October 6, 2008 – Already winner of the World Cup in 2006, Leonardo Paez (Gewiss Bianchi) won the Marathon at Ornans yesterday and once again the overall classification. Petra Henzi (Fischer BMC) established herself as the day’s top female cyclist, while Pia Sundstedt) took the overall title for the third time.

“I think Leo (Paez) is ready. We were on a training camp with the team for two weeks in Italy and he was impressive, especially in the climbs.” Thomas Dietsch was not wrong about his team mate. Before the departure of the World Cup race in Ornans, the rider who won Manavgat (Turkey) in March knew that his South American team mate would be among the favourites for this French round.

Shortly after the start, in temperatures around zero degrees, a small group took the lead. An ambitious Leo Paez was accompanied by two team mates from the Bulls team, Stefan Sahm and Karl Platt, while the road cyclist and mountain biker Alex Moos (BMC Racing team) took the lead. The Belgian Nicolas Vermeulen, riding a few seconds behind the group of leaders, didn’t manage to come back into the race. Thomas Dietsch, wearing the white World Cup leader’s jersey, was dropped by the leaders but didn’t lose hope. It was the same scenario for Alban Lakata (Dolphin Trek), who made an impressive comeback at the end of the race.

But Paez proved too strong for his rivals on the French course. The 26-year-old Colombian, who lives part of the year in Italy, left his rivals behind. Nobody saw the climber after that. He rode a solitary race out front to beat the surprising Swiss rider Lukas Buchli. Karl Platt’s third place was not enough to win him the overall World Cup title. It was the same punishment for Alban Lakata, who finished fourth in the race. Finally seventh, Dietsch let the crystal trophy escape from his grasp, to the benefit of his team mate. It was a good day for Massimo Ghirotto’s men, who also won the overall teams classification.

In the women’s race, the 2007 World Champion Petra Henzi left no hope for her rivals. The European champion, Esther Süss (Wheeler) took second place, followed by the Slovenian Blaza Klemencic (Giant Italy). Only sixth in this French race, Pia Sundstedt held onto the overall World Cup title — for the third time in a row.

The long distance specialists may well return to Ornans in a few years. After the race, the organizers expressed their desire to host “Marathon events of a greater scale in the near future, such as the World Championships.”

Results

Men

1. Hector Leonardo Paez Leon (Col) Gewiss Bianchi 4:17:22
2. Lukas Buchli (Swi) 2:04
3. Karl Platt (Ger) TBS 3:13
4. Alban Lakata (Aut) Dolphin-Trek Mountainbike Racing Team 4:26
5. Urs Huber (Swi) 5:58
6. Thomas Zahnd (Swi) 8:40
7. Thomas Dietsch (Fra) Gewiss Bianchi 9:51
8. Nicolas Vermeulen (Bel) LVT 11:00
9. Hannes Genze (Ger) Team ALB Gold 11:46
10. Walter Costa (Ita) 12:14
11. Jochen Kass (Ger) Team ALB Gold 13:29
12. François Bailly Maitre (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier 14:28
13. Kevin Van Hoovels (Bel) 16:17
14. Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier
15. Julio Humberto Caro Silva (Col) Gewiss Bianchi 17:07
16. Roland Stauder (Ita) 20:25
17. Ludovic Dubau (Fra) 21:09
18. Frederic Frech (Fra) 21:33
19. Stéphane Tempier (Fra) Gewiss Bianchi 25:25
20. Frans Claes (Bel) 26:17
21. Alexandre Moos (Swi) 30:12
22. Arnaud Grosjean (Fra) BHS 30:17
23. Vincent Lombardi (Fra) 31:26
24. Vivien Legastelois (Fra) Team Lapierre International 34:44
25. Ryan Sherlock (Irl) 36:11
26. Roland Golderer (Ger) 36:12
27. Alexander Pscheidl (Ger) 39:50
28. Cyril Calame (Swi) 39:52
29. Olivier Maignan (Fra) 39:54
30. Steven Garcin (Fra) 39:56
31. Vincent Pernot (Fra) 41:10
32. Lars Bleckur (Swe) 41:45
33. Aurelien Collet (Fra) 42:43
34. Denys Marhem (Fra) 44:35
35. Rudy Decas (Fra) 44:39
36. Pierre-Yves Facomprez (Fra) 45:58
37. Eric Weber (Fra) 46:18
38. Michael Montandon (Swi) 46:46
39. Pierre Morque (Fra) 46:57
40. Lucien Peterhans (Swi) 47:05
41. Olivier Lamarque (Fra) 47:41
42. Julien Vimond (Fra) 48:12
43. Maxime Marotte (Fra) BHS 48:29
44. Daniel Gathof (Ger) 49:46
45. Freddy Betremieux (Fra) BHS 51:41
46. Klemens Bont (Swi) 52:35
47. Yvain Sogno (Irl) 57:00
48. Anthony Flinois (Fra) 58:15
49. Xavier Charbonneau (Fra) 58:52
50. Raphael Lucas (Fra) 1:00:44
51. Quentin Netillard (Fra) 1:01:39
52. Matthieu Barthelemy (Fra) 1:04:26
53. Octavien Maillard (Fra) 1:04:44
54. Damien Guillemet (Fra) 1:04:57
55. Christophe Chambard (Fra) 1:08:23
56. Yvan Clolus (Fra) 1:11:00
57. Gautier Bourguin (Fra) 1:13:25
58. Daigoro Yamada (Jpn) 1:13:27
59. Grégory Porret (Fra)
60. Bernard Nunige (Fra) 1:14:24

Women

1. Petra Henzi (Swi) Fischer-BMC 3:38:12
2. Esther Süss (Swi) 2:14
3. Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Giant Italia Team 2:47
4. Sabrina Enaux (Fra) Team Lapierre International 4:20
5. Michela Benzoni (Ita) 8:45
6. Pia Sundstedt (Fin) 10:12
7. Carina Ketonen (Fin) 10:13
8. Sandra Santanyes Murillo (Spa) Cemelorca-Seguros10:com 12:32
9. Myriam Saugy (Swi) 14:53
10. Laurence Leboucher (Fra) 16:02
11. Janka Stevkova (Svk) 16:30
12. Fanny Bourdon (Fra) 19:24
13. Milena Landtwing (Swi) 21:16
14. Anna Ferrari (Ita) 24:24
15. Laura Joubert (Fra) 27:19
16. Maureen Guichardot (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier 34:59
17. Daniele Troesch (Fra) 39:35
18. Karolina Stolarova (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna MTB 47:18
19. Jennifer Fischer (Fra) CIK 55:24
20. Bérengère Boes (Fra) BRM 56:25
21. Fabienne Vonarx (Fra) 56:32
22. Marie Kunst (Den) 1:00:53
23. Sandra Dolcerocca (Den)
24. Valentine Segrestan (Fra) 1:06:06
25. Anne Colin (Fra) 1:31:46
26. Joceline Francois (Fra) 1:37:13
27. Mylene Mathieu (Fra) 1:46:55
28. Marilyne Lemaire (Fra) 1:57:50
29. Aurelie Bourdelin (Fra) 2:05:07
30. Sylvie Pluriel (Fra) 2:06:37
31. Claudine Coutanson (Fra) 2:07:31
32. Jelena Petrova (Lat) 3:10:14

Final Series Rankings (brief)

Men

1. Hector Leonardo Paez Leon (Col) Gewiss Bianchi 390 points
2. Thomas Dietsch (Fra) Gewiss Bianchi 370
3. Alban Lakata (Aut) Dolphin-Trek Mountainbike Racing Team 350
4. Karl Platt (Ger) Team Bulls 320
5. Jochen Kass (Ger) Team ALB Gold 210
6. Hannes Genze (Ger) Team ALB Gold 210
7. Lukas Buchli (Swi) 200
8. Urs Huber (Swi) 198
9. Walter Costa (Ita) 190
10. Roland Stauder (Ita) 159

Women

1. Pia Sundstedt (Fin) 380 points
2. Esther Süss (Swi) 360
3. Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Giant Italia Team 310
4. Petra Henzi (Swi) Fischer-BMC 250
5. Janka Stevkova (Svk) 230
6. Carina Ketonen (Fin) 230
7. Annabella Stropparo (Ita) 200
8. Myriam Saugy (Swi) 185
9. Anna Ferrari (Ita) 168
10. Sabrina Enaux (Fra) Team Lapierre International 150