July 25, 2013 (Valnord, Andorra) – The Eliminator at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano had a new face at the top of the podium in both the women’s and men’s events for Round 4 at Vallnord, Andorra. Kathrin Stirnemann (Sabine Spitz Haibike) won the women’s race, while Fabrice Mels (Salcano Alanya) took the men’s. Alexandra Engen (Ghost Factory) and Daniel Federspiel (Otztal-Scott) retained their leads in the overall standings.

Stirnemann, who qualified first for the women, was unbeaten through the heats on her way to the final. She was joined in the final four by world champion Engen, round 2 winner Jenny Rissveds (Swedish National) and second place qualifier Jolanda Neff (Giant Pro). Rissveds and Neff took the early lead in the Final, and going into the singletrack section 500 metres from the finish, looked to have the top two spots locked up. However, both Stirnemann and Engen passed the frontrunners, with the World Cup leader running out of track as she tried to chase down Stirnemann.

“I think this is the best race I’ve had this season,” said a very pleased Stirnemann. “I am so happy to win, even though I had to wait for this moment a long time. It is just the best day in my career. In the trees I was the only one who took the upper line and caught Alex [Engen], then on the asphalt I had the best power and made it to the finish as the best. On this course it is not possible to execute any tactics. You just have to go full the whole race. It was such a nice fight. The four strongest girls made the final and it was an amazing day.”

Engen now leads Stirnemann in the overall standings by a slim margin of 10 points, with 190 to her rival’s 180 with one race remaining. Rissveds is a distant third at 110 points.

In the men’s competition, none of the winners from the first three rounds made it to the final, pointing to the growing depth of competition in this event. Mels, the Belgian champion was clearly in a class of his own; qualifying first and riding away from his competition in every heat. He was joined in the final by Catriel Andres Soto (Wild Wolf Trek), TitouanPerrin Ganier (Focus/Rotor/Coaching-System.fr) and Simon Gegenheimer (German National). Conspicuously missing were usual favourites Federspiel, Slovenian Miha Halzer and round two winner Kenta Gallagher (Superior Brentjens).

Mels took the lead by the first corner and looked to have race won, but had a scare in the singletrack when he unclipped and almost crashed, before recovering. He had enough of a lead still to cruise in ahead of Soto, with Perrin Ganier a distant third.

“I went too fast and missed a pedal so I lost a bit of grip with the tire and I was trying to avoid the trees and stuff,” explained Mels. “I am happy I made it alive. It was close. Normally sprint races are not so technical as this one. In the forest I decided to do my own thing, and I train a lot in the technical stuff so that is my thing. So I am happy I could do well on this track. Personally [this win] means a lot. I never thought I could win a World Cup. I am right above my head right now. I still have not got it. It is too much at once.”

Despite finishing only fifth, Federspiel actually gained on his main rivals, who scored only a few points in Vallnord. After four events of five, Federspiel has 158 points, followed by Gegenheimer at 99 and Halzer at 95. The Austrian only needs to score two points in the final rode at Hafjell, Norway to clinch the title.

Action continues Saturday with XCO and can be followed live on the UCI website from 11.30am CET.

Results

Finals

Women

Big Final
1. Kathrin Stirnemann (Sui) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team 60
2. Alexandra Engen (Swe) Ghost Factory Racing Team 40
3. Jenny Rissveds* (Swe) Team Sweden 30
4. Jolanda Neff* (Sui) Giant Pro XC Team 25

Small Final
5. Linda Indergand* (Sui) Strübi MTB Kader 20
6. Nathalie Schneitter (Sui) Team Colnago Sudtirol 18
7. Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Pro Team 16
8. Nadine Rieder (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team 14

1/4 Finals
9. Elisabeth Sveum (Nor) Team Norway 12
10. Anne Terpstra* (Ned) Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team 10
11. Ann Berglund (Swe) Team Sweden 8
12. Oksana Rybakova (Rus) 6
13. Elvira Khayrullina (Rus) 4
14. Pauline Pajot° (Fra) ASPTT Definitive TEC 3
15. Alessia Bulleri* (Ita) 2

Men
Big Final
1. Fabrice Mels* (Bel) Salcano Alanya 60
2. Catriel Andres Soto (Arg) Wild Wolf Trek Pro Racing 40
3. Titouan Perrin Ganier* (Fra) Focus/Rotor/Coaching-System.Fr 30
4. Simon Gegenheimer (Ger) 25

Small Final
5.  Marcel Wildhaber (Sui) Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team 20
6. Daniel Federspiel (Aut) Ötztal Scott Racing Team 18
7. Fabien Canal (Fra) ASPTT Definitive TEC 16
8. Patrick Lüthi* (Sui) 14

1/4 Finals
9. Martin Gluth* (Ger) 12
10. Kevin Miquel* (Fra) Veloroc Lapierre10
11. Philip Buys (Rsa) 8
12. Andy Eyring (Ger) 6
13. Kenta Gallagher* (Gbr) Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team 4
14. Simon Stiebjahn (Ger) Team Bulls 3
15. Jan Nesvadba* (Cze) 2
16. Kevin van Hoovels (Bel) Versluys Team 1

1/8 Finals
17. Thibault Geneste* (Fra) Scott La Clusaz
18. Christian Pfäffle* (Ger)
19. Antoine Bouqueret* (Fra) Scott La Clusaz
20. Krystof Bogar* (Cze)
21. Adria Noguera Soldevila* (Esp)
22. Fabian Rabensteiner (Ita) Focus XC Italy Team
23. Sepp Freiburghaus (Sui)
24. Jose Maria Sanchez Ruiz* (Esp)
25. Markus Bauer (Ger)
26. Neilo Perrin Ganier° (Fra) Focus/Rotor/Coaching-System.fr
27. Miha Halzer (Slo)
28. Peteris Janevics * (Lat)
29. Stefan Peter* (Sui) Strübi MTB Kader
30. Gerard Alvarez Ortega* (Esp)
31. Maxime Herold* (Fra) Calvisson VTT
32. Adrian Retief* (Nzl)

Qualifications

Women
1. Kathrin Stirnemann (Sui) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team 02:02.8
2. Jolanda Neff* (Sui) Giant Pro XC Team 2.279
3. Alexandra Engen (Swe) Ghost Factory Racing Team 4.929
4. Linda Indergand* (Sui) Strübi MTB Kader 5.273
5. Jenny Rissveds* (Swe) Team Sweden 5.327
6. Nathalie Schneitter (Sui) Team Colnago Sudtirol 7.183
7. Nadine Rieder (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team 8.829
8. Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Pro Team 10.703
9. Elisabeth Sveum (Nor) Team Norway 13.164
10. Anne Terpstra* (Ned) Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team 13.986
11. Ann Berglund (Swe) Team Sweden 14.689
12. Elvira Khayrullina (Rus) 16.251
13. Oksana Rybakova (Rus) 22.814
14. Pauline Pajot° (Fra) ASPTT Definitive TEC 26.482
15. Alessia Bulleri* (Ita) 03:38.723

Men
1. Fabrice Mels* (Bel) Salcano Alanya 01:45.9
2. Martin Gluth* (Ger) 3.136
3. Titouan Perrin Ganier* (Fra) Focus/Rotor/Coaching-System.Fr 3.993
4. Markus Bauer (Ger) 4.566
5. Daniel Federspiel (Aut) Ötztal Scott Racing Team 4.806
6. Kevin Miquel* (Fra) Veloroc Lapierre 5.71
7. Catriel Andres Soto (Arg) Wild Wolf Trek Pro Racing 6.34
8. Marcel Wildhaber (Sui) Scott Swisspower MTB Racing Team 6.47
9. Thibault Geneste* (Fra) Scott La Clusaz 6.666
10. Patrick Lüthi* (Sui) 6.852
11. Kenta Gallagher* (Gbr) Superior Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team 7.168
12. Christian Pfäffle* (Ger) 7.243
13. Philip Buys (Rsa) 7.26
14. Fabien Canal (Fra) ASPTT Definitive TEC 7.355
15. Simon Stiebjahn (Ger) Team Bulls 7.91
16. Antoine Bouqueret* (Fra) Scott La Clusaz 8.008
17. Jan Nesvadba* (Cze) 8.687
18. Neilo Perrin Ganier° (Fra) Focus/Rotor/Coaching-System.fr 8.913
19. Krystof Bogar* (Cze) 8.959
20. Adria Noguera Soldevila* (Esp) 9.702
21. Simon Gegenheimer (Ger) 9.834
22. Miha Halzer (Slo) 10.104
23. Peteris Janevics * (Lat) 10.187
24. Andy Eyring (Ger) 10.206
25. Stefan Peter* (Sui) Strübi MTB Kader 10.379
26. Fabian Rabensteiner (Ita) Focus XC Italy Team 10.674
27. Sepp Freiburghaus (Sui) 10.856
28. Gerard Alvarez Ortega* (Esp) 11.624
29. Kevin van Hoovels (Bel) Versluys Team 12.649
30. Maxime Herold* (Fra) Calvisson VTT 12.738
31. Jose Maria Sanchez Ruiz* (Esp) 13.784
32. Adrian Retief* (Nzl) 14.137
33. Nicolo Ferrazzo* (Ita) 14.782
34. Ivan Diaz (Esp) 16.442
35. Andrea Righettini* (Ita) Focus XC Italy Team 18.614
36. Arnaud Cannau* (Fra) Aix VTT Thrifty 19.066
37. Mario Matijevic (Bel) 26.753
DNF Robby de Bock (Bel) Feenstra Felt Powered By Kenda
DNF Kevin Berginc* (Slo)
DNS Ralph Näf (Sui) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team
DNS Pierre-Geoffroy Plantet (Fra)
DNS Martin Frey* (Ger)
DNS Samuel Gaze° (Nzl)

*U23
°Junior