Week 27 (Sunday, July 06, 2008)
Media release from Multivan Merida Biking Team - for immediate release
Dahle-Flesjå reclaims the marathon World champion title
In Villabassa, Italy, Gunn-Rita Dahle-Flesjå reclaims the title as Marathon World champion. Leading from start to finish, she has won the race in a superior way ahead of Germany’s Sabine Spitz and Finland’s Pia Sundstedt, thus winning her eigth World championship title in total and the fourth on the marathon distance. «Today I actually did not expect to win», an obviously delighted Dahle-Flesjå commented at the finish. This marathon title proves that after a lengthy phase of illness she is on her way back to old strength and that she is exactly on schedule with her preparations for Beijing’s Olympic games. The Norwegian now is going to travel to Canada for the two upcoming World cup races and then will continue directly to Beijing.
As he had already become World champion in this category two years ago, Ralph Näf was also competing at the marathon World championships. But he lacked the necessary power to reclaim the rainbow jersey. «After all the problems of the first part of my season I simply missed some long practice rides in order to score a really big coup here», Näf indicated after finishing. Nevertheless this fifth-place finish is an outstanding result as the Swiss rider’s preparation for this race was characterized by turbulences: Despite his two World championship medals the Swiss Olympic federation decided not to call him up for Beijing’s Olympic games, giving the advantage to his competitors Christoph Sauser, Florian Vogel and Nino Schurter instead.
Results Mountainbike World Championships Marathon, Women:
1. Gunn-Rita Dahle (NOR) 4:09.56
2. Sabine Spitz (D) 4:11.40
3. Pia Sundstedt (FIN) 4:13.35
4. Esther Süss (SUI) 4:2149
5. Erika Dicht (SUI) 4:23.31
6. Elena Gaddoni (ITA) 4:26.30
7. Anna Ferrari (ITA) 4:28.31
8. Marielle Saner-Guinchard (SUI) 4:29.18
9. Antonia Wipfli (SUI) 4:31.38
10. Kathrin Schwing (D) 4:34.16
Results Mountainbike World Championships Marathon, Men:
1. Roel Paulissen (BEL) 4:46.56,3
2. Cristoph Sauser (SUI) 4:46.56,3
3. Urs Huber (SUI) 4:51.56,8
4. Leonardo Paez (COL) 4:55.14,1
5. Ralph Näf (SUI) 4:56.10,8
6. Lukas Buchli (SUI) 4:57.27,7
7. Thomas Frischknecht (SUI) 4:58.54,9
8. Johnny Cattaneo (SUI) 5:00.33,8
9. Fredrik Kessiakoff (SWE) 5:01.04,9
10. Sandro Späth (SUI) 5:02.16,2
DNF Moritz Milatz (GER)
World champion titles Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå
2002: CC
2004: CC, MX
2005: CC, MX
2006: CC, MX
2008: MX
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