August 3/08 11:05am EDT - Bromont World Cup: Women's XC Updates

Posted by Editoress on 8/3/08.

Bromont World Cup Bromont QC

Coverage brought to you with the assistance of Mondial du Velo

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After a day of relatively nice weather (overcast but dry for most of yesterday), the rain has returned, has settled in and is coming down steadily.
A small field of 41 riders today will do 4 laps of a muddy course, that features much climbing and many rocks. A small sections of the original course ~ 500 metres was removed from the start on Friday when UCI course inspectors deemed it unridable.

Some news:
• Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa will not start today. She reported stomach problems this morning, and withdrew from the start.

• Jose Hermida is sporting a new facial 'feature': a bandito style mustache (photos to come)

• Christophe Sauser's knee is reported to be on the mend (after his crash last weekend that required 4 stitches and a DNS in the men's XC) and has been back training at home is Switzerland.

• Jakob Fuglsang (the 2007 U23 world champion) has announced that he has signed with Team CSC for 2008. Fuglsang has been riding both road and MTB for the past year and will switch to F/T road after the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Lap 1 A big surge at the start with must jostling to get the lead as they hit the first climb. Up the climb it is Marie-Helene Premont (Rocky Mountain) and Mary McConneloug (Kenda Seven) at the front followed by Georgia Gould (Luna Womens MTB Team)

On the descent, Marie-Helene Premont has been joined at the front by Catharine Pendrel (Luna Womens MTB Team). They head into the technical section together

At the end of the lap (lap time 23:16), Catharine Pendrel (Luna Womens MTB Team) in the lead with Marie-Helene Premont (Rocky Mountain) at 2 seconds. Katerina Nash (Luna Womens MTB Team) in 3rd at 55 seconds, Lene Byberg (Specialized Factory Racing) 4th at 1:35, Georgia Gould (Luna Womens MTB Team) 5th at 1:39, Willow Koerber (Subaru-Gary Fisher) 6th at 1:50 and Mary McConneloug (Kenda Seven) 7th
Amanda Sin 15th at 2:40, Mical Dyck 17th at 2:55 and Sandra Walter 18th at 3:06.
Lap 2 Up the climb Pendrel has opened her gap to Premont another second and is looking very strong and comfortable as she climbs. Nash still 3rd, Byberg and Gould are together battling for 4th, Koerber is 6th
At the end of the lap, Pendrel's gap is now 52 seconds to Premont who is riding a very conservative race in these potentially dangerous conditions. Pendrel's using her west coast (wet coast) skills to the max, hoping for her 1st World Cup win. Nash is 3rd at 1:18, Byberg 4th at 2:30. Gould 5th, Willow Koerber 6th and Tereza Hurikova (Ceska Sporitelna MTB) has moved into 7th spot.
Sin 15th at 5:35, Dyck 16th at 6:32, McKirdy 17th at 6:57, Sims 21st at 7:47, Marie-Claude Surprenant 22nd and at Emily Batty 23rd both at 7:48

Lap 3 Up the climb - Pendrel, Premont at 50 seconds, Nash at 1:20, Byberg 2:50 and Gould 3 min

In the 2nd feed zone Pendrel's gap now over 2 min, but Premont has been having technical problems with her front derailleur - and has been riding in her big ring only. She stopped for a repair and is now back on track but has been caught by Nash. Byberg still 4th at 3:40 behind the leader.

At the end of the lap no change to the order of the top riders, although Premont has narrowed the gap on Premont a bit, now 1:40. Nash at 2:16, Byberg (4th) 3:10, Gould (5th) at 5:33, Koerber 6th at 5:40, Hurikova (6th) at 6:30.

Lap 4 At the top of the climb, the gap from Pendrel to Premont is 1:45 with Nash at another 25 seconds. Nash has has some mechanical problems of her own - had her brake pads changed on lap 3

Final

Unofficial
1 Catharine Pendrel (Can) Luna Womens MTB Team 1:37:48
2 Marie-Helene Premont (Can) Rocky Mountain, at 1:53
3 Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Womens MTB Team, 2:39
4 Lene Byberg (Nor) Specialized Factory Racing, 3:56
5 Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Womens MTB Team, 7:06





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