April 11, 2005 – Last year’s mountain bike marathon World Champion, Italian Massimo De Bertolis (ITA, Full Dynamix) staked his claim on the marathon World Cup series when he won the series opener on Sunday in a time of 3:34:13. De Bertolis’s teammates, Roland Stauder (ITA, Full Dynamix) and Dario Acquaroli (ITA, Full Dynamix), made it a Full Dynamix sweep of the top three positions.

In the women’s ranks, Switzerland’s Petra Henzi (SUI, Fischer-BMC) edged out fellow countrywoman Daniela Louis (SUI) by only 1:32 in a race that lasted 4:19:06. Anna Enocsson (SWE, Ghost Racing) finished third.

The challenging 94.6 kilometre course covered a total of 2,300 vertical metres of climbing on the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus. Starting at sea level in Yermasogia, the loop featured three main climbs and followed asphalt, dirt roads and singletrack to eventually finish back in Yermasogia.

Results

ELITE MEN
1. DE BERTOLIS, Massimo (ITA, Full Dynamix) 3:34:13
2. STAUDER , Roland (ITA, Full Dynamix) at 1:28
3. ACQUAROLI, Dario (ITA, Full Dynamix) 2:28
4. LAKATA, Alban (AUT) 4:59
5. TJALLINGII, Maarten Heijdens (NED, Ten Tusscher) 8:21
6. BETTIN, Mauro (ITA) 9:52
7. RYBARIK, Ivan (CZE) 10:11
8. SPICHTIG, Thomas (SUI) 12:01
9. FRIBERG, Calle (SWE, Bikin Cyprus) 13:00
10. MATT, Reto (GER) 14:16

ELITE WOMEN
1. HENZI, Petra (SUI, Fischer-BMC) 4:19:06
2. LOUIS, Daniela (SUI) at 1:32
3. ENOCSSON, Anna (SWE, Ghost Racing) 8:25
4. SUSS, Esther (SUI, Ghost Racing) 8:39
5. BAYLIS, Anna (AUS, Ghost Racing) 18:32
6. THOMAS, Melissa (USA) 19:24
7. SOPHOKLEOUS, Elina (CYP, Bikin Cyprus) 23:38
8. KLOSE, Sandra (GER) 24:37
9. KETONEN, Carina (FIN) 27:13
10. ROSENSTIEL, Alexandra (GER) 28:12