May 4/08 6:40am EDT - Madrid World Cup - Men's XC UPDATES

Posted by Editoress on 5/4/08.

World Cup #3 - Madrid

Coverage brought to you with the assistance of Velirium

Men will do 7 laps today under hot dry conditions. MUCH smaller field than the 2 earlier races where start numbers where in the mid to high 200's

Lap 1 A long line of riders heads up the 1st climb. Martin Gujan (Athleticum-Mtb-Team) has the front spot. Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) got a very good start (12th position) and is currently on the wheel of Julien Absalon (Orbea).

Geoff is wearing his brand new CDN Champions kit - it only just arrived.

Late in the lap, a group of 8 has a small gap. Absalon is in the front group and Geoff Kabush is bridging up. There is a chase group at 15 seconds - Seamus McGrath (Fuji) and Adam Craig (Giant Mountain Bike Team) are in it. Christoph Sauser (Specialized Factory Racing) has had another bad start and missed the break. He and Ralph Näf (Multivan Merida Biking Team) are in a 3rd group at another 15 seconds.

Lap 2 Up the climb . José Hermida (Merida) at the front followed by a steady stream of riders. Kashi Leuchs, Absalon. Kabush sitting ~ 15th. McGrath 20th, Craig 22nd. Sauser and Näf are still well back (30's)

Lap 3 top 8 at start of lap:
José Hermida (Multivan Merida Biking Team)
Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Giant Italia Team)
Marco Aurelio Fontana
Julien Absalon (Orbea)
Nino Schurter * (Swisspower Mtb Team)
Kashi Leuchs (Cannondale-Vredestein)
Martin Gujan (Athleticum-Mtb-Team)

At 6k: Front group of 15 with all the top riders (EXCEPT Sauser), now with 15 sec gap on chasers. Chase group at 20 seconds has McGrath. Kabush off the back of this group ~ 15 sec. Derek Zandsta mid 50's. Plaxton high 50's, Toulouse mid 60's, Federau well back.

End of lap - Zoli, Gutierre, Gujan, Vogel, Fontana, Schurter, Hermida, Absalon, Leuchs, Jongeward in lead group. Wells 15th, McGrath 25th, JHK 39th.

Lap 4 As they near the 1/2 way point it is a group of 3 at the front with Hermida in the lead followed by Fontana and Gujan. Absalon has been dropped and is 10 seconds back and is just in front of Fuglsang and Vogel. Leuchs 11th, Peraud 13th. McGrath mid teens, Kabush and Craig about 28th

End of lap:

Hermida , Fontana and Gujan. Absalon and Vogel at 6 seconds. Fugsulang at 8 seconds

Lap 5 midway - Absalon has attacked and gone right past the leaders. Hermida now 2nd at 10 seconds. Fontana & Gujan together at 20 sec. McGrath 15th, Kabush 25th.

Late in the lap, Hermida is closing the gap on Absalon. Hermida REALLY wants to win here in Madrid...... chasers are at 25 seconds.

At the end of the lap Hermida and Absalon are together. Next rider is at 30 seconds - is Soukup just ahead of Gutierez, Fontana, Gujan and Ruzafa. Then a gap of another 25 seconds and a group: Flueckiger, Sauser, Kulhavy, Wells, McGrath, Stander, Jongewaard

End of lap: Absalon & Hermida. At 36 seconds: Soukop, Gutierez, Fontana. Gujan and Ruzafa at 38 seconds. Group at 1 min: Vogel, Peraud, Leuchs. Sauser at 1:20. Graf, Fluckiger, Wells at 1:21. McGrath 19th at 1:40

Lap 6 Midway through - Absalon and Hermida still together. Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez is 3rd at 1 min ahead of the chase group at 1:10. Wells 12th, Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski 13th, McGrath 16th, Kabush 21st.

As they near the end of the lap no change at lead. Gutierrez has closed the gap to 35 sec. Chase group at 1 min: Soukop, Fontana Peraud, Ruzafka and 2 others.

Last Lap Absalon at the front as they start the laps lap. Gutierrez gap is holding steady at 35 sec. At another 23 seconds are Soukup, Fontana, Ruzafa, Peraud and Gujan, then Leuchs at another 10 seconds.

Absalon has dropped Hermida and is coming to the finish alone.

Final

Unofficial

1. Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea, 2:12:30
2. José Hermida (Esp) Multivan Merida Biking Team, at 0:12
3. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Orbea, 0:52
4. Ruben Ruzafa Cueto (Esp) Orbea, 0:56
5. Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita), 1:02
6. Kashi Leuchs (NZl) Cannondale-Vredestein, 1:12
7. Christoph Soukup (Aut), 1:17
8. Martin Gujan (Sui) Athleticum-Mtb-Team, 1:31
9. Lukas Flückiger (Sui) Athleticum-Mtb-Team, 1:38
10. Jürg Graf (Sui) Swisspower Mtb Team, 1:40
11. Manuel Fumic (Ger) Fumic.Brothers.International, 1:51
12. Christoph Sauser (Sui) Specialized Factory Racing, 2:06
13. Burry Stander * (RSA) Gt Mongoose / Pacific Cycle, 2:26
14. Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze), 2:29
15. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher, 2:32
16. Cédric Ravanel (Fra) Team Lapierre International, 2:39
17. Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Esp) Cemelorca-Seguros10.Com, 2:45
18. Todd Wells (USA) Gt Mongoose / Pacific Cycle, 2:49
19. Oliver Beckingsale (GBr) Giant Mountain Bike Team, 2:57
20. Ralph Näf (Sui) Multivan Merida Biking Team, 3:15
21. Geoff Kabush (Can) Maxxis, 3:22
22. Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Dolphin-Trek Mountainbike Racing Team, 3:23
23. Inaki Lejarreta Errasti (Esp) Orbea, 3:34
24. Hannes Metzler (Aut) Giant Mountain Bike Team, 3:41
25. Thomas Frischknecht (Sui) Swisspower Mtb Team, 3:46
26. Yader Zoli (Ita) Giant Italia Team, 3:50
27. Seamus Mcgrath (Can) Fuji, 3:56
28. Tony Longo (Ita) Full-Dynamix-It, 4:22
29. Bart Brentjens (Ned) Dolphin-Trek Mountainbike Racing Team, 4:53
30. Stéphane Tempier * (Fra) Gewiss Bianchi, 4:53
31. Adam Craig (USA) Giant Mountain Bike Team, 4:56


Click HERE to return to Daily News.