Schurter upsets Absalon for world XC title

American Willow Koerber rides through crash-filled women’s event to take third behind winner Kalentieva.

• Photos
• Results

By AFP

Editor’s note: For detailed reports on the cross-country events, including exclusive interviews with the Americans and other racers, check out singletrack.com.

Swiss Nino Schurter upstaged four-time world and reigning Olympic champion Julien Absalon of France to win the world cross-country championship. American Willow Koerber finished third in the women’s event, behind Russian winner Irina Kalentieva and Lene Byberg of Norway.

Schurter, 23, prevailed by just three seconds over the Frenchman in the most exciting cross-country event of the week. Schurter claimed gold last year in the under-23 event, but said he didn’t think he could beat Absalon.

“I’ve had such a bad season but now with this race it’s a dream come true,” Schurter said. “It’s an amazing feeling, the perfect race, perfect course for me. It was very technical and that suits me. The whole race I was thinking just to try to stay on his back wheel and race for silver, never thinking I could take the win but at the last feed zone I attacked and got away.”

The men raced 45km inside the Stromlo Forest Park in Australia.

Fellow Swiss Florian Vogel captured the bronze in a photo finish from Spain’s Jose Antonio Hermida Ramos, 58 seconds behind Schurter.

Absalon, who has won four World Cup events this year, said he was outnumbered. He led most of the race against the Swiss pair, trying to put them on the defensive. But even though he expected Schurter to try and break away, he couldn’t respond.

“I was not in a good position,” Absalon said. “I led and I did most of the race in front. This track is fast and it was not possible to get away with the wind, it was hard and the Swiss riders proved that they are the strongest nation together. I was expecting the attack in the feed zone (from Schurter) but not as strong.”

Todd Wells finished 8th as the best-placed American.

Kalentieva battles back to take the women’s race
Russian Kalentieva overcame a disastrous start in the 32km women’s cross-country event to claim her nation’s first gold medal of the world championships.

Kalentieva, 31, was forced to stop on the first lap after a technical problem that dropped her back to 21st place. But she battled her way back to take the win, 13 seconds ahead of Norway’s Byberg.

“It was unbelievable, I was in first place and then on the downhill section my chain broke and I had to spend over a minute fixing it,” Kalentieva said. “I think it gave me more concentration and gave me more strength because it is not something that should happen at the world championships.”

American Koerber claimed the bronze, a further 39 seconds behind.

Koerber spent the majority of the race at the front of the pack and said that a hectic start had played into her hands.

“At the start I was just wondering what was going on, no one could ride because everyone was crashing,” Koerber said. “It obviously worked for me though because I finished well and got a medal.”

Koerber’s Subaru-Gary Fisher teammate Heather Irmiger finished 10th.

Photo Gallery

Results

Men’s results | Click for: ( Women’s results )

• 1. Nino Schurter Switzerland in 2:04:39
• 2. Julien Absalon France at 00:03
• 3. Florian Vogel Switzerland at 00:58
• 4. Jos? Antonio Hermida Ramos Spain at 00:58
• 5. Geoff Kabush Canada at 02:04
• 6. C?dric Ravanel France at 02:35
• 7. Jean-christophe Peraud France at 02:59
• 8. Todd Wells United States Of America at 03:06
• 9. Jaroslav Kulhavy Czech Republic at 03:22
• 10. Christoph Sauser Switzerland at 03:45
• 11. Aurelio Fontana Marco Italy at 03:56
• 12. St?phane Tempier France at 04:09
• 13. Martin Gujan Switzerland at 04:24
• 14. Sven Nys Belgium at 04:30
• 15. Chris Jongewaard Australia at 04:35
• 16. Roel Paulissen Belgium at 04:44
• 17. Emil Lindgren Sweden at 04:51
• 18. Adam Craig United States Of America at 05:03
• 19. Filip Meirhaeghe Belgium at 05:16
• 20. Inaki Lejarreta Errasti Spain at 05:22
• 21. Ruben Ruzafa Cueto Spain at 05:23
• 22. Max Plaxton Canada at 06:07
• 23. Moritz Milatz Germany at 06:36
• 24. Carlos Coloma Nicolas Spain at 06:45
• 25. Milan Spesny Czech Republic at 06:53
• 26. Jelmer Pietersma Netherlands at 06:58
• 27. Tony Longo Italy at 07:08
• 28. Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez Spain at 07:28
• 29. Samuel Schultz United States Of America at 07:31
• 30. Rudi Van Houts Netherlands at 07:32
• 31. Rubens Valeriano Brazil at 07:48
• 32. Daniel Mcconnell Australia at 08:19
• 33. Karl Markt Austria at 08:30
• 34. Jeremy Horgan-kobelski United States Of America at 09:01
• 35. Ben Henderson Australia at 09:16
• 36. Jan Skarnitzl Czech Republic at 10:31
• 37. Derek Zandstra Canada at 10:46
• 38. Manuel Fumic Germany at 11:00
• 39. Sid Taberlay Australia at 11:01
• 40. Michal Lami Slovakia at 11:07
• 41. Liam Killeen Great Britain at 11:16
• 42. Seamus Mcgrath Canada at 11:37
• 43. Lukas Fl?ckiger Switzerland at 11:48
• 44. Maxim Gogolev Russian Federation at 11:52
• 45. Anton Gogolev Russian Federation at 12:07
• 46. Kohei Yamamoto Japan at 12:14
• 47. Jianhua Ji People?s Republic Of China at 12:36
• 48. Bjorn Brems Belgium at 12:41
• 49. Hannes Metzler Austria at 13:09
• 50. Pavel Boudny Czech Republic at 13:18
• 51. Marc Bassingthwaighte Namibia at 13:29
• 52. Colombia at 13:50
• 53. De Souza Cruz Edivando Brazil at 13:52
• 54. Carl Decker United States Of America at 14:27
• 55. Dylan Cooper Australia at 14:53
• 56. Periklis Ilias Greece at 16:46
• 57. Stuart Houltham New-Zealand at 16:51
• 58. Ivan Seledkov Russian Federation at 17:09
• 59. Cristobal Silva Ibaceta Chile at -1LAP
• 60. Ricardo Pscheidt Brazil at -1LAP
• 61. Andrew Blair Australia at -2LAP
• 62. Keiichi Tsujiura Japan at -2LAP
• 63. Shufeng Zhang People?s Republic Of China at -2LAP
• 64. Kirill Kazantsev Kazakhstan at -3LAP
• 65. Michael Broderick United States Of America at -3LAP
• 66. Alban Lakata Austria at -5LAP
• 67. Ken Onodera Japan at -5LAP
• 68. Marios Athanasiadis Cyprus at -6LAP

Women’s results | ( Men’s results )

• 1. Irina Kalentieva Russian Federation in 1:43:20
• 2. Lene Byberg Norway at 00:13
• 3. Willow Koerber United States Of America at 00:52
• 4. Sabine Spitz Germany at 01:30
• 5. Anna Szafraniec Poland at 01:37
• 6. Catharine Pendrel Canada at 02:36
• 7. C?cile Rode Ravanel France at 03:07
• 8. Esther S?ss Switzerland at 03:40
• 9. Eva Lechner Italy at 03:58
• 10. Heather Irmiger United States Of America at 04:12
• 11. Blaza Klemencic Slovenia at 05:03
• 12. Marie-helene Premont Canada at 05:15
• 13. Magdalena Sadlecka Poland at 05:50
• 14. Katherine Compton United States Of America at 06:32
• 15. Georgia Gould United States Of America at 07:01
• 16. Margarita Fullana Riera Spain at 07:03
• 17. Petra Henzi Switzerland at 07:28
• 18. Anja Gradl Germany at 07:41
• 19. Laura Metzler France at 07:46
• 20. Katrin Leumann Switzerland at 07:55
• 21. Mary Mcconneloug United States Of America at 08:31
• 22. Laura Turpijn Netherlands at 09:43
• 23. Annika Langvad Denmark at 10:11
• 24. Kate Potter Australia at 10:13
• 25. Rie Katayama Japan at 10:16
• 26. Amanda Sin Canada at 10:24
• 27. Rowena Fry Australia at 10:42
• 28. Oksana Rybakova Russian Federation at 10:42
• 29. Githa Michiels Belgium at 10:49
• 30. Adelheid Morath Germany at 10:52
• 31. Janka Stevkova Slovakia at 12:15
• 32. Joanna Harrington Australia at 13:00
• 33. Pavla Havlikova Czech Republic at 13:08
• 34. Katherine O’shea Australia at 13:12
• 35. Nicola Leary New-Zealand at 13:34
• 36. Monique Zeldenrust Netherlands at 13:45
• 37. Mexico at 14:22
• 38. Wei Fang People?s Republic Of China at 14:59
• 39. Judy Freeman United States Of America at 15:22
• 40. Jodie Willett Australia at 15:23
• 41. Joanna Wall Australia at 16:08
• 42. Elena Gogoleva Russian Federation at 17:52
• 43. Suzanne Clarke Great Britain at 18:10
• 44. Zoe King Australia at 19:08
• 45. Jeanette Gerrie New-Zealand at -2LAP

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