May 11, 2007 — The fourth Swisspower Cup of the series heads into the Alps this Sunday to the town of Hasliberg, Switzerland. The race is sure to be suspenseful with all of the current defending World Champions (Elite, U23 and Junior) on the start line – including Julien Absalon (FRA, Orbea) and Gunn-Rita Dahle (NOR, Multivan-Merida).

Things will be especially interesting in the Elite Women’s race, where China’s Ren Chengyuan (CHN), winner of World Cup #1 in Houffalize, Belgium, and Dahle (second at Houffalize) will meet again.

Chengyuan’s other two countrywomen, Jingjing Wang (CHN) and Ying Liu (CHN) will also join Switzerland’s top riders on the course, along with Italian National Champion Eva Lechner (ITA, Colnago), Austrian National Champion Elisabeth Osl (AUT, Toni’s Pro Team Kirchberg), Germany’s Nina Göhl (GER, Multivan-Merida) and Sweden’s Anna Enocssen (SWE, Ghost International).

Canada’s Kiara Bisaro (Opus) will join Sandra Walter (X.O-Felt Women’s MTB Team) to make up the Canadian contingent. Bisaro has been racing in Europe since the end of April and will stay through the third World Cup, which is in Champery, Switzerland on June 9. She placed second in the Swisspower Cup in Hasliberg last year.

The Elite Men’s race will be star studded as well, with Absalon, Fredrik Kessiakoff (SWE, Cannondale-Vredestein), Roel Paulissen (BEL, Cannondale-Vredestein), Jakob Fuglsang (GER, Cannondale-Vredestein), Kashi Leuchs (NZL, Cannondale-Vredestein) and Jean Christophe Peraud (FRA, Orbea) going up against strong Swiss like Nino Schurter (SUI, Swisspower), Martin Gujan (SUI, Athleticum), Florian Vogel (SUI, Swisspower) and Ralph Näf (SUI, Multivan-Merida). Australian National Champion Shaun Lewis (AUS, Southaustralia.com) will also take part in this intercontinental competition.

The Elite Women’s race starts at 11:30 a.m. local time (5:30 a.m. EST) and the Elite Men’s race goes at 2:00 p.m. local time (8:00 a.m. EST).

The start/finish lies at 1,150 metres and the women will navigate five 5.6-kilometre laps while the men will tackle seven laps. Each circuit includes 200 vertical metres of climbing and a spectator-friendly downhill with a set of steep stone steps and a 180-degree corner.

The weather man is forecasting sunny skies with a high of 26 degrees for Sunday.