26min Highlight Show @ UCI MTB WORLD CUP 2011 - Novo Mesto - XCO

The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano returned to the Czech Republic for the first time in 14 years with round six in Nove Mesto na Morave for cross-country experts. In front of a home crowd of nearly 20,000 fans, Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized) won his fourth World Cup victory of the season, and wrapped up the overall title with one race remaining. Catharine Pendrel (Luna) took her second win of the season in the women's race, closing the gap to World Cup leader Julie Bresset (BH-Suntour-Peisey Vallandry) to 140 points.
The technical course clearly suited some riders more than others, as a number of top contenders finished well back. Bresset got off to her usual fast start, with Pendrel chasing alone, followed by Eva Lechner (Colnago Farbe Sudtirol). For the first couple of laps the status did not change, but then Bresset started to lose ground as she crashed multiple times, and Pendrel passed and dropped the French rider on the third lap.
"It was a very difficult, technical course, and I had much problems," admitted Bresset. "I crashed three times and then Catharine passed me and I could not stay with her, she was too strong."
Pendrel took a 32 second lead by the halfway point in the race, and extended it to nearly a minute by the finish. Behind the two leaders, Kalentieva had caught Lechner on the second lap after a slow start, and so did the new European champion, Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Multivan Merida), as the Italian barely manage to fend off British champion Annie Last for the fifth and final podium spot.
"It was a hard race," commented Pendrel, "and I had more than my share of mistakes out there. At the beginning Julie got a very strong start, and I made some mistakes. But I could see her in front of me, and I think maybe she went out a little too hard at the start. This is a great course, and I'm really happy to win here, and still keep the fight going for the [World Cup] title."
The Under-23 race saw an upset, with series leader Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Lapierre) having her consecutive winning streak halted at four, as she could only manage third place today. After taking an early lead, the French rider was caught and dropped on the second lap by Ukrainian champion Yana Belomoyna (Infotre-Bi & Esse-Lee Cougan), and then on the fifth lap by Barbara Benko (Focus-MIG). However, she still holds a commanding 75 point lead in the standings.
World Cup leader Jaroslav Kulhavy had stated before the sixth round that he considered winning this event more important than a victory at the world championships. He did not disappoint his fans, with a dominant performance that also locked up the World Cup title. Nino Schurter (Scott-Swisspower) secured second in the overall standings with his second place in Nove Mesto, while Julien Absalon (Orbea) took third.
Kulhavy took no chances, attacking on the start loop and opening a gap on Nino Schurter by the start of the first lap, and then extending it steadily through the rest of the seven laps. Schurter, fighting an infection and having just finished a training camp at altitude, dropped back after he realized he could not match Kulhavy's pace. Absalon, another favourite, had a slow start to the race.
"I wanted to get away early," explained Kulhavy, "so that I could avoid any traffic and ride at my own pace. It was almost a perfect race for me, with only some little mistakes. It was incredible."
While Schurter and Absalon were fading, world champion Jose Hermida (Multivan Merida) took up the chase. However, he was eventually picked up and dropped by Schurter and Absalon as they recovered and began moving back through the chasers.
Kulhavy rolled into the finishing stadium to the roar of over 5000 people in the stands, and lifted his bike over his head to stride across the finish line, with a wide grin cracking his normally serious demeanor. Behind, Schurter had finally managed to drop Absalon in the last kilometres to claim second by nine seconds over Absalon. Hermida hung on for fourth, and a last lap surge by Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Wild Wolf-Trek) gave the Spaniard the final podium spot.