Nino Schurter sealed the overall World Cup title this morning with his win at Val d'lsere. While several of the world's top mountain bikers were sitting out this final round to prepare for the Olympic Games in two weeks time, many were on hand to sharpen their legs one final time at the international level. The field saw a mix of priorities, with some looking for a great ride and confidence boost ahead of the games, while others have been putting in big training blocks and training through this weekend's event with the the next two weeks planned to taper for London. North American Olympians looked to be taking the later approach after a long summer season in America. USA's Adam Craig lead all yanks with a season best 26th (second best American finish at a European WC this season.)
MEN
| Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nino Schurter (Swi) Scott - Swisspower MTB Racing Team | 1:34:03 | |
| 2 | Lukas Flückiger (Swi) Trek World Racing | 0:00:13 | |
| 3 | Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita) Cannondale Factory Racing | 0:00:33 | |
| 4 | Manuel Fumic (Ger) Cannondale Factory Racing | 0:01:17 | |
| 5 | José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spa) Multivan Merida Biking Team | 0:01:22 | |
| 6 | Florian Vogel (Swi) Scott - Swisspower MTB Racing Team | 0:01:49 | |
| 7 | Burry Stander (RSA) Specialized Racing | 0:02:16 | |
| 8 | Ralph Naef (Swi) Multivan Merida Biking Team | 0:02:28 | |
| 9 | Stéphane Tempier (Fra) TX Active Bianchi | 0:02:54 | |
| 10 | Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spa) Wildwolf - Trek Pro Racing | 0:03:08 | |
| 11 | Fabian Giger (Swi) Rabobank Giant Offroad Team | 0:03:37 | |
| 12 | Maxime Marotte (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - Peisey Vallandry | 0:04:05 | |
| 13 | Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) Specialized Racing | 0:05:11 | |
| 14 | Christoph Sauser (Swi) Specialized Racing | 0:05:12 | |
| 15 | Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Spa) Wildwolf - Trek Pro Racing | 0:05:20 | |
| 16 | Marek Konwa* (Pol) Milka-Superior MTB Racing Team | 0:05:21 | |
| 17 | Jan Skarnitzl (Cze) Rubena Auto-Mencik Specialized | 0:05:23 | |
| 18 | Cédric Ravanel (Fra) GT Skoda Chamonix | 0:05:43 | |
| 19 | Kevin Van Hoovels (Bel) Versluys Team | 0:05:52 | |
| 20 | Jochen Kass (Ger) Multivan Merida Biking Team | 0:06:02 | |
| 21 | Martin Fanger (Swi) Giant Swiss SR - Suntour | 0:06:05 | |
| 22 | Emil Lindgren (Swe) Rabobank Giant Offroad Team | 0:06:22 | |
| 23 | Michal Lami (Svk) | 0:06:57 | |
| 24 | Martin Gujan (Swi) Cannondale Factory Racing | 0:06:58 | |
| 25 | Inaki Lejarreta Errasti (Spa) Orbea Racing Team | ||
| 26 | Adam Craig (USA) Rabobank Giant Offroad Team | 0:07:08 | |
| 27 | Thomas Litscher (Swi) Felt Oetztal X - Bionic Team | 0:07:15 | |
| 28 | Martin Loo (Est) Hard Rock Canossa Merida | 0:07:29 | |
| 29 | Periklis Ilias (Gre) Team Protek | 0:07:51 | |
| 30 | Marcel Wildhaber (Swi) Scott - Swisspower MTB Racing Team | ||
| 31 | Martino Fruet (Ita) | 0:07:52 | |
| 32 | Jiri Novak (Cze) | 0:07:53 | |
| 33 | Moritz Milatz (Ger) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team | 0:08:19 | |
| 34 | Milan Spesny (Cze) S&H Superior MTB Team | 0:08:23 | |
| 35 | Samuel Schultz (USA) Subaru - Trek | 0:08:24 | |
| 36 | Nicola Rohrbach (Swi) | 0:08:34 | |
| 37 | Andrea Tiberi (Ita) Torpado Surfing Shop | 0:08:35 | |
| 38 | Philip Buys (RSA) | ||
| 39 | Geoff Kabush (Can) Scott-3Roxracing | 0:08:53 | |
| 40 | Daniel Mcconnell (Aus) | 0:09:05 | |
| 41 | Andy Eyring (Ger) | 0:09:08 | |
| 42 | Fabien Canal (Fra) GT Skoda Chamonix | 0:09:34 | |
| 43 | Andras Parti (Hun) Euroone-Waberer's-Cube MTB Team | 0:09:51 | |
| 44 | Paolo Cesar Montoya Cantillo (CRc) | 0:10:13 | |
| 45 | Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Milka-Superior MTB Racing Team | 0:10:17 | |
| 46 | Alexis Chenevier (Fra) Scott Les Saisies | 0:10:23 | |
| 47 | Jürg Graf (Swi) Bskgraf Rollmat-Koba MTB Team | 0:10:32 | |
| 48 | Jiri Friedl (Cze) Rubena Auto-Mencik Specialized | 0:10:43 | |
| 49 | Catriel Andres Soto (Arg) Wildwolf - Trek Pro Racing | 0:11:19 | |
| 50 | Lukas Sablik (Cze) Rubena Auto-Mencik Specialized | 0:11:26 | |
| 51 | Sebastien Carabin (Bel) Versluys Team | 0:11:31 | |
| 52 | Kohei Yamamoto (Jpn) Specialized Racing | 0:11:40 | |
| 53 | Julien Taramarcaz (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team | 0:11:52 | |
| 54 | Piotr Brzozka (Pol) JBG - 2 Professional MTB Team | 0:12:01 | |
| 55 | Umberto Corti (Ita) Team CBE Tecnoimpianti A.S.D. | 0:12:07 | |
| 56 | Jérémy Huguenin (Swi) Giant Swiss SR - Suntour | 0:12:19 | |
| 57 | David Fletcher (GBr) Orange Monkey-Cannondale | 0:12:34 | |
| 58 | Jan Jobanek (Cze) Merida Biking Team | 0:13:14 | |
| 59 | Giancarlo Sax (Swi) Thoemus Racing Team | 0:14:22 | |
| -1lap | Hans Becking (Ned) Milka-Superior MTB Racing Team | ||
| -1lap | Ramon Sagues Portabella (Spa) | ||
| -1lap | Filip Eberl (Cze) | ||
| -1lap | Gareth Montgomerie (GBr) | ||
| -1lap | Pascal Meyer (Swi) Jb Felt Team | ||
| -1lap | Giuseppe Lamastra (Ita) | ||
| -1lap | Pierre-Geoffroy Plantet (Fra) Lapierre International | ||
| -1lap | Wolfram Kurschat (Ger) Topeak Ergon Racing Team | ||
| -1lap | Patrik Gallati (Swi) BMC Mountainbike Racing Team | ||
| -1lap | Florian Thie (Swi) | ||
| -1lap | Ruben Almeida (Por) | ||
| -1lap | Jonas Baumann (Swi) Wheeler - Ixs Team | ||
| -1lap | David Joao Serralheiro Rosa (Por) | ||
| -2laps | Daniel Eymann (Swi) Thoemus Racing Team | ||
| -2laps | Shlomi Haimy (Isr) Focus MIG Team | ||
| -2laps | Paul Van Der Ploeg (Aus) Felt Oetztal X - Bionic Team | ||
| -2laps | Rafal Hebisz (Pol) | ||
| -2laps | Marios Athanasiadis (Cyp) | ||
| -2laps | Michael Broderick (USA) | ||
| -2laps | Dave Henderson (GBr) | ||
| -2laps | Sepp Freiburghaus (Swi) Thoemus Racing Team | ||
| -2laps | Sang Hoon Na (Kor) | ||
| -3laps | Seiya Hirano (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor Cycling Team | ||
| -3laps | Tiago Jorge Oliveira Ferreira (Por) Bi&Esse - Infotre Protek | ||
| -3laps | Robby De Bock (Bel) | ||
| -4laps | John Whittington (GBr) | ||
| DNF | Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea Racing Team | ||
| DNF | Michele Casagrande (Ita) Elettroveneta - Corratec | ||
| DNF | Ruben Ruzafa Cueto (Spa) Orbea Racing Team | ||
| DNF | Ismael Ventura Sanchez (Spa) | ||
| DNF | Robert Wardell (GBr) | ||
| DNF | Matous Ulman (Cze) S&H Superior MTB Team | ||
| DNF | Kornel Osicki (Pol) JBG - 2 Professional MTB Team | ||
| DNF | Mathias Flückiger (Swi) Trek World Racing | ||
| DNS | Liam Killeen (GBr) Giant Factory Off-Road Team | ||
| DNS | Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Spa) Elettroveneta - Corratec | ||
| DNS | Peter Glassford (Can) | ||
| DNS | Thomas Christian Bonne (Den) |
The most dominant women the sport of mountain biking has ever seen is back on top! After nearly a decade of total domination that saw multiple World Championships, World Cup wins, and Olympic Gold Medals, Gun-Rita Dahle has struggled to find top form these past few years. While many thought age had simply caught up to the veteran (she finished 4th at the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, 16 years ago) she has been back to hear old form in 2012, winning her second World Cup of the season this morning in France. With two weeks until her fifth Olympics, the Norwegian looks primed for an unprecedented medal attempt.
Canada's Emily Batty showed she is back in the medal hunt after a below average summer of racing in North America. Batty started the year on fire with a second place ride at the World Cup opener in South Africa, and has since put all he attention on being peaked for August 11th in London. Canadian teammate and Gold Medal favorite, Catharine Pendrel, seems to have been training through this weekend's event.
USA's Georgia Gould continued her consistent string of world class results with another World Cup podium in France. With a London course that suits her well, Gould should be considered one of a handful that has a realistic chance at Olympic Gold.
WOMEN
| 1 | Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Nor) Multivan Merida Biking Team | 1:32:07 | |
| 2 | Julie Bresset (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - Peisey Vallandry | 0:00:46 | |
| 3 | Annie Last* (GBr) Milka Brentjens MTB Racing Team | 0:01:09 | |
| 4 | Emily Batty (Can) Subaru - Trek | 0:01:34 | |
| 5 | Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Pro Team | 0:02:26 | |
| 6 | Sabine Spitz (Ger) Sabine Spitz Haibike Team | 0:03:13 | |
| 7 | Elisabeth Osl (Aut) Ghost Factory Racing Team | 0:03:33 | |
| 8 | Esther Süss (Swi) Wheeler - Ixs Team | 0:04:05 | |
| 9 | Catharine Pendrel (Can) Luna Pro Team | 0:04:48 | |
| 10 | Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Pro Team | 0:05:06 | |
| 11 | Tereza Hurikova (Cze) Sabine Spitz Haibike Team | 0:05:22 | |
| 12 | Adelheid Morath (Ger) Felt Oetztal X - Bionic Team | 0:06:34 | |
| 13 | Lucie Chainel-Lefevre (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - Peisey Vallandry | 0:07:06 | |
| 14 | Marie-Helene Premont (Can) | 0:07:19 | |
| 15 | Anja Gradl (Ger) Team Bulls | 0:07:54 | |
| 16 | Aleksandra Dawidowicz (Pol) CCC Polkowice | 0:08:01 | |
| 17 | Vera Andreeva (Rus) Team Protek | 0:08:02 | |
| 18 | Sarah Koba (Swi) | 0:08:44 | |
| 19 | Silke Schmidt (Ger) Notebooksbilliger.De Team | 0:08:49 | |
| 20 | Marielle Saner-Guinchard (Swi) Bikepark.Ch Craft | 0:08:50 | |
| 21 | Karen Hanlen (NZl) | 0:09:17 | |
| 22 | Hanna Klein (Ger) | 0:09:47 | |
| 23 | Mary Mcconneloug (USA) | 0:10:07 | |
| 24 | Rosara Joseph (NZl) Rabobank Giant Offroad Team | 0:10:23 | |
| 25 | Sabrina Enaux (Fra) Specialized Solodet Vosges | 0:11:38 | |
| 26 | Laura Metzler (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - Peisey Vallandry | 0:12:23 | |
| 27 | Githa Michiels (Bel) Trek-KMC Trade Team | 0:12:43 | |
| 28 | Cécile Ravanel (Fra) GT Skoda Chamonix | 0:13:38 | |
| 29 | Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Felt Oetztal X - Bionic Team | 0:13:58 | |
| 30 | Nathalie Schneitter (Swi) Colnago Sudtirol | 0:14:09 | |
| 31 | Elisabeth Brandau (Ger) Notebooksbilliger.De Team | 0:14:34 | |
| 32 | Julie Krasniak (Fra) Focus Mig Team | 0:15:02 | |
| 33 | Elisabeth Sveum (Nor) Team Crampfix Nakamura | 0:16:39 | |
| 34 | Fanny Bourdon (Fra) GT Skoda Chamonix | 0:17:50 | |
| 35 | Anna Villar Argente (Spa) | 0:18:11 | |
| -1lap | Helene Marcouyre (Fra) BH - SR Suntour - Peisey Vallandry | ||
| -1lap | Lee Craigie (GBr) | ||
| -1lap | Annika Langvad (Den) Team Fujibikes Rockets | ||
| -1lap | Sabrina Maurer (Swi) Bskgraf Rollmat-Koba MTB Team | ||
| -1lap | Serrano Rodriguez (Ecu) | ||
| -1lap | Nicoletta De Jager (Ned) MPL Specialized MTB Team | ||
| -1lap | Franziska Brun (Swi) | ||
| -1lap | Mercedes Pacios Pujado (Spa) | ||
| -1lap | Anne Terpstra* (Ned) | ||
| -2laps | Lucie Vesela (Cze) GT Bicycles Opportunity | ||
| -2laps | Corina Gantenbein (Swi) Fischer - BMC | ||
| -2laps | Maxine Filby (GBr) | ||
| -2laps | Maaris Meier (Est) | ||
| -2laps | Kristien Nelen (Bel) Houffalize-Granville Team | ||
| -2laps | Asa Maria Erlandsson (Swe) | ||
| -3laps | Stephania Magri (Mlt) | ||
| -3laps | Nirjala Tamrakar (Nep) | ||
| DNF | Eva Lechner (Ita) | ||
| DNF | Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi) |
Categories: race report
