Snyder3D Racing
83. Christian FavataVerge-Overlookall -2 laps
85. Troy WellsTokyo Joes-3 laps
91. Andrew FreyeBikeman-4 laps
WOMEN
1. Irina Kalentyeva (Rus)Topeak 2. Ren Chengyuan (Chn)China National+ 3. Sabine Spitz (Ger)Ghost 4. Marie-Helene Premont, (Can)Rocky Mountain Haywood 5. Margarita Fullana (Spn)Spiuk-Tau Ceramica 6. Georgia GouldLuna Chix 7. Willow KoerberSubaru–Gary Fisher 8. Ying Liu (Chn)China National 9. Mary McConnelougKenda-Seven 10. Lene Byberg (Nor)Specialized 21. Heather IrmigerSubaru–Gary Fisher 27. Susan HaywoodTrek – VW 36. Lea DavisonTrek-VW1 37. Katerina Nash (Cze)Luna Chix1 48. Chloe ForsmanLuna Chix1 51. Jenna ZanderBear Naked-Cannondale1 58. Kathy SherwinTitus+ 2 61. Sara BresnickLynskey-1 lap
66. Nina BaumBear Naked-Cannondale- 1 lap
70. Theresa RichardsonBear Naked Cannondale-2 laps
