Paulissen, Dahle rule Houffalize World Cup
- By VeloNews.com
- Published May. 30, 2004
Roel Paulissen (Siemens Mobile Cannondale) took an extremely popular victory in front of a partisan Belgian crowd in Houffalize, with the bonus of taking the overall lead in the World Cup from fellow countryman Filip Meirhaeghe (Specialized), who could only manage fourth on the day.
In the women’s race, it was all Gunn-Rita Dahle (Merida) once again, riding away from the field on the first lap. Alison Dunlap (Luna) took second, which gives a real boost to her Olympic hopes.
The traditional Houffalize course was trimmed considerably, from 12km to 8km. Both the men and the women did a shortened first lap with a long paved climb, followed by six laps for the men and four for the women. The circuit was extremely dry and fast, with numerous short, steep climbs and technical descents. Full suspension was the almost universal choice.
Dahle took off quickly, building a 15-second gap over world champion Sabine Spitz (Fusion) by the end of the first short lap. Spitz, who missed the first World Cup after suffering a fever, came into the race with high hopes, but it was not to be – she was out early in the next lap with a broken rear derailleur.
While Dahle cruised up front, a battle was raging between Annabella Stropparo, Dunlap, Alison Sydor (Rocky Mountain Business Objects), Paola Pezzo (Gatorade-Specialized) and Marga Fullana (Orbea).
Dunlap and Stropparo dropped the others on the second lap, and rode together until two laps to go, when Dunlap attacked.
“Annabella accelerated to drop the others, and I could stay with her comfortably, then I put the throttle down with two to go. It’s 130 (UCI) points, which helps a lot.” Dunlap is trying to pile up the points in hopes of gaining the lone women’s mountain-biking berth on America’s Olympic team.
Stropparo held on for third, while Barbara Blatter (Specialized) moved up to take fourth, ahead of Fullana. Sydor faded with leg cramps on the last lap and was passed by a surging Marie Helene Premont (Oryx), Kiara Bisaro (GearsRacing.com), and Petra Heinz to end up ninth.
Dahle has a perfect 500 points in the overall standings after two races, followed by Stropparo (300), and Dunlap (285).
In the men’s race, Paulissen followed Dahle’s lead, attacking early to forge a15-second lead over Miguel Martinez (Commencal-Oxbow) and his teammate Christoph Sauser. Meirhaeghe was next at 30 seconds, but already struggling with the pace.
Ryder Hesjedal (Subaru-Gary Fisher) started well, slotting into fifth after the first lap, but faded through the race to finish 48th.
Another rider missing from the front was Roland Green (Trek-VW). He dropped out on the first lap with a mechanical last week in Madrid, and thus started well back, in 71st place. He spent the entire race working his way forward, to finish 29th.
Sauser moved up to join Paulissen, and the pair did a two-up time trial for the rest of the race. Meirhaeghe and Martinez chased together all race, until the final lap, when Meirhaeghe dropped back and was passed by Julien Absalon (Bianchi Agos).
The race finished as expected, with Paulissen taking the strategic win to overtake Meirhaeghe in the World Cup standings.
“My plan was to go early and push hard; make the others chase. Christoph and I didn’t talk about it (the win), but we didn’t ride against each other. It is the most beautiful victory in a classic mountain bike race.”
Photo Gallery
Results
Results, World Cup No. 2, Houffalize, Belgium
Men
1. Roel Paulissen (B), Siemens Mobile Cannondale, 44.8km in 2:03:07
2. Christoph Sauser (Swi), Siemens Mobile Cannondale, at at 0:08
3. Julien Absalon (F), Bianchi Agos, at 3:55
4. Filip Meirhaeghe (B), Specialized Mountain Bike Team, at 4:17
5. Miguel Martinez (F), Commencal-Oxbow, at 4:22
6. Jean-Christophe Peraud (F), Lapierre International, at 5:11
7. Lado Fumic (G), Team-T-Mobile, at 5:54
8. Thomas Frischknecht (Swi), Swisspower, at 6:54
9. Liam Killeen (GB), Subaru-Gary Fisher, at 7:02
10. Christoph Soukup (A), at 7:15
11. Sid Taberlay (Aus), at 7:15
12. Cedric Ravanel (F), Team Orbea, at 7:16
13. Carsten Bresser (G), Ralph Denk Racing Team, at 7:36
14. Manuel Fumic (G), Team-T-Mobile, at 7:39
15. Peter Pouly (F), at 8:00
16. Ivan Alvarez (Sp), at 9:13
17. Sergiy Rysenko (Ukr), at 9:26
18. Jose Antonio Hermida (Sp), at 9:33
19. Jakob Fuglsang (Den), at 9:41
20. Josh Fleming (Aus), at 9:51
21. Erwin Bakker (Ned), at 10:15
22. Yader Zoli (I), at 10:31
23. Philip Tavell (Swe), at 10:47
24. Radim Korinek (Cze), at 10:47
25. Silvio Bundi (Swi), at 11:00
26. Florian Vogel (Swi), at 11:10
27. Bart Brentjens (Ned), Team-T-Mobile, at 11:17
28. Martin Kraler (A), at 11:28
29. Roland Green (Can), Trek-Volkswagen, at 11:35
30. Marek Galinski (Pol), at 11:38
31. Michael Weiss (A), at 11:54
32. Marco Bui (I), at 12:10
33. Jelmer Pietersma (Ned), at 12:10
34. Thys Al (Ned), at 12:13
35. Craig Gordon (Aus), at 12:17
36. Christof Bischof (Swi), at 12:33
37. Roman Rametsteiner (A), at 12:49
38. Jochen Kass (G), at 12:54
39. Nicolas Filippi (F), at 12:56
40. Mathieu Toulouse (Can), Gears Racing, at 13:00
41. Inaki Lejarreta Errasti (Sp), at 13:22
42. Mirko Pirazzoli (I), at 13:34
43. Martino Fruet (I), at 13:42
44. Wolfram Kurschat (G), at 13:44
45. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA), at 13:53
46. Bas Peters (Ned), at 13:55
47. Ricky Federau (Can), Gears Racing, at 14:02
48. Ryder Hesjedal (Can), Subaru-Gary Fisher, at 14:13
49. Pavel Boudny (Cze), at 14:21
50. Frederic Frech (F), at 14:25
51. Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze), at 14:28
52. Stefan Sahm (G), at 14:37
53. Igor Baretto (I), at 14:44
54. Andreas Kugler (Swi), at 14:54
55. Igor Bogdan (Ukr), at 15:13
56. Martin Gujan (Swi), at 15:29
57. Milan Spesny (Cze), at 15:46
58. Moritz Milatz (G), at 15:51
59. Seamus McGrath (Can), Haro-adidas, at 16:04
60. Andreas Dilger (G), at 16:11
61. Karl Platt (G), at 16:19
62. Chris Jongewaard (Aus), at 16:23
63. Geoff Kabush (Can), Maxxis, at 16:30
64. Klaus Vesterlund Nielsen (Den), at 16:36
65. Alban Lakata (A), at 16:45
66. Miha Solar (Slo), at 16:49
67. Sandro Spaeth (Swi), at 16:57
68. Reto Manetsch (Swi), at 17:22
69. Benjamin Rudiger (G), at 17:24
70. Jimmy Tielens (B), at 17:25
71. Ludovic Dubau (F), at 17:35
72. Gody Jacobs (B), at 17:59
73. Todd Wells (USA), at 18:35
74. Ivan Seledkov (Rus), at 18:56
75. Calle Friberg (Swe), at 19:41
76. Thomas Dietsch (F), at 24:23
77. Marten Tjallingii (Ned), at -1 lap
78. Marx Till (Swi), at -1 lap
79. Peter Riis Andersen (Den), at -1 lap
80. Yury Trofimov (Rus), at -1 lap
81. Thomas Roccaro (Swi), at -1 lap
82. Joris Boillat (Swi), at -1 lap
83. Thomas Nicke (G), at -1 lap
84. JirÌ Novak (Cze), at -1 lap
85. Filip Ebert (Cze), at -1 lap
86. Jurg Graf (Swi), at -1 lap
87. Jeremiah Bishop (USA), at -1 lap
88. Tim Heemskerk (Ned), at -1 lap
89. Karl-Emi Lindgren (Swe), at -1 lap
90. Tim Bohme (G), at -1 lap
91. Andrea Tiberi (I), at -1 lap
92. Klaus Nielsen (Den), at -1 lap
93. Adam Craig (USA), at -1 lap
94. Luke Stockwell (Aus), at -1 lap
95. Rob Reuvers (Ned), at -1 lap
96. Fabio Bernasconi (Swi), at -1 lap
97. Gerald Burgsteiner (A), at -2 laps
98. Nahuela Andrada (Arg), at -2 laps
99. Jordy Luisman (Ned), at -2 laps
100. Phil Dixon (GB), at -2 laps
101. Robert Vrecer (Slo), at -2 laps
102. Michael Broderick (USA), at -2 laps
103. Marc Hanisch (G), at -2 laps
104. Alessandro Fontana (I), at -2 laps
105. Thomas Stoll (Swi), at -2 laps
106. Vitaliy Tsurkan (Ukr), at -2 laps
107. Maxim Gogolev (Rus), at -2 laps
108. Thomas Zahnd (Swi), at -2 laps
109. Frank Schotman (Ned), at -2 laps
110. Rene Tann (G), at -2 laps
111. Micha De Vries (Ned), at -2 laps
112. Onno Houwer (Ned), at -2 laps
113. Fabian Brzezinski (G), at -2 laps
114. Joris Massaer (B), at -2 laps
115. Robert Mennen (G), at -2 laps
116. Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat), at -2 laps
117. Stefan Jonas (A), at -2 laps
118. Lukas Mueller (Swi), at -2 laps
119. Jose Manuel Garcia Rodriguez (Sp), at -2 laps
120. Patrick Gaudy (B), at -2 laps
121. Anze Bizjak (Slo), at -3 laps
122. Rudy Van Houts (Ned), at -3 laps
123. Rick Evers (Ned), at -3 laps
Women
1. Gunn-Rita Dahle (Nor), Multivan Merida Biking Team, 38.3km in 2:08:50
2. Alison Dunlap (USA), Luna, at 3:12
3. Annabella Stropparo (I), at 3:17
4. Barbara Blatter (Swi), Specialized, at 3:47
5. Marga Fullana (Sp), Team Orbea, at 4:13
6. Marie-Helene Premont (Can), ORYX, at 4:16
7. Kiara Bisaro (Can), Gears Racing, at 4:24
8. Petra Henzi (Swi), at 4:37
9. Alison Sydor (Can), Rocky Mountain Business Objects, at 4:50
10. Laurence Leboucher (F), at 5:35
11. Irina Kalentieva (Rus), Multivan Merida Biking Te, at 6:04
12. Mary McConneloug (USA), at 6:47
13. Maria Ostergren (Swe), at 6:55
14. Elsbeth Van Rooy-Vink (Ned), at 7:51
15. Susan Haywood (USA), Trek-Volkswagen, at 8:14
16. Shonny Vanlandingham (USA), at 8:24
17. Katrin Leumann (Swi), at 9:43
18. Barbel Jungmeier (A), at 10:29
19. Yanping Ma (Chn), at 11:07
20. Ivonne Kraft (G), at 11:12
21. Sarah Noble (Can), Rocky Mountain Business Objects, at 11:16
22. Lene Byberg (Nor), at 11:35
23. Janka Stevkova (Svk), at 11:46
24. Sabrina Enaux (F), at 12:15
25. Severine Hansen (F), at 12:17
26. Katrin Schwing (G), at 12:25
27. Melanie Mcquaid (Can), at 13:20
28. Lisa Mathison (Aus), at 13:28
29. Robyn Wong (Nzl), at 13:46
30. Catherine Delfosse (B), at 14:39
31. Daniela Louis (Swi), at 15:05
32. Saskia Elemans (Ned), at 15:06
33. Janet Puiggros Miranda (Sp), at 15:21
34. Xiaoning Gao (Chn), at 15:58
35. Evelyn Staffler (I), at 16:01
36. Birgit Jungst (G), at 16:32
37. Elisabeth Osl (A), at 16:57
38. Corine Dorland (Ned), at 17:07
39. Petra Schorkmayer (A), at 17:35
40. Elina Sophocleous (Cyp), at 18:05
41. Nadja Walker (Swi), at 18:09
42. Sonia Foote (Nzl), at 18:12
43. Regina Marunde (G), at 18:46
44. Mirjam Dieleman (Ned), at 19:28
45. Anna Enocsson (Swe), at 19:37
46. Cecile Rode (F), at 20:10
47. Mette Andersen (Den), at 20:17
48. Sarka Chmurova (Cze), at 21:14
49. Erica Osterlund (Swe), at 22:46
50. Barbara Oberdorfer (I), at -1 lap
51. Asa Erlandsson (Swe), at -1 lap
52. Claudia Marsilio (I), at -1 lap
53. Laura Turpijn (Ned), at -1 lap
54. Adelheid Morath (G), at -1 lap
55. Barbora Bohata (Cze), at -1 lap
56. Arielle Van Meurs (Ned), at -1 lap
57. Maaris Meier (Est), at -1 lap
58. Maryline Salvetat (F), at -1 lap
59. Almut Grieb (G), at -2 laps
60. Jenny Mccauley (Irl), at -2 laps
61. Tarja Owens (Irl), at -2 laps
62. Sarah Koba (Swi), at -2 laps
63. Stefania Zanasca (I), at -2 laps
64. Petra Hofs (Ned), at -2 laps
65. Francisca Campos (Chi), at -2 laps
66. Audrey Middendorp (Ned), at -2 laps
67. Tereza Jonsova (Cze), at -2 laps
68. Ingrid Van Der Vlist (Ned), at -2 laps
69. Githa Miechiels (B), at -2 laps
70. Ruth Mcgavigan (GBr), at -2 laps
71. Kristien Nelen (B), at -2 laps
72. Femke Terpstra (Ned), at -2 laps
73. Noelia Rodriguez (Arg), at -2 laps
74. Monika Heuveling (Ned), at -3 laps
75. Merel Koenen (Ned), at -3 laps
76. Nina Kunz (G), at -3 laps
FILED UNDER: Mountain / Race Report / Race Result