(google translate)Yesterday scene of the first stage of the World Cup with a lot of surprises and unpredictable flop. The winner is definitely one of the best athletes of the Oceanic Continent, pluri Australian national champion, but in the World Cup only once he had managed to get into the top 20 and it definitely was not a lot to give one of the favorites in Albstadt. We're talking about Daniel McConnel - Trek Factory Racing (vote 10), which to be honest even the last lap you could predict a victory as was the author of an amazing final race: in the 2nd lap was in 16th position at 1'22" and then from is a continuous reassemble establishing, in the last 3 laps, always the best lap time. Latest round is in 6th place at 29" from Mantecon and unable to return him on the last climb and easily beat him in the sprint. We are curious to see now in Nove Mesto.
In second place Mantecon Gutierrez Sergio - Wildwolf - Trek Pro Racing (vote 8½), excellent race but his vote (not very high) is due to the fact that in the sprint was made not anticipate calculating, perhaps, that after the last curve there would have been more space to pass. With a little more than he could keep malice behind McConnel and face the last curve before so winning his first Cup race. Rounding out the podium are the Olympic champion Kulhavy Jaroslav - Specialized Racing XC (vote 8½), author of a regular race without major upheavals. To have maintained the top positions even if the final climb is not able to keep McConnel, who managed to get back on Mantecon.
Good race for more and more convincing Maxime Marotte - BH Suntour (vote 8) and Lukas Fluckiger - BMC Racing Team (vote 8), respectively 4th and 5th. Race to remember for Martin Fanger - BMC Racing Team (vote 9), able to finish the test in 6th place with the number 41. We certainly found that technical trails with mud like. Another great performance comes from Max Plaxton - Cannondale Team Sho Air (vote 8), who was also able to enter the top10 (7th) with a high number (40).
Performance good but not great for Fabian Giger - Team Giant (vote 7), can make a big race starting the final round in 3rd place on the last lap but was fatal and a small crisis leads him into 8th place. Rounding out the top 10 are Thomas Litscher - Multivan Merida (vote 7), also excellent in XC Eliminator, and Stephane Tempier - BH Suntour (vote 7), author of a regular race but still finished in 10th place ... and get into the top 10 in the World Cup doesn't easy.
Flop to the Scott Swisspower Team that in lap1 was leading race with Florian Vogel (vote 5½) ahead Nino Schurter (vote 5), a tactic seen many times, but this time the two riders haven't a great day (in our opinion also a wrong choice of tires, it takes much more than a Dugast Fastbird in a race so slippery) and arrive as they left, that is set in 17th and 18th position. The surprise of the 1st lap was Mathias Fluckiger - Stoeckly Pro Team (vote 6), passed in front of the race but then slowly lost more and more positions, partly due to problems with the chain. At the end is placed in 24th position
Discussion for Julien Absalon - BMC Racing Team, which was dominating the test when halfway through the race, with over 2' of advantage, he was forced to retire with a mechanical problem. It looks like the breaking of the dropout but we hypothesize also seen a chassis break the silence and the absence of press releases in these 2 days. Miguel Martinez - FRM Factory Racing (vote 6) is placed in 41th position after starting with number 80, not really a negative performance as those in the areas they know what it means to start from the back to the group in a test of the World Cup. We expect him in the next few tests with numbers starting best.
Marco Aurelio Fontana - Cannondale Factory Racing (vote 5½), author of a very good first stint but then, due to a puncture, it loses the right groups and fails to reassemble. Closes in 16 th place. Recall that Manuel Fumic is not party to a broken collarbone suffered in training (total times of recovery are about 1/2 months). Really a shame because it could be one of the protagonists.
Result:
1. Mcconnell Daniel - Australia - Trek Factory Racing 1h42'36"
2. Mantecon Gutierrez Sergio - Spain - Wild Wolf Trek Pro Racing +2"
3. Kulhavy Jaroslav - Czech Republic - Specialized Racing Xc +13"
4. Marotte Maxime - France - Bh - Sr Suntour - Kmc +17"
5. Flückiger Lukas - Switzerland - Bmc Mountainbike Racing Team +31"
6. Fanger Martin - Switzerland - Bmc Mountainbike Racing Team +45"
7. Plaxton Max - Canada +1'06"
8. Giger Fabian - Switzerland - Giant Pro Xc Team +1'09"
9. Litscher Thomas - Switzerland - Multivan Merida Biking Team +1'11"
10. Tempier Stéphane - France - Bh - Sr Suntour - Kmc +1'24"