Lechner Victorious Down Under in Cairns

The women’s five lap race started out as expected, with a battle between World Cup leader Jolanda Neff (Liv Pro XC) and Eva Lechner, who quickly opened a gap on the rest of the field. However, Neff began to struggle on the climbs in the second lap, allowing the Italian champion to open a 26 second gap by the start of the third lap. Lechner never looked back, as she soloed in for the third World Cup victory of her career.

Absalan Victorious Down Under in Cairns

Absalon was the prohibitive favourite for the men’s race, especially given the absence of his usual rival, Nino Schurter (Scott-Odlo), who is taking a respite from mountain biking to race on the road. The chaotic start saw two crashes in the start loop of the six lap race, but the top riders all managed to avoid getting tangled up. Thomas Litscher (Multivan Merida) jumped into the lead in the confusion and rode to an 11 second gap at the end of the first lap, ahead of Marco Fontana (Cannondale Factory) and Sergio Mantecon (Trek Factory Racing), with Absalon and Mathias Fluckiger (Stockli Racing) at 19 seconds.

Categories: Mountain Bike Racing

Tags: mountain bike, World Cup