May 22, 2011 (Yorkshike, UK) – A total of 138 riders are on the start line for the Elite Men’s XC in cool conditions under intermittent sunny skies with some occasional rain. Canada has five riders including Geoff Kabush (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain) along with Team Canada members Derek Zanstra, Max Plaxton, Andrew Watson and Raphaël Gagne. The men will complete a short start loop 2.4km and then 6 laps of a 6.3km course.

Start Loop (2.4km)
It’s Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Cannondale Factory Racing, Nino Schurter (Sui) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing and Manuel Fumic (Ger) Cannondale Factory Racing leading the pack at the start.

José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Esp) Multivan Merida Biking Team takes over the lead as they compete the start loop and head out on lap #1.

Lap 1
It’s Hermida leading the pack as they start the first lap with Schurter up there and Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea not far behind. Kabush is in 45th.

Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) Specialized Racing has taken over the lead with Schurter just behind… Fumic is in third as the two try to catch Kulhavy. In hot pursuit are Absalon, Fontana and Stéphane Tempier (Fra) Tx Active Bianchi…

Lap 2
Kulhavy comes thru in 19:55 with a 30+ second lead as the charging group of riders lead by Tempier come thru at 35s. Kulhavy is currently ranked #1 in the world and looks strong as he powers around the second lap.

Martin Gujan (Sui) Cannondale Factory Racing is in the leading chase group as well with Schurter, Fumic, Absalon, Fontana all trying to run down Kulhavy… Kabush is in the mid 40s and Zanstra’s in the mid 50s.

Todd Wells (USA) Specialized Racing and Christoph Sauser (Sui) Specialized Racing are not far behind is CX star Sven Nys (Bel) who started in 77th and has had an incredible start and is now in the high teens…

Kulhavy heads up the climb with about 1.5km to go in the lap as he keeps up the blistering pace.

Now Absalon has broken away from the chasers and is trying to bridge to Kulhavy.

Lap 3
Kulhavy comes thru in 35:58 with Absalon at 20s and making up ground on him…. then there’s a pack of 7 riders at 45s lead by Schurter, Fontana and Fumic… Sauser is there as is Burry Stander (RSA) Specialized Racing.

Fumic and Schurter are leading the chase followed by Stander, Sauser, Fontana… Kulhavy may have gained a few seconds on Absalon. Following behind them is Hermida and Thomas Litscher (Sui) Felt Oetztal X-Bionic Team.

Kulhavy is on the climb and Absalon can see him…

Lap 4
Kulhavy leads with a time of 51:58… Absalon is at 19s.

They’re being chased by 9 riders lead by Stander and Sauser at 1:19 so they have their work cut out for them with 3 laps to go – also in the group are Fumic, Schurter, Fontana, Tempier, Wells, Litscher and Moritz Milatz (Ger) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team.

Through the Medusa section Kulhavy still looks smooth with Absalon trying to make gains – Schurter knows he’s got to make something happen soon and is back at the front leading the chase.

Zanstra is 43rd at 4:12
Kabush is 46th at 4:24
Plaxton is 67th at 5:05
Watson is 94th at 7:08
Gagne is 110th at 8:38

Kulhavy continues to keep the pressure on as he’s almost finished lap 4 with Absalon losing more ground to the Czech rider – the chasers are still behind taking turns at the front to try and shave off some time to the leaders.

Lap 5
On the penultimate lap it’s Kulhavy looking unstoppable with Absalon holding on to 2nd at 39s.

Chasing are Sauser, Fumic, Fontana, Schurter and Stander at 1:45 as Tempier in 8th, Milatz 9th and Litscher in 10th dangle another 10s behind.

Lap 6 Final
Kulhavy comes thru to start his last at 1:24:08 and he’s looking triumphant – Absalon remains in second at 44s.

Fumic and Fontana now lead the chasers as they’ve shuffled with Schurter dropping back into 10th.

Kulhavy is almost thru the final climb and will soon claim his second WCup victory… Abasalon is holding on to second place but the real race now is for third with Fontana leading being chased by Maxime Marotte (Fra) Bh-Suntour-Peisey Vallandry…

Kulhavy takes it – the first WCup win for a 29er.

Results

1. Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) Specialized Racing 1:40:53
2. Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea 0:50
3. Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Cannondale Factory Racing 1:39
4. Maxime Marotte (Fra) BH-Suntour-Peisey Vallandry 1:39
5. Manuel Fumic (Ger) Cannondale Factory Racing 1:40
6. Moritz Milatz (Ger) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team 1:40
7. Burry Stander (RSA) Specialized Racing 1:51
8. Christoph Sauser (Sui) Specialized Racing 1:52
9. Nino Schurter (Sui) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing 1:58
10. Thomas Litscher (Sui) Felt Oetztal X-Bionic Team 2:00
11. Stéphane Tempier (Fra) TX Active Bianchi 2:24
12. Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Esp) Wildwolf-Trek Racing 2:29
13. Fabian Giger (Sui) Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team 2:41
14. Rudi Van Houts (Ned) 2:56
15. Martin Gujan (Sui) Cannondale Factory Racing 3:06
16. Todd Wells (USA) Specialized Racing 3:07
17. José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Esp) Multivan Merida Biking Team 3:38
18. Florian Vogel (Sui) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing 4:02
19. Lukas Flückiger (Sui) Trek World Racing 4:02
20. Jan Skarnitzl (Cze) Rubena-Birell-Specialized Cycling 4:02
21. Karl Markt (Aut) Felt Oetztal X-Bionic Team 4:02
22. Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Esp) Giant Italia Team 4:54
23. Oliver Beckingsale (Gbr) 5:03
24. Ruben Ruzafa Cueto (Esp) Orbea 5:12
25. Martin Fanger (Sui) Giant Swiss SR-Suntour 5:19
26. Jochen Kass (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team 5:50
27. Derek Zandstra (Can) Team Canada 6:00
28. Jiri Friedl (Cze) Rubena-Birell-Specialized Cycling 6:08
29. Nicola Rohrbach (Sui) Elettroveneta-Corratec 6:11
30. Liam Killeen (Gbr) Giant Factory Off-Road Team 6:12
31. Henk Jaap Moorlag (Ned) Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team 6:19
32. Christoph Soukup (Aut) 6:21
33. Matous Ulman (Cze) S&H Superior MTB Team 6:22
34. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) Subaru-Trek 6:25
35. Uwe Hochenwarter (Aut) Muskelkater Genesis Team 6:28
36. Chris Jongewaard (Aus) 6:32
37. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) 6:38
38. Robert Mennen (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team 6:38
39. Jeremiah Bishop (USA) Cannondale 6:42
40. Marc Colom (Fra) Team Newcycling 6:45
41. Pierre-Geoffroy Plantet (Fra) Team Newcycling 6:51
42. Kevin Van Hoovels (Bel) Versluys-Evenza Team 6:59
43. Emil Lindgren (Swe) Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team 7:07
44. Daniel Mcconnell (Aus) 7:10
45. Geoff Kabush (Can) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain 7:11
46. Jiri Novak (Cze) S&H Superior MTB Team 7:11
47. Martino Fruet (Ita) 7:18
48. Max Plaxton (Can) Team Canada 7:26
49. Michele Casagrande (Ita) Elettroveneta-Corratec 7:31
50. Irjan Luttenberg (Ned) MPL Specialized MTB Team 7:33
51. Andras Parti (Hun) Euro One-Cube MTB Team 7:45
52. Niels Wubben (Ned) Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team 7:51
53. Samuel Schultz (USA) Subaru-Trek 7:55
54. Marek Galinski (Pol) JGB-2 Professional MTB Team 7:59
55. Alban Lakata (Aut) Topeak Ergon Racing Team 8:17
56. Lukas Kaufmann (Sui) 8:42
57. Severin Disch (Sui) Thoemus Racing Team 8:48
58. Michal Lami (Svk) 8:53
59. Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team 8:55
60. Cédric Ravanel (Fra) GT Skoda Chamonix 8:56
61. Hannes Metzler (Aut) Muskelkater Genesis Team 9:36
62. Rene Tann (Ger) 9:47
63. Jukka Vastaranta (Fin) Milka Trek MTB Racing Team 9:57
64. Milan Spesny (Cze) S&H Superior MTB Team 10:03
65. Bart Aernouts (Bel) 10:04
66. Jelmer Pietersma (Ned) Milka Trek MTB Racing Team 10:10
67. Robby De Bock (Bel) 10:19
68. Tony Longo (Ita) TX Active Bianchi 10:20
69. Cristian Cominelli (Ita) TX Active Bianchi 10:25
70. Simon Scheiber (Aut) Felt Oetztal X-Bionic Team 10:28
71. David Joao Serralheiro Rosa (Por) 10:29
72. Frank Schotman (Ned) MPL Specialized MTB Team 10:39
73. Tiago Jorge Oliveira Ferreira (Por) 11:04
74. Marc Bassingthwaighte (Nam) 11:06
75. Torsten Marx (Ger) 11:12
76. Sepp Freiburghaus (Sui) Thoemus Racing Team 11:29
77. Pascal Meyer (Sui) Thoemus Racing Team 11:29
78. Gerben De Knegt (Ned) 11:39
79. Mattias Wengelin (Swe) 11:41
80. Christopher Maletz (Ger) 11:42
81. Nicholas Craig (Gbr) 11:48
82. Adam Craig (USA) Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team 11:50
83. Fredrik Edin (Swe) 11:51
84. Jorgen Flion (Bel) 12:12
85. Philip Buys (RSA) 12:14
86. Bjorn Brems (Bel) Versluys-Evenza Team 12:16
87. Giuseppe Lamastra (Ita) Elettroveneta-Corratec 12:21
88. Matthias Leisling (Ger) Muskelkater Genesis Team 12:35
89. Spencer Paxson (USA) Kona 12:42
90. Giancarlo Sax (Sui) Thoemus Racing Team 12:55
91. Andrew Watson (Can) Team Canada 13:00
92. Ole Christian Fagerli (Nor) 13:02
93. Simon Gegenheimer (Ger) 13:02
94. Lee Williams (Gbr) 13:05
95. Magnus Darvell (Swe) 13:39
96. David Collins (Gbr) 14:05
97. Steffen Thum (Ger) 14:26
98. Kohei Yamamoto (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor 15:28
99. Pascal Hossay (Bel) G-Skin-Deforche MTB Racing Team -1 lap
100. Dave Henderson (Gbr) -1 lap
101. Martin Loo (Est) Infotre-Bi & Esse-Leecougan -1 lap
102. Kazuhiro Yamamoto (Jpn) -1 lap
103. Ludovic Dubau (Fra) Team Newcycling -1 lap
104. Pierre Lebreton (Fra) BH-Suntour-Peisey Vallandry -1 lap
105. Michael Broderick (USA) Kenda Seven Notubes -1 lap
106. Seiya Hirano (Jpn) Team Bridgestone Anchor -1 lap
107. Ross Adams (Gbr) -1 lap
108. Raphael Gagne (Can) Team Canada -1 lap
109. Marco Schätzing (Ger) Team Firebike-Droessiger -1 lap
110. Andrew Cockburn (Gbr) -2 laps
111. Brian Lopes (USA) -2 laps
112. Daniel Federspiel (Aut) -2 laps
113. Matthias Waldhart (Aut) -2 laps
114. Gareth Montgomerie (Gbr) -2 laps
115. John Whittington (Gbr) -2 laps
116. Sang Hoon Na (Kor) -2 laps
117. Brice Scholtes (Bel) G-Skin-Deforche MTB Racing Team -2 laps
118. Paul Robertson (Gbr) -2 laps
119. Jody Crawforth (Gbr) -3 laps
DNF Andrea Tiberi (Ita) Torpado Surfing Shop
DNF Bas Peters (Ned) Team Merida Combee
DNF Ben Thomas (Gbr)
DNF Inaki Lejarreta Errasti (Esp) Orbea
DNF Mathias Flückiger (Sui) Trek World Racing
DNF Patrik Gallati (Sui) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team
DNF Ralph Näf (Sui) Multivan Merida Biking Team
DNF Ruben Almeida (Por)
DNF Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Esp) Wildwolf-Trek Racing
DNF Sven Nys (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
DNF Tom Meeusen (Bel)