This weekend UCI MTB World Cup round No.2 takes place in the Principality of Andorra. The MS-Intense Factory-Racing team drove it’s bus and the pits all the way up on narrow roads to Vallnord Bikepark.
Saturday, May 31st, was the day of the 4X finals. With current World Cup champion Anneke Beerten and Mio Suemasa the team sent two hot contenders for a podium finish into the women’s competition. After a night of rain the already soft surface of the track got even more soggy showing some muddy spots.
While most girls struggled with the deep and slippery terrain Anneke and Mio finished all their runs without making any major mistakes. Throughout their heats they managed to get out of the gate ahead of their competitors thereby controlling the race from the top while staying out of trouble. This way Anneke as well as Mio made it to the women’s big final.
Here, after Anita Molcik took the lead on the first meters, Anneke and Mio both chose the better line, passing their Austrian contender in the first corner. Both girls never let go of the lead even though Mio had to survive some critical moments fighting Anita. But she always hung on to second place chasing Anneke who simply smoked the field, showing an impressive level of bike riding skills combined with physical strength.
Finally the girls of the MS-Intense Factory-Racing team crossed the finish line in first and second place. While Anneke took her second win in the second 4X World Cup race of the 2008 season, Mio’s second place represents her best ever result in this discipline along with a similar positioning in Maribor 2007.
Results women:
1.Anneke Beerten NED/ MS- INTENSE FACTORY- RACING
2.Mio Suemasa JPN/ MS- INTENSE FACTORY- RACING
3.Fionn Griffith GBR/ Norco World Team
4.Anita Molcik 4 Elements Yeti RSP
Results men:
1.Dan Atherton GBR/ Animal Commencal
2.Brian Lopes USA
3.Guido Tschugg GER/ Fusion
4.Pirman Rastislav SVK/ 4 Elements Yeti RSP
4X Team overall ranking:
1.MS- INTENSE FACTORY- RACING
2.4 Elements/ Yeti/ RSP
3.Animal Commencal
4.Norco World Team
The whole team, including our riders Matti Lehikoinen and J.D. Swanguen as well as team manager Lukas Haider and the mechanics Peter, Christian, Jerry and owner Markus Stoeckl congratulate our two phantastic ladies for their great performance. It is definitely meant to inspire our two guys for Sunday’s men’s downhill final.
Stay tuned for the video of the womens final run.
