June 12, 2007 (Champéry, Switzerland) — The 2007 Nissan UCI World Cup MTB XC Series reached the mid-point last Saturday, with three events in the bag and three more to go before the champions are crowned in Slovenia, September 15-16.

With a victory for Margarita Fullana (Esp) Spiuk-TAU Ceramica in Champéry, Switzerland on Saturday, the women’s series has seen a new race winner in each of the three events to date. Fullana has the leader’s jersey by a mere 46 points. The men’s competition is also getting suspenseful.

After winning in Champéry, World and Olympic Champion Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea is currently in a solid overall lead with two wins and a second place, but he’s not in the clear yet.

Women’s Race

Without one dominant rider, it’s becoming a super exciting overall competition — something that has been missing for the past few years, during the reign of Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor) Mulitvan-Merida. Dahle hasn’t been on form lately, and, citing stomach problems, has decided to take a mid-season break to sort out her health. As a result, the defending World and Olympic Champion was not on the start line in Champéry.

Fullana, who has always been known for her strong climbing, has obviously spent a lot of time training her technical skills of late. The Spanish rider has previously excelled on non-technical courses, but with her newly polished bike handling abilities, she has become a formidable all-round contender, as evidenced by three podium appearances in as many World Cup races this year and her dominant lead throughout the Champéry race.

Russia’s Irina Kalentyeva (Rus) Topeak-Ergon led a persistent chase, accompanied for much of the race by Germany’s Sabine Spitz (Ger) Ghost International, to place second, only 19 seconds back from Fullana. Kalentyeva now sits second overall in the series. Canada’s Marie-Hélène Prémont (Can) Rocky Mountain-Haywood is third overall after a bronze medal performance on Saturday in an impressive ride that saw her claw her way back into the medals after going out too hard. Prémont caught Spitz in the second half of the race and charged ahead to finish only 1:10 down from the winner.

Canada’s Kiara Bisaro (Can) Opus showed her consistency, with an 11th-place ride, despite leg cramps, and Catharine Pendrel (Can) Norco Factory Team proved again that she is a rising talent, when she finished 13th in only her second European World Cup. Pendrel, who had been aiming for a top-20 placing, delivered. “I’m super happy with my race,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to the World Cups in Quebec, where I’ll have a better start position [she started 58th]. I’d like to get a top-10,” she added.

Sandra Walter (Can) X.O-Felt Women’s MTB Team was satisfied with her ride. She cracked the top-25 with a 24th-place. Wendy Simms (Can) Kona-LesGets said her 38th-place ride was “better” than in the first two World Cups, but she’s still not satisfied with her form.

Men’s Race

The men’s race, which took place after the women’s event, started under blue skies with a postcard view of the Dents de Midi mountains of the Chablais region. Little did they know that on the second lap of 8.5, the sky would unleash a torrent of rain, lasting only a few minutes, but greatly affecting the technical race course. After the start loop, it was Roel Paulissen (Bel) Cannondale-Vredestein leading out the pack, followed closely by Absalon, Nino Schurter (Sui) Swisspower and Christoph Sauser (Sui) Specialized. The Swiss riders, who excelled on the technical sections, attacked the race, dying for a win on home turf.

The rain made the course treacherous and impossible to ride at full speed, which gave the climber, Absalon, the advantage. The battle for gold was pared down to Sauser and the Frenchman, with the rest of the Swiss chasing hard. Absalon prevailed, however, making it two wins in a row. Three Swiss riders made it into the top five, with Sauser holding second place, Schurter taking third and Ralph Näf (Sui) Multivan-Merida grabbing fifth.

Canada’s Seamus McGrath (Can) Rocky Mountain-Haywood was the only Canadian finisher. He placed a solid 24th after moving up all the way from 69th. “I’m feeling back to normal, so I’m really happy about that,” he said, after getting off to a slow season start, citing health problems. Max Plaxton (Can) Rocky Mountain-Haywood, who had been riding up with his teammate at the beginning of the race, suffered leg cramps — a common complaint from riders that day — and DNF’d. Kris Sneddon (Can) Kona-LesGets also had bad luck. He broke his chain early in the race and had to pull out as well.

Results

Elite XC Women

1. Margarita Fullana (Spa) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica 1.55.49
2. Irina Kalentyeva (Rus) Topeak-Ergon 0.19
3. Marie-Hélène Prémont (Can) Rocky Mountain-Haywood 1.1
4. Sabine Spitz (Ger) Ghost International Racing 2.19
5. Willow Koerber (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 4.25
6. Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Tonis Pro Team Kirchberg 4.41
7. Mary McConneloug (USA) Kenda Seven 5.32
8. Tereza Hurikova (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna MTB 5.44
9. Ivonne Kraft (Ger) La Carrera-BTS 6.08
10. Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Women’s MTB Team 6.17
11. Kiara Bisaro (Can) Opus 6.37
12. Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Women’s MTB Team 6.52
13. Catherine Pendrel (Can) Norco 7.1
14. Ren Chengyuan (Chn) China 7.27
15. Petra Henzi (Swi) Fischer-Bmc 7.3
16. Cécile Rode Ravanel (Fra) Team Lapierre International 7.36
17. Ying Liu (Chn) China 7.44
18. Laura Turpijn (Ned) 8
19. Katrin Leumann (Swi) 8.25
20. Rosara Joseph (NZl) 9.08
21. Heather Irmiger (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 9.3
22. Eva Lechner (Ita) 10.33
23. Jingjing Wang (Chn) China 10.47
24. Sandra Walter (Can) XO Felt 11
25. Susan Haywood (USA) Trek-VW 11.23
26. Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Pintatim Full-Dynamix 12.06
27. Anna Szafraniec (Pol) Halls Professional MTB Te 12.16
28. Lene Byberg (Nor) Specialized 12.41
29. Magdalena Sadlecka (Pol) Halls Professional MTB Te 12.48
30. Laurence Leboucher (Fra) 12.59
31. Anna Enocsson (Swe) Ghost International Racin 13.04
32. Nina Homovec (Slo) 13.18
33. Maroussia Rusca (Swi) 13.34
34. Maria Osl (Aut) Tonis Pro Team Kirchberg 13.58
35. Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) 14.32
36. Katrin Schwing (Ger) 14.42
37. Sabrina Enaux (Fra) Team Lapierre Internation 14.45
38. Wendy Simms (Can) Kona-Les Gets 14.46
39. Renata Bucher (Swi) 14.52
40. Evelyn Staffler (Ita) 15.03
41. Dellys Starr (Aus) 15.26
42. Janka Stevkova (Svk) 15.3
43. Shonny Vanlandingham (USA) Luna Women’s MTB Team 16.17
44. Esther Süss (Swi) 16.42
45. Maureen Guichardot (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier 17.2
46. Séverine Hansen (Fra) Bh-Sr. Suntour 17.28

One Lap Down

47. Rocio Gamonal Ferrera (Spa)
48. Tory Thomas (Aus) Bh-Sr. Suntour
49. Ruth Moll Marques (Spa) Bh-Sr. Suntour
50. Jenny Copnall (GBr) Subaru-Gary Fisher
51. Nina Göhl (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Te
52. Laura Metzler (Fra) Bh-Sr. Suntour
53. Sarka Chmurova (Cze) Max Cursor
54. Asa Maria Erlandsson (Swe) Subaru-Gary Fisher
55. Jaqueline Mourao (Bra)
56. Laura Lorenza Morfin (Mex)
57. Helene Marcouyre (Fra) Bh-Sr. Suntour
58. Hanna Klein (Ger)
59. Caroline Mani (Fra)

Two Laps Down

60. Franziska Roethlin (Swi)
61. Sarah Koba (Swi)
62. Sandra Santanyes Murillo (Spa) Massi
63. Githa Michiels (Bel)
64. Sandra Dolcerocca (Den)
65. Elena Gaddoni (Ita)
66. Julie Krasniak (Fra) Team Lapierre International
67. Agnes Naumann (Ger)
68. Berangère Wilst (Fra) Breiz Mountain 22
69. Liliya Zaytseva (Ukr)
70. Kelli Emmett (USA) Giant Mountain Bike Team
71. Jennifer Gersbach (USA)

Three Laps Down

72. Zoe King (Aus)
73. Anna Villar Argente (Spa) Massi
74. Francisca Campos Salas (Chi)
75. Emma Colson (Aus)
76. Ruth Mcgavigan (GBr)
77. Nataliya Krompets (Ukr)
78. Sara Bresnick (USA)
79. Elina Sophocleous (Cyp) Bikin’cyprus Int’l MTB Te
80. Nina Baum (USA)
81. Ivanda Eiduka (Lat)
82. Megan Monroe (USA)
83. Joanna Wall (Aus)
84. Marie Kunst (Den)
85. Cristina Mascarreras Sabria (Spa) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica
DNF Maja Wloszczowska (Pol) Halls Professional MTB Te
DNF Elsbeth Van Rooij-Vink (Ned) Beone Mountainbiketeam
DNF Yolanda Speedy (RSA)
DNF Sara Muhl (RSA)
DNF Bärbel Jungmeier (Aut)
DNF Berengère Boes (Fra) Breitz Mountain 22
DNF Gemma Collins (GBr)
DNS Arielle Van Meurs (Ned)
DNS Bettina Schmid (Swi) Fischer-BMC

Elite Men

1. Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea 2:12:44
2. Christoph Sauser (Sui) Specialized 0:50
3. Nino Schurter (Sui) Swisspower MTB Team 2:21
4. Roel Paulissen (Bel) Cannondale-Vredestein 2:49
5. Ralph Naef (Sui) Multivan/Merida Biking Team 3:17
6. Cédric Ravanel (Fra) Team Lapierre Internationaln 3:41
7. José Hermida (Esp) Multivan Merida Biking Team 3:49
8. Thomas Frischknecht (Sui) Swisspower MTB Team 4:18
9. Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) 4:27
10. Adam Craig (USA) Giant Mountain Bike Team 4:51
11. Kashi Leuchs (NZl) Cannondale-Vredestein 5:06
12. Florian Vogel (Sui) Swisspower MTB Team 5:13
13. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Cannondale-Vredestein 5:19
14. Jader Zoli (Ita) Asd KTM International Team 5:45
15. Manuel Fumic (Ger) Fumic.Brothers.International 6:03
16. Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Esp) Asd KTM International Team 6:04
17. Lukas Flückiger (Sui) Athleticum MTB Team 6:34
18. Inaki Lejarreta Errasti (Esp) Orbea 6:43
19. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Orbea 7:02
20. Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) 7:08
21. Filip Meirhaeghe (Bel) Versluys-Landbouwkrediet 7:22
22. Martin Gujan (Sui) 7:25
23. Jeremiah Bishop (USA) Trek-VW 7:28
24. Seamus McGrath (Can) Rocky Mountain/Haywood 7:36
25. Rudi Van Houts (Ned) Dolphin Bike Team 8:13
26. Milan Spesny (Cze) Merida Biking Team 8:51
27. Jürg Graf (Sui) Scott Allianz Suisse 8:53
28. Silvio Bundi (Sui) Giant/Athleticum 8:57
29. Stéphane Tempier (Fra) Gewiss Bianchi 9:05
30. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 9:22
31. Marek Galinski (Pol) CC-Polsat-Polkowice 9:33
32. Christoph Soukup (Aut) 9:47
33. Rene Tann (Ger) 9:50
34. Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Dolphin Bike Team 9:57
35. Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Esp) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica 10:09
36. Hannes Metzler (Aut) 10:10
37. Balz Weber (Sui) Bikepark.Ch Tui 10:20
38. Ludovic Dubau (Fra) Team New Cycling 10:24
39. Peter Riis Andersen (Den) Team Alb-Gold Mountainbike 10:28
40. Bas Peters (Ned) 10:35
41. Bart Brentjens (Ned) Dolphin Bike Team 10:41
42. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Cannondale-Vredestein 10:46
43. Till Marx (Sui) Swisspower MTB Team 10:49
44. Martino Fruet (Ita) 10:54
45. Matthias Flückiger (Sui) 11:04
46. Israel Nunez Baticon (Esp) Massi 11:19
47. Emil Lindgren (Swe) Gewiss Bianchi 12:28
48. Burry Stander (RSA) 12:36
49. Ruben Ruzafa Cueto (Esp) Orbea 12:47
50. Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) 12:58
51. Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier 13:37
52. Yury Trofimov (Rus) 15:02

One Lap Down

53. Gion Manetsch (Sui)
54. Christof Bischof (Sui) Bikin’cyprus Int’l MTB Team
55. Miha Solar (Slo)
56. Alexandre Moos (Sui) Bmc Racing
57. Alban Lakata (Aut) Trek-VW
58. Sergiy Rysenko (Ukr)
59. Marc Trayter Alemany (Esp) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica
60. Michael Broderick (USA)
61. Fabian Giger (Sui)
62. Lukas Kaufmann (Sui)
63. Tony Longo (Ita)
64. Marc Colom (Fra)
65. Jan Skarnitzl (Cze)

Two Laps Down

66. Gareth Montgomerie (GBr)
67. Maxim Gogolev (Rus)
68. Nicolas Bazin (Fra) Bh-Sr. Suntour
69. Guillaume Vinit (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier
70. Jelmer Pietersma (Ned) Beone MountainbikeTeam
71. Michael Weiss (Aut) Bikin’cyprus Int’l MTB Team
72. Patrik Gallati (Sui) Swisspower MTB Team
73. Dario Alejandro Gasco (Arg) Massi
74. Denis Vorontsov (Rus)
75. Ivan Planzer (Sui)
76. François Bailly Maitre (Fra) Scott Valloire Galibier
77. Wilko Rochow (Ger)
78. Jiri Friedl (Cze) Merida Biking Team
79. Jelmer Jubbega (Ned) Cannondale-Vredestein
80. Daniel Suter (Sui)
81. Andreas Moser (Sui)
82. Pierre Geoffroy Plantet (Fra) Team Lapierre Internationaln
83. Yannick Bernasconi (Sui)

Three Laps Down

84. Andreas Kugler (Sui) Fischer-Bmc
85. Torsten Marx (Ger) Team Alb-Gold Mountainbike
86. Robert Mennen (Ger)
87. Mirko Pirazzoli (Ita)
88. Luka Kodra (Slo)
89. Frank Schotman (Ned)
90. Giuseppe Lamastra (Ita)
91. Marcel Wildhaber (Sui)
92. Shaun Lewis (Aus)
93. Michel Luginbuehl (Sui)
94. Tobias Witzak (Ger)
95. Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Esp) Massi
96. Dries Govaerts (Bel)
97. Robert Gehbauer (Aut) Multivan Merida Biking Team
98. Vivien Legastelois (Fra) Team Lapierre International
99. Karl Markt (Aut)
100. Clinton Robert Avery (NZl)
101. Umberto Corti (Ita)
102. Jiri Novak (Cze)
103. Andras Melts (Hun)

Four Laps Down

104. Dylan Cooper (Aus)
105. Kohei Yamamoto (Jpn)
106. Oleksandr Yakymenko (Ukr)
107. Maxime Marotte (Fra)
108. Yevgeniy Yakovlev (Kaz)
109. Tom Meeusen (Bel)
110. Daniel Mcconnell (Aus)
111. Nicolas Vermeulen (Bel) Lingier-Versluys Team
112. Lachlan Norris (Aus)
113. Pierre Lebreton (Fra) Bh-Sr. Suntour
114. Andi Weinhold (Ger)
115. Marcus Roy (NZl)
116. Nicola Rohrbach (Sui)
117. Ivan Schalbetter (Sui)
118. Axel Bult (Ned)
119. Peter Coddens (Bel) Lingier-Versluys Team
120. Bjorn Brems (Bel) Dolphin Bike Team
121. Romain Lejeune (Fra) Team New Cycling

Five Laps Down

122. Nuno Oliveira (Por)
123. Daniel Schütz (Sui)
124. Andriy Gumenyuk (Ukr)
125. Daniel Braunsteins (Aus)
126. Oliver Aviles Gilabert (Esp) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica
127. Anthony O’boyle (GBr) Mojo Orange
128. Marco Cellini (Ita)
129. Ivan Grabovskyy (Ukr)
130. Jules Chabanon (Fra) Team New Cycling
131. Daniel Marques (Por)

Six Laps Down

132. Tim Bohme (Ger) Team Alb-Gold Mountainbike
133. Roman Zhientaev (Kaz)
134. Sid Taberlay (Aus) Dolphin Bike Team
135. Kristian Hynek (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna MTB
136. James Fraser-Moodie (GBr)

Seven Laps Down

137. Marios Athanasiades (Cyp) Bikin’cyprus Int’l MTB Team

DNF Moritz Milatz (Ger) Multivan/Merida Biking Team
DNF Oliver Beckingsale (GBr)
DNF Todd Wells (USA)
DNF Marti Gispert Labarta (Esp) Spiuk-Tau Ceramica
DNF Lado Fumic (Ger) Fumic.Brothers.International
DNF Sven Nys (Bel)
DNF Max Plaxton (Can) Rocky Mountain/Haywood
DNF Dariusz Batek (Pol) Halls Professional MTB Team
DNF Jochen Kass (Ger) Team Alb-Gold Mountainbike
DNF Martin Kraler (Aut) Gewiss Bianchi
DNF Marcin Karczynski (Pol) Halls Professional MTB Team
DNF Kris Sneddon (Can) Kona/Les Gets
DNF Olivier Maignan (Fra) Bh-Sr. Suntour
DNF Martin Fanger (Sui)
DNF Simon Richardson (GBr)
DNF Quincy Vens (Bel)
DNF Joris Boillat (Sui)
DNF Andreas Tiberi (Ita) KTM International Team
DNF Zaher El Hage (Lib)
DNF Calle Friberg (Swe)
DNS Philip Spencer (GBr) Subaru-Gary Fisher
DNS Jeff Hall (USA)