July 1, 2007 (St-Felicien, Que.) – It's a beautiful sunny Canada day, 21 degrees, in St-Felicien for the start of the Elite Women's Nissan UCI MTB World Cup XC #5. There are huge crowds on hand dispelling any skeptics about spectators attending this new World Cup MTB site north of Quebec City. Organizers have done a fabulous job and many fans are waving Canadian flags which are being handed out at the entrance.
There are 78 women lining up for the start of which 15 are Canadians with all eyes on the favourite to win, Quebec’s own Marie-Hélène Prémont (Can) Rocky Mountain-Haywood. The women will complete one start loop and then five (5) laps of the 6.4km course that is dry with some very technical sections.
Start Loop
As the end of the start loop it was Sabine Spitz (Ger) Ghost International Racing leading the charge into Lap 1 followed by Marie-Hélène Prémont (Can) Rocky Mountain-Haywood in 2nd, Irina Kalentyeva (Rus) Topeak in 3rd, Ying Liu (Chn) China in 4th and Jingjing Wang (Chn) China in 5th. The top 20 riders have a lead on the remaining bunch.
Lap 1
Prémont has taken over the lead during Lap 1 with Kalentyeva in second and Willow Koerber (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher in 3rd.
Lap 2
At the start of Lap 2 it's Prémont leading with Kalentyeva in 2nd, Koerber in 3rd, Spitz in 4th, Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Women's MTB Team in 5th, Liu in 6th. Ren Chengyuan (Chn) China who started in 2nd place is riding in 13th.
Canada's Catherine Pendrel (Norco) is in 15th, Kiara Bisaro (Can) Opus is in 19th, Sandra Walter (Can) XO Felt is in 27th, Wendy Simms (Can) Kona/Les Gets is in 31st, Mical Dyck (Can) Trek/Terrascape is in 32nd spot, and Emiliy Batty (Can) Team R.A.C.E. is in 41st.
At the halfway mark of Lap 2 it's Prémont, Kalentyeva and Koerber - in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd with a sizeable lead as the chasers are strung out behind.
Lap 3
Prémont is leading as the riders start Lap 3 with Kalentyeva in 2nd and Koerber in 3rd. Following at 21 seconds is Gould in 4th and Spitz in 5th. China's Liu is in 6th and Ren Chengyuan has moved up into 7th.
Canada's Pendrel has moved up into 10th, Bisaro's in 20th, Walter is holding in 27th followed by Dyck who has moved up into 28th as well as Simms who is now in 30th.
Part way through Lap 3 it looks like Koerber's had a mechanical - we hope to confirm this shortly.
At the halfway point of Lap 3 Kalentyeva has taken over the lead by 4 seconds over Prémont and the two are off on their own as Koerber has dropped off with a mechanical.
Lap 4
At the start of Lap 4 it's Russia's Kalentyeva leading by 3 seconds over Canada's Prémont with the USA's Gould in 3rd, Koerber (who's mechanical was remedied quickly) is in 4th, China's Ren Chengyuan is in 5th, Germany's Spitz is 6th and Canada's Pendrel, who is having a fabulous ride, has moved up into 7th, followed by China's Wang in 8th and UKaterina Nash (Cze) Luna Women's MTB Team in 9th.
Part way thru Lap 4 Kalentyeva is still leading Prémont and has increased her lead to 8 seconds. Canada's Pendrel is holding her own in 7th, and China's Ying Liu in the chase group has a flat.
Kalentyeva is powering ahead and now has a 30-second lead on Prémont on the penultimate lap.
Lap 5 Final
Starting the final lap it's Kalentyeva with 36 seconds over Canada's Prémont - following at 2:35 it's Spitz now in 3rd, Koerber in 4th, Gould in 5th and Nash in 6th.
Canada's Pendrel has unfortunately broken her chain - hopefully she can recover quickly. Pendrel lost a pedal as well and is proceeding on one pedal and by foot with her bike to the tech zone.
It's starting to spit rain now as Kalentyeva has increased her lead over Prémont in 2nd, Spitz is in 3rd, Koerber is 4th, Gould is 5th and now we understand Ren from China has taken over 6th.
It's raining heavily now as Kalentyeva wins...
Results
1. Irina Kalentyeva (Rus) Topeak 2:02:02
2. Marie-Hélène Prémont (Can) Rocky Mountain-Haywood 1:00
3. Sabine Spitz (Ger) Ghost International Racing 3:15
4. Willow Koerber (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 3:24
5. Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Women's MTB Team 3:33
6. Ren Chengyuan* (Chn) China 4:42
7. Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Women's MTB Team 5:49
8. Lene Byberg (Nor) Specialized 6:15
9. Mary McConneloug (USA) Kenda Seven 6:45
10. Cécile Rode Ravanel (Fra) Team Lapierre International 7 :19
11. Petra Henzi (Sui) Fischer-BMC 7:55
12. Ivonne Kraft (Ger) 8:09
13. Jingjing Wang (Chn) China 8:12
14. Laura Turpijn (Ned) 8:20
15. Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Pintatim Full-Dynamix 8:41
16. Nina Göhl (Ger) Multivan/Merida Biking 8:42
17. Tereza Hurikova* (Cze) Ceska Sporitelna Mtb 9:11
18. Laurence Leboucher (Fra) 9:15
19. Anna Enocsson (Swe) Ghost International Racing 9:21
20. Heather Irmiger (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 9:29
21. Sandra Walter (Can) XO Felt 10:01
22. Kiara Bisaro (Can) Opus 10:29
23. Magdalena Sadlecka (Pol) Halls Professional MTB Team 10:42
24. Nina Homovec* (Slo) 10:57
25. Anna Szafraniec (Pol) Halls Professional MTB Team 11:13
26. Mical Dyck (Can) Trek/Terrascape 11:35
27. Susan Haywood (USA) Trek-VW 12:32
28. Sabrina Enaux (Fra) Team Lapierre International 13 :34
29. Wendy Simms (Can) Kona/Les Gets 13:52
30. Catharine Pendrel (Can) Norco 14:15
31. Lea Davison (USA) Trek-VW 14:42
32. Laura Lorenza Morfin (Mex) 15:25
33. Bernardine Boog-Rauwerda (Ned) 15:48
34. Tanja Zakelj* (Slo) 15:59
35. Amanda Sin (Can) 3 Rox Racing/Scott 16:28
36. Helene Marcouyre (Fra) Bh-Sr. Suntour 17:06
37. Séverine Hansen (Fra) Bh-Sr. Suntour 17:09
38. Maroussia Rusca (Sui) 17:21
39. Jaqueline Mourao (Bra) 17:27
40. Dellys Starr (Aus) 18:14
41. Emiliy Batty* (Can) Team R.A.C.E. 18:49
42. Rie Katayama (Jpn) 19:03
43. Yolanda Speedy (Rsa) 19:31
44. Natalya Krompets* (Ukr) 20:10
45. Tory Thomas (Aus) 20:21
46. Liliya Zaytseva* (Ukr) 20:25
47. Jennifer Smith (Nzl) 20:43
48. Trish Sinclair (Can) Scott USA-Kenda 20:54
49. Sarah Koba (Sui) 21:39
50. Jean Ann McKirdy (Can) Rocky Mountain/Haywood 22:57
One Lap Down
51. Kathy Sherwin (USA)
52. Sandra Dolcerocca (Den)
53. Julie Sanders (Can) Marin Bikes
54. Kathleen Villeneuve (Can) Equipe du Quebec
55. Ksenia Chernykh (Rus)
56. Erika Gramiselli (Bra)
57. Catherine Vipond* (Can) Team Trek Store
58. Chloe Forsman* (USA) Luna Women's MTB Team
59. Amy-Jane Mundy (Rsa)
60. Caroline Villeneuve (Can)
61. Karine Travaillaud (Can) CVM Val-David
62. Sara Bresnick (USA)
63. Joanna Wall (Aus)
64. Marie Kunst (Den)
65. Zoe King (Aus)
66. Sabra Davison (USA)
Two Laps Down
67. Inbar Ronen (Isr)
68. Rosemary Barnes (Aus)
DSQ Ying Liu* (Chn) China
DNF Renata Bucher (Sui)
DNF Katrin Leumann (Sui)
DNF Tarja Owens (Irl)
*U23
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Photo: Frank Bodenmüller
Irina Kalentyeva (Rus) Topeak
Photo: Frank Bodenmüller
Photo: Frank Bodenmüller
Marie-Hélène Prémont (Can) Rocky Mountain-Haywood
Photo: Frank Bodenmüller
Photo: Frank Bodenmüller
Catherine Pendrel (Can) Norco
Photo: Frank Bodenmüller
Photo: Frank Bodenmüller
Kiara Bisaro (Can) Opus
Photo: Frank Bodenmüller
Photo: Frank Bodenmüller
Catherine Pendrel (Can) Norco was in 7th on the final lap before she broke her chain and lost a pedal as she tries to get the tech area.
Photo: Frank Bodenmüller
Photo: Nissan UCI MTB World Cup St-Felicien
Nissan UCI MTB World Cup XC #5 St-Felicien Course Map
Photo: Nissan UCI MTB World Cup St-Felicien
Photo: Nissan UCI MTB World Cup St-Felicien
Nissan UCI MTB World Cup XC #5 St-Felicien course profile
Photo: Nissan UCI MTB World Cup St-Felicien
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