August 31/11 11:02 am - MTB World Championships: Team Relay UPDATES

Posted by Editoress on 08/31/11
 

Team relay is underway.  Scroll down to view teams and riders with their order of racing.  Team Canada is Max Plaxton/Evan Mcneely/Catharine Pendrel/Alexandre Vialle and they will ride in that order

The reason so many top riders doing Team Relay?  UCI nation ranking points on the line for Olympic qualification...  Plus, a chance to do a 'hot lap' on the circuit.  Tracy Moseley is doing the Relay for GBr.

Entries overall:  Switzerland most athletes at 58, followed by US at 51 then Canada and Germany at 48.  However, these numbers are already out of whack - Canada actually has 45 here, with riders such as Smith and Gatto missing.

The entrance to the venue is a narrow road (single lane in spots) up the valley from Champery.  The valley where the event takes place is also quite small, 

Lap 1  end

Germany leading after the first of 4 Laps

Czech Republic 2nd at 5 sec, Netherlands 3rd at 11 sec, Poland 4th at 13 sec, Canada 5th (after a great ride by Max Plaxton) at 22 sec, Switzerland 6th at 29 sec, Italy 7th at 48 sec, Sweden 8th at 50 sec

Team USA has crashed and is over 6 min back

Lap 2 (end)  11:27 am

McNeely hands off the Pendrel and Team Canada is up to 2nd

Netherlands leading with Canada 2nd at 40 sec, Germany 3rd at 43 sec, Switzerland 4th at 53 sec

Lap 3 (end) 11:40 am

Netherlands hold onto the lead with Canada in 2nd at 1:02.  Pendrel hands off to Alexandre Vialle

France now 3rd at 1:27 (Maxime Marotte taking the final lap), Germany 4th at 1:35, Switzerland 5th at 1:50  Nino Schurter takes the final lap

Finish

France takes the win, with Switzerland 2nd, Italy 3rd, Czech Republic 4th, Germany 5th, NEtherlands 6th, Canada 7th