April 13, 2012 (Houffalize, BEL) – The UCI MTB World Cup action got underway on Friday in Houffalize, Belgium with the first World Cup Eliminator race of the 2012 season. The 530-metre course features a hard, sharp climb to separate out the riders.

A total of 75 men and 28 women raced a qualifying run down the track and it was 4X veteran Brian Lopes of the USA and Anne Terpstra of the Netherlands who qualified first overall with a time of 1:24.076 and 1:43.408 respectively while moving on to the heat rounds.

The rounds featured 32 men and 27 women who competed in heats of four, as the field of competitors was whittled down to four final contenders in each of the men’s and women’s fields, for the chance to don the first leader’s jersey for this discipline.

In the Men’s Big Final, it was 4X Champion Brian Lopes proving he’s still got it, as the 40-year-old took the victory over Daniel Federspiel (AUT), Simon Gegenheimer (GER), and Severin Thoemus (SUI).

In the Women’s Big Final, it was U23 rider Annie Last of Great Britian who qualified 7th overall stealing the show by claiming victory over Italy’s Eva Lechner, Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds, and the #1 qualifier Anne Terpstra of the Netherlands. No Canadians competed.

Qualifications

Elite Men
1. Brian Lopes (USA) 1:24.076
2. Marcel Wildhaber (Sui) Scott – Swisspower MTB Racing Team 01.590
3. Miha Halzer (Slo) Energijateam.com 01.839
4. Kenta Gallagher (Gbr) 02.794
5. Emil Linde (Swe) 03.056
6. Daniel Federspiel (Aut) Notebooksbilliger.de Team 03.550
7. Martin Gluth (Ger) 03.688
8. Lars Forster (Sui) 04.070
9. Stefan Peter (Sui) MTB Kader Zentralschweiz 04.423
10. Tim Lemmers (Ned) Feenstra Stevens Bike Team 04.534
11. Lukas Kaufmann (Sui) Team Fujibikes Rockets 04.745
12. Mirco Widmer (Sui) Giant Swiss SR – Suntour 05.164
13. Simon Gegenheimer (Ger) 05.232
14. Markus Bauer (Ger) 05.420
15. Julian Schelb (Ger) 05.890
16. Marek Konwa (Pol) Milka-Superior MTB Racing Team 06.110
17. Dennis Ebert (Ned) 06.243
18. Nicola Rohrbach (Sui) 06.368
19. Ralph Naef (Sui) Multivan Merida Biking Team 06.369
20. Thomas Litscher (Sui) Felt Oetztal X – Bionic Team 06.510
21. Simon Stiebjahn (Ger) 06.650
22. Hans Becking (Ned) Milka-Superior MTB Racing Team 06.942
23. Giancarlo Sax (Sui) Thoemus Racing Team 07.311
24. Ola Kjören (Nor) Team Herbalife 24 Raumerrittet 07.439
25. Klaus Nielsen (Den) 07.479
26. Severin Disch (Sui) Thoemus Racing Team 07.894
27. Timofei Ivanov (Rus) 08.141
28. Fredrik Fang Liland (Nor) Merida NTG 08.266
29. Jérémy Huguenin (Sui) Giant Swiss SR – Suntour 08.598
30. Simon Scheiber (Aut) Felt Oetztal X – Bionic Team 08.663
31. Sondre Kristiansen (Nor) Merida NTG 08.712
32. Paul Van Der Ploeg (Aus) Felt Oetztal X – Bionic Team 09.115
33. Frantisek Lami (Svk) 09.397
34. Johan Widen (Swe) 09.443
35. Moritz Milatz (Ger) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team 09.494
36. Jürg Graf (Sui) Bskgraf Rollmat-Koba MTB Team 09.538
37. Andy Eyring (Ger) 09.676
38. Ludovic Dubau (Fra) Team Newcycling 09.950
39. Alban Lakata (Aut) Topeak Ergon Racing Team 09.960
40. Pieter Geluykens (Bel) Merida Wallonie Mountain Bike Team 10.209
41. Daniel Eymann (Sui) Thoemus Racing Team 10.327
42. Anders Dalgaard (Nor) 10.412
43. Mario Luis Miranda Costa (Por) 10.511
44. Sepp Freiburghaus (Sui) Thoemus Racing Team 10.545
45. Urban Ferencak (Slo) 11.169
46. Eirik B Langerud (Nor) 11.197
47. Marc Metzler (Sui) 11.318
48. Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Milka-Superior MTB Racing Team 11.557
49. Steffen Thum (Ger) 11.788
50. Ole Christian Fagerli (Nor) Team Herbalife 24 Raumerrittet 11.798
51. Kevin Van Hoovels (Bel) Versluys Team 12.421
52. Bostjan Hribovsek (Slo) 12.469
53. Tomasz Drozdz (Pol) JBG – 2 Professional Mtb Team 12.644
54. Alexey Krylov (Rus) 12.927
55. Sebastian Jayne (Aus) 12.993
56. Albin Dalenberg (Swe) 13.308
57. Mark Kuyan (Rus) 13.894
58. Vitalii Zubchenko (Ukr) ISD MTB Team 13.950
59. Manuel Fumic (Ger) Cannondale Factory Racing 14.327
60. Shlomi Haimy (Isr) Focus Mig Team 14.400
61. Spencer Paxson (USA) Kona 14.431
62. Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Cannondale Factory Racing 14.747
63. Marc Colom (Fra) Team Newcycling 15.038
64. Sebastien Carabin (Bel) Versluys Team 15.119
65. Steven James (Gbr) 15.262
66. Fredrik Edin (Swe) 15.452
67. John Whittington (Gbr) 16.191
68. Oleksandr Gerashchenko (Ukr) ISD MTB Team 16.254
69. Adrian Kucharek (Pol) 4F E-Vive Racing Team 16.385
70. Patryk Adamkiewicz (Pol) Superior MTB Energy Team 17.093
71. Rok Korosec (Slo) 17.736
72. Frank Schotman (Ned) MPL Specialized MTB Team 18.652
73. Dennis Wahlqvist (Swe) 18.855
74. Abdulkadir Kelleci (Tur) 20.024
75. Olaf Malek (Pol) Superior MTB Energy Team 34.796
DNS Magnus Darvell (Swe) Team Herbalife 24 Raumerrittet
DNS Matthias Wengelin (Swe) Team Herbalife 24 Raumerrittet
DNS Marco Schätzing (Ger)
DNS Karol Michalski (Pol) Superior MTB Energy Team
DNS Borys Goral (Pol) Superior MTB Energy Team
DNS Kacper Urbanowicz (Pol) Superior MTB Energy Team

Elite Women
1. Anne Terpstra (Ned) MPL Specialized MTB Team 1:43.408
2. Kathrin Stirnemann (Sui) Sabine Spitz Haibike Team 02.526
3. Tracy Moseley (Gbr) 03.194
4. Alexandra Engen (Swe) Ghost Factory Racing Team 03.784
5. Mona Eiberweiser (Ger) Ghost Factory Racing Team 04.903
6. Anneke Beerten (Ned) Milka-Superior MTB Racing Team 06.291
7. Annie Last (Gbr) Milka Brentjens MTB Racing Team 07.095
8. Kajsa Snihs (Swe) 07.371
9. Eva Lechner (Ita) Colnago Sudtirol 09.081
10. Chloe Woodruff (USA) 09.384
11. Pavla Havlikova (Cze) 09.699
12. Ann Berglund (Swe) 09.827
13. Ingrid Sofie Jacobsen (Nor) 09.953
14. Jenny Rissveds (Swe) 10.308
15. Monika Zur (Pol) 4F E-Vive Racing Team 10.572
16. Helen Grobert (Ger) 10.604
17. Henriette Elvrum Handal (Nor) Merida NTG 13.759
18. Heidi Sandsto Rosaasen (Nor) Team United Bakeries 14.647
19. Sabrina Maurer (Sui) Bskgraf Rollmat-Koba MTB Team 16.098
20. Lucie Vesela (Cze) GT Bicycles Opportunity 16.610
21. Ana Zupan (Slo) Energijateam.Com 17.060
22. Paula Gorycka (Pol) 4F E-Vive Racing Team 19.584
23. Tina Perse (Slo) 25.618
24. Erica Zaveta (USA) Moda-Bikemagic Racing Team 31.424
25. Felicia Ferner (Swe) 32.233
26. Imogen Buick (Gbr) Moda-Bikemagic Racing Team 35.326
27. Hanna Vergeles (Ukr) ISD MTB Team 46.116
DNF Pavlina Sulcova (Cze) Merida Biking Team
DNS Lea Davison (USA) Specialized Racing
DNS Nicoletta De Jager (Ned) MPL Specialized Mtb Team
DNS Weronika Rybarczyk (Pol) Superior MTB Energy Team
DNS Kiona Harbers (Ned)
DNS Anna Balashova (Rus)

Finals

Elite Men

Big Final
1. Brian Lopes (USA)
2. Daniel Federspiel (Aut) Notebooksbilliger.de Team
3. Simon Gegenheimer (Ger)
4. Severin Disch (Sui) Thoemus Racing Team

Small Final
5. Paul Van Der Ploeg (Aus) Felt Oetztal X – Bionic Team
6. Kenta Gallagher (Gbr)
7. Lukas Kaufmann (Sui) Team Fujibikes Rockets
8. Tim Lemmers (Ned) Feenstra Stevens Bike Team

1/4 Finals
9. Miha Halzer (Slo) Energijateam.com
10. Lars Forster (Sui)
11. Simon Stiebjahn (Ger)
12. Emil Linde (Swe)
13. Stefan Peter (Sui) MTB Kader Zentralschweiz
14. Markus Bauer (Ger)
DNF Marcel Wildhaber (Sui) Scott – Swisspower MTB Racing Team
DNF Nicola Rohrbach (Sui)

1/8 Finals
17. Martin Gluth (Ger)
18. Mirco Widmer (Sui) Giant Swiss SR – Suntour
19. Julian Schelb (Ger)
20. Marek Konwa (Pol) Milka-Superior MTB Racing Team
21. Ralph Naef (Sui) Multivan Merida Biking Team
22. Thomas Litscher (Sui) Felt Oetztal X – Bionic Team
23. Hans Becking (Ned) Milka-Superior MTB Racing Team
24. Klaus Nielsen (Den)
25. Dennis Ebert (Ned)
26. Giancarlo Sax (Sui) Thoemus Racing Team
27. Ola Kjören (Nor) Team Herbalife 24 Raumerrittet
28. Timofei Ivanov (Rus)
29. Fredrik Fang Liland (Nor) Merida NTG
30. Jérémy Huguenin (Sui) Giant Swiss SR – Suntour
31. Simon Scheiber (Aut) Felt Oetztal X – Bionic Team
32. Sondre Kristiansen (Nor) Merida NTG

Elite Women

Big Final
1.  Annie Last (Gbr) Milka Brentjens MTB Racing Team
2. Eva Lechner (Ita) Colnago Sudtirol
3. Jenny Rissveds (Swe)
4. Anne Terpstra (Ned) MPL Specialized MTB Team

Small Final
5.  Kathrin Stirnemann (Sui) Sabine Spitz Haibike Team
6. Alexandra Engen (Swe) Ghost Factory Racing Team
7. Tracy Moseley (Gbr)
DNS  Mona Eiberweiser (Ger) Ghost Factory Racing Team

1/4 Finals
9.  Pavla Havlikova (Cze)
10. Ingrid Sofie Jacobsen (Nor)
11. Helen Grobert (Ger)
12. Heidi Sandsto Rosaasen (Nor) Team United Bakeries
13. Anneke Beerten (Ned) Milka-Superior MTB Racing Team
14. Kajsa Snihs (Swe)
15. Chloe Woodruff (USA)
16. Ana Zupan (Slo) Energijateam.com

1/8 Finals
17.  Ann Berglund (Swe)
18. Monika Zur (Pol) 4F E-Vive Racing Team
19. Henriette Elvrum Handal (Nor) Merida NTG
20. Sabrina Maurer (Sui) Bskgraf Rollmat-Koba MTB Team
21. Lucie Vesela (Cze) GT Bicycles Opportunity
22. Paula Gorycka (Pol) 4F E-Vive Racing Team
23. Tina Perse (Slo)
24. Felicia Ferner (Swe)
25. Erica Zaveta (USA) Moda-Bikemagic Racing Team
26. Imogen Buick (Gbr) Moda-Bikemagic Racing Team
27. Hanna Vergeles (Ukr) ISD MTB Team