July 26, 2009 (Mont Sainte-Anne, QC) – There’s been a respite from the rain as the Elite men’s race is about to begin with 128 riders and 22 Canadians on the start line. Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea is the top contender today but many riders would like to make the podium and unseat him including Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) Topeak, Ralf Naef (Sui) Multivan Merida, Jose Hermida Ramos (Esp) Multivan, Christoph Sauser (Sui) Specialized and Canada’s top-ranked male rider Geoff Kabush (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain). The men will complete 6 laps.

Lap 1
Naef is off to a strong start again and is leading by 10 sec. about 1/2 way thru the first lap as the riders fall in behind – Absalon is around 7th and Sauser is 15-20th. We are waiting for confirmation of who is in second – it’s Martin Gujan (Sui) Cannondale. Kabush is near the front.

Lap 2
Naef comes thru first on lap 2 – his time is 20:09 – and it’s Kabush in 2nd now at 32 seconds with Gujan in 3rd followed by Nino Schurter, Hermida, Peraud at 58 sec and Fontana at 59 sec. Raphael Gagne is in 32 and Seamus McGrath is in 34th.

Half way thru the lap there’s no change… where is Absalon? We must have missed him coming thru and we’re checking now. Yes we misse him – Absalon was in 3rd behind Kabush and has now passed Kabush and is chasing down Naef.

Lap 3
At the start of lap 3, Naef is still in the lead, but Absalon is all over him at only 1s back. Kabush is 3rd at 20s, followed closely by Hermida another 3s behind. Nino Schurter (Sui) Swisspower is 5th at 1:01, but he has a rear flat and is quickly being reeled in by Frenchman Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) Lapierre in 6th. Gujan is 8th, Todd Wells (USA) 9th, Florian Vogel (Sui) Swisspower 10th.

Lap 4
The elite men are starting their fourth lap of six. The wind is picking up and it’s a chilly 15 degrees C out there with rain threatening, but it hasn’t begun to fall yet.

Absalon has made his attack and is in the lead, 30s ahead of Hermida, followed by Kabush at 32s.

Huge gaps are beginning to form in the field and there’s lots of mud collected on bikes and bodies with evidence of crashes. Without rain, the course will begin to dry and the mud will thicken, making it much slicker, so rain would be a blessing for the boys out there.

Naef has fallen to 4th at 58s, Vuillermoz is 5th at 2:13, Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Massi is 6th at 2:24, Wells is right behind in 6th, followed by Stander, who has moved up to 8th. Vogel is 9th, with countryman Gujan right behind in 10th. Sauser is moving his way up quickly – he is now 15th at 4:01 back.

Canada’s McGrath has moved up to 25th at 5:20, with Gagne also cruising up the ranks, now in 30th and 4th U23 at 5:57. His goal is reportedly top 20, so he still has a lot of guys to pass. Craig is 33rd, Zandstra is 36th at 6:11 – he is also looking strong and climbing through the field.

Lap 5
Coming through at the start of their fifth and penultimate lap, Absalon has stretched his lead over Hermida to 47s. Kabush is still 3rd, but has lost contact with the Spaniard and is exactly 1 minute behind the leader.

Naef continues to chase in 4th at 2:24 with Stander leading the U23’s and movin’ on up the elite ranks to 5th spot at 3:40. Wells is charging in 6th at 3:47, then comes a group of three Swiss riders: Gujan, Vogel, and Lukas Flueckiger (Sui) Trek in 7th, 8th, and 9th at 5 minutes. Alvarez rounds out the top 10.

Sauser has fallen to 20th at 6:45, McGrath is up to 22nd at 7:07 in a group of 3 riders, including Craig. Zandstra has climbed to 29th and is also in a group of three, led out by Americans Horgan-Kobelski and Schultz in 27th and 28th, respectively. Gagne has fallen to 34th, but still looks strong.

Lap 6
Starting their final lap, Absalon still leads, but Hermida has reeled him in by 8s. Hermida maintains 2nd at 39s back. Kabush is holding onto 3rd, but has let more time go… he trails the leader by 1:23.

Naef is still 4th at 3:20 back. Stander maintains 5th and 1st U23 at 4:37. Wells is 6th at 5:48, Flueckiger 7th at 6:10, Alvarez 8th, trailed closely by Vogel and Gujan in 9th and 10th – all three trail by 6:22.

Craig is 18th, Sauser 23rd, Canada’s McGrath 24th, and Zandstra 25th.

Results

1. Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea 2:06:05
2. José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spa) Multivan Merida Biking Team 0:32
3. Geoff Kabush (Can) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles 2:48
4. Ralph Naef (Swi) Multivan Merida Biking Team 4:50
5. Burry Stander* (RSA) Specialized Factory Racing 5:42
6. Florian Vogel (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing 7:11
7. Lukas Flückiger (Swi) Trek World Racing 7:16
8. Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Spa) Giant Italia Team 7:21
9. Martin Gujan (Swi) Cannondale Factory Racing 7:45
10. Stéphane Tempier (Fra) TX Active Bianchi 7:48
11. Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) Cemelorca-Trek-Lorca Taller Del Tiempo 8:16
12. Adam Craig (USA) Giant Mountain Bike Team 8:20
13. Nino Schurter (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing 8:43
14. Cédric Ravanel (Fra) Lapierre International 8:47
15. Todd Wells (USA) Specialized Factory Racing 8:53
16. Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) 9:05
17. Moritz Milatz (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team 9:20
18. Jiri Friedl (Cze) Merida Biking Team 9:36
19. Alexis Vuillermoz* (Fra) Lapierre International 9:43
20. Martin Fanger* (Swi) Giant Mountain Bike Team 0:10:16
21. Christoph Sauser (Swi) Specialized Factory Racing 0:10:45
22. Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Trek-Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team 0:10:49
23. Rudi Van Houts (Ned) Multivan Merida Biking Team 0:11:19
24. Samuel Schultz (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher
25. Seamus McGrath (Can) Fuji 0:12:13
26. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 0:12:44
27. Lukas Kaufmann* (Swi) 0:12:53
28. Pierre Geoffroy Plantet (Fra) Lapierre International 0:13:13
29. Jan Skarnitzl (Cze) Giant Mountain Bike Team 0:13:31
30. Derek Zandstra (Can) 3 Rox Racing 0:13:39
31. François Bailly Maitre (Fra) Team Scott Valloire Galibier 0:14:05
32. Ludovic Dubau (Fra) 0:14:20
33. Raphael Gagne* (Can) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles 0:14:26
34. Christof Bischof (Swi) ISD Cycling Team 0:14:53
35. Roel Paulissen (Bel) Cannondale Factory Racing 0:15:06
36. Guillaume Vinit* (Fra) Team Scott Valloire Galibier 0:15:17
37. Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team 0:15:42
38. Irjan Luttenberg* (Ned) 0:15:56
39. Maxime Marotte (Fra) BH-Suntour 0:16:25
40. Bjorn Brems (Bel) Team Saeco 0:17:12
41. Christoph Soukup (Aut) Merida Biking Team 0:17:34
42. Giuseppe Lamastra (Ita) 0:17:50
43. Michael Broderick (USA) 0:17:59
44. Bas Peters (Ned)
45. Matous Ulman (Cze) Scott & Hagget MTB Team 0:18:31
46. Stefan Widmer (Can) 0:19:17
47. Marc Colom (Fra) 0:19:59
48. Milan Spesny (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna MTB 0:20:20
49. Josef Kamler* (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna MTB 0:20:35
50. Fabien Canal* (Fra) Lapierre International 0:22:06

1 Lap Behind

51. Renay Groustra (RSA)
52. Kris Sneddon (Can) Kona
53. Carl Decker (USA) Giant Mountain Bike Team
54. Robert Mennen (Ger)
55. Robbie Squire* (USA)
56. Matthew Hadley (Can) Xprezo
57. Rotem Ishai (Isr)
57. Barry Wicks (USA) Kona
58. Lachlan Norris* (Aus) Discovertasmania.com
59. Colin Cares* (USA)
60. Martin Lazarski (Can) Rocky Mountain Epic
61. Julien Fillion (Can)
62. Adam Snyder (USA)
63. Cristobal Silva Ibaceta (Chi)
64. Andrew Watson (Can) Norco

2 Laps Behind

64. Manuel Prado Gutierrez (CRc)
65. Pierre Lebreton (Fra) BH-Suntour
66. Jiri Hudecek (Cze) Scott & Hagget MTB Team
67. Andrew Blair (Aus)
68. Leni Trudel* (Can)
69. Craig Richey (Can)
70. Eric Batty (Can) Trek Store Toronto
71 Patxi Cia Apezteguia (Spa) Conor-Camping La Siesta
72. Cal Britten* (Aus) Torq Performance Nutrition
73. Charlton Durie* (Aus) Discovertasmania.com
74. Andrew Freye (USA)
75. Mark Leishman (NZl)
76. Paul Van Der Ploeg* (Aus) Discovertasmania.com
77. Juan Pedro Trujillo Hernandez (Spa) Cemelorca-Trek-Lorca Taller Del Tiempo
78. Ryan Atkins* (Can)
79. Travis Livermon* (USA)
80. Niels Wubben* (Ned)
81. Nick Both (Aus)
82. Mike Garrigan (Can) Jetpower
83. Ethan Gilmour* (USA)
84. Cameron Jette* (Can)
85. Stephen Ettinger* (USA)
86. Peter Glassford (Can)

3 Laps Behind

87. Daniel Sessford (Can)
88. Victor Galvez Perez (Chi)
89. Aaron Snyder* (USA)
DNF Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Massi
DNF Umberto Corti (Ita) Team Cbe Tecnoimpianti A.S.D.
DNF Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Cannondale Factory Racing
DNF Oliver Beckingsale (GBr) Giant Mountain Bike Team Gmt
DNF Max Plaxton (Can) Shoi/Specialized
DNF Benoit Simard (Can)
DNF Connor Mcconvey* (Irl) De Brink-Ten Tusscher
DNF Nathan Haas* (Aus) Discovertasmania.Com
DNF Daniel Mcconnell (Aus) Torq Performance Nutrition
DNF Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Spa) MSC Bikes
DNF Liam Killeen (GBr) Trek World Racing
DNF Troy Wells (USA)
DNF Brian Bain (Can)
DNS Jochen Kass (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team

Standings after 5 events

1. Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea 1,200 pts
2. Burry Stander* (RSA) Specialized Factory Racing 720
3. José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spa) Multivan Merida Biking Team 660
4. Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team 657
5. Ralph Naef (Swi) Multivan Merida Biking Team 650
6. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Massi 550
7. Nino Schurter (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing 525
8. Moritz Milatz (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team 448
9. Roel Paulissen (Bel) Cannondale Factory Racing 446
10. Lukas Flückiger (Swi) Trek World Racing 424
11. Stéphane Tempier (Fra) TX Active Bianchi 414
12. Christoph Sauser (Swi) Specialized Factory Racing 394
13. Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Cannondale Factory Racing 370
14. Geoff Kabush (Can) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles 367
15. Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) Cemelorca-Trek-Lorca Taller Del Tiempo 348
16. Martin Gujan (Swi) Cannondale Factory Racing 336
17. Florian Vogel (Swi) Scott-Swisspower MTB-Racing 331
18. Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Spa) Giant Italia Team 313
19. Alexis Vuillermoz* (Fra) Lapierre International 310
20. Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) 304
21. Inaki Lejarreta Errasti (Spa) Orbea 290
22. Rudi Van Houts (Ned) Multivan Merida Biking Team 290
23. Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Trek-Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team 276
24. Cédric Ravanel (Fra) Lapierre International 272
25. Manuel Fumic (Ger) Fumic.Brothers.International 261
26. Jochen Kass (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team 237
27. Jiri Friedl (Cze) Merida Biking Team 236
28. Adam Craig (USA) Giant Mountain Bike Team 230
29. Ruben Ruzafa Cueto (Spa) Orbea 222
30. Todd Wells (USA) Specialized Factory Racing 210
31. Mathias Flückiger* (Swi) Trek World Racing 207
32. Samuel Schultz (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 205
33. Hector Leonardo Paez Leon (Col) TX Active Bianchi 202
34. Oliver Beckingsale (GBr) Giant Mountain Bike Team 168
35. Pierre Geoffroy Plantet (Fra) Lapierre International 165
36. Christoph Soukup (Aut) Merida Biking Team 161
37. Milan Spesny (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna MTB 159
38. Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Spa) MSC Bikes 156
39. Ludovic Dubau (Fra) 154
40. Liam Killeen (GBr) Trek World Racing 134
41. Marc Colom (Fra) 131
42. Umberto Corti (Ita) Team CBE Tecnoimpianti A.S.D. 123
43. Christof Bischof (Swi) ISD Cycling Team 121
44. Bas Peters (Ned) 110
45. Jan Skarnitzl (Cze) Giant Mountain Bike Team 109
46. Daniel Mcconnell (Aus) Torq Performance Nutrition 105
47. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 100
48. Lukas Kaufmann* (Swi) 96
49. Andrea Tiberi (Ita) TX Active Bianchi 94
50. Martin Fanger* (Swi) Giant Mountain Bike Team 92
51. Guillaume Vinit* (Fra) Team Scott Valloire Galibier 90
52. Derek Zandstra (Can) 3 Rocks Racing 85
53. Emil Lindgren (Swe) De Brink-Ten Tusscher 84
54. Cristian Cominelli* (Ita) TX Active Bianchi 84
55. Sergiy Rusenko (Ukr) ISD Cycling Team 83
56. Hannes Metzler (Aut) 77
57. Bjorn Brems (Bel) Team Saeco 75
58. Jürg Graf (Swi) 71
59. Robert Mennen (Ger) 66
60. Giuseppe Lamastra (Ita) 64
61. François Bailly Maitre (Fra) Team Scott Valloire Galibier 63
62. Sven Nys (Bel) 62
63. Thomas Litscher* (Swi) SKS M.I.G. Team 61
64. Anders Hovdenes* (Nor) Team Etto Hoydahl 61
65. Fabian Giger* (Swi) SKS M.I.G. Team 58
66. Irjan Luttenberg* (Ned) 58
67. Karl Markt (Aut) SRM Stevens Team 58
68. Seamus McGrath (Can) Fuji 56
69. Lachlan Norris* (Aus) Discovertasmania.com 56
70. Lado Fumic (Ger) Fumic.Brothers.International 55
71. Filip Eberl (Cze) 55
72. Maxime Marotte (Fra) BH-Suntour 53
73. Balz Weber (Swi) DS-Rennsport 51
74. Raphael Gagne* (Can) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles 40
75. Johnny Cattaneo (Ita) 38
76. Jelmer Pietersma (Ned) Trek-Brentjens Mountainbike Racing Team 38
77. Connor Mcconvey* (Irl) De Brink-Ten Tusscher 34
78. Nicola Rohrbach (Swi) Central Ghost Pro Team 31
79. Periklis Ilias (Gre) ISD Cycling Team 29
80. Dries Govaerts* (Bel) Lingier-Versluys Team 29
81. Silvio Bundi (Swi) Giant Mountain Bike Team 29
82. Marek Galinski (Pol) JBG-2 Professional MTB Team 26
83. Michael Broderick (USA) 25
84. Yader Zoli (Ita) Torpado-4US 25
85. Matous Ulman (Cze) Scott & Hagget MTB Team 23
86. Stefan Widmer (Can) Rocky Mountain Epic 22
87. Pascal Meyer* (Swi) SKS M.I.G. Team 21
88. Severin Disch* (Swi) Giant Mountain Bike Team 21
89. Josef Kamler* (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna MTB 19
90. Frank Schotman (Ned) 19
91. Fabien Canal* (Fra) Lapierre International 18
92. Alban Lakata (Aut) Topeak Ergon Racing Team 18
93. Paolo Cesar Montoya Cantillo (CRc) Giant Italia Team 18
94. Renay Groustra (RSA) 17
95. Kris Sneddon (Can) Kona 16
96. Carl Decker (USA) Giant Mountain Bike Team 15
97. Kohei Yamamoto (Jpn) 14
98. Robbie Squire* (USA) 13
99. Peter Sagan* (Svk) 13
100. Juan Pedro Trujillo Hernandez (Spa) Cemelorca-Trek-Lorca Taller Del Tiempo 13
101. Matthew Hadley (Can) Xprezo 12
102. Sebastien Carabin* (Bel) Lingier-Versluys Team 12
103. Roan Exelby (RSA) 12
104. Rotem Ishai (Isr) 11
105. Barry Wicks (USA) Kona 10
106. Nicolas Vermeulen (Bel) Lingier-Versluys Team 10
107. Torsten Marx (Ger) DS-Rennsport 9
108. Klaus Nielsen (Den) 9
109. Andrew Blair (Aus) 9
110. Colin Cares* (USA) 8