Canberra, Australia (September 5, 2009) – The United States made its first elite cross country appearance on the podium at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships since Alison Dunlap’s storied win in Vail in 2001. Willow Koerber (Asheville, N.C./Subaru-Gary Fisher) rode to a third-place finish against the world’s best in the elite women’s cross country contest on Saturday. The U.S. team also placed two additional riders inside the top 10 as Todd Wells (Durango, Colo./Specialized) finished eighth in the elite men’s contest and Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Gary Fisher) 10th for the women. Koerber’s bronze combined with silver and bronze medals by Jill Kintner (Seattle, Wash./Red Bull) and Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz./KHS) in the elite women’s 4X on Friday, brings the U.S. medal tally to three for the 2009 Mountain Bike World Championships.
“I felt amazing all day,” said Koerber. “I was racing to win and throughout the race I always believed I could win. The U.S. support out on the course today was awesome. I was inspired to race an inspired race.”
The elite women tackled five laps for a distance of 32-kilometers under beautiful, sunny skies in Canberra’s Stromlo Park on Saturday morning. Starting according to their current, overall UCI ranking Koerber, Mary McConneloug (Fairfax, Calif./ Kenda-Seven Cycles) and Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./Luna) lined up side-by-side in 11th, 12th and 13th while Irmiger started 21st, Katie Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo./Independent Fabrications) 44th and Judy Freeman (Boulder, Colo./Tough Girl-Scott) 49th. The U.S. women got off to a great start and after the first two laps Koerber and Compton found themselves in the top ten while Irmiger was battling back up after an untimely flat tire in the early going. Koerber was the only rider to survive out of that second group and with two laps to go was riding in second place behind race leader Lene Byberg (NOR). After suffering an early-race mechanical, the world’second-ranked rider Irina Kalentieva (RUS) was moving up from the mid 20’s to eventually catch and pass Byberg for the win. Koerber’s bronze was the first world championship medal of her career as was Byberg’s silver. Kalentieva’s world title however was her second in three years.
Placing five of six riders in the top 25, the U.S. women emerged on top of the nation ranking in the elite women’s XCO race, which is tallied according to the placing of each nation’s top three riders. Compton and Gould finished 14th and 15th respectively while McConneloug completed the race in 21st and Freeman moved up 10 spots from her start position to 39th.
“I was looking for a top five but after losing contact with the front group after the flat I just couldn’t make up that lost time,” said Irmiger following her top 10 finish.
With the bulk of the U.S. men starting in the 20’s and 30’s, none of the six got off to a good start and after half a lap, Wells, Adam Craig (Bend, Ore./Giant), Sam Schultz (Missoula, Mt./Subaru-Gary Fisher) and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Gary Fisher) were stuck on the long, twisting single track sections of the course in the mid 30’s. Then, on the second lap, Wells put in one of the fastest laps of the entire race and pushed quickly inside the top 20. He continued to jump from group to group throughout the remainder of the seven-lap, 45-kilometer race, moving all the way to eighth place before the finish. Craig also rode through the field but could only claw his way inside the top 20 for an 18th-place finish. Schultz finished the race in 29th, while reigning national champion Horgan-Kobelski landed in 34th. Carl Decker (Bend, Ore./Giant) and Michael Broderick (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven Cycles) rounded out the American finishers in 54th and 65th.
On the front of the elite men’s race, last year’s U23 World Champion Nino Schurter (SWI) outsprinted the legendary Julien Absalon (FRA) to take the elite men’s cross country world title.
The 2009 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships will conclude on Sunday with the junior and elite men’s and women’s downhill finals.
Click here for complete results from the 2009 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships.
UCI Mountain Bike World Championships
Canberra, AUS
Sept. 1-6, 2009
Elite Women’s Cross Country (32-kilometers)
1. Irina Kalentieva (RUS) 1:43:20
2. Lene Byberg (NOR) +0:13
3. Willow Koerber (Asheville, N.C.) +0:52
10. Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo.) +4:12
14. Katherine Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo.) +6:42
15. Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo.) +7:01
21. Mary McConneloug (Fairfax, Calif.) +8:31
39. Judy Freeman (Boulder, Colo.) +15:22
Elite Women’s Team Ranking
1. USA 123
2. Canada 106
3. Switzerland 105
Elite Men’s Cross Country (45-kilometers)
1.Nino Schurter (SWI) 2:04:39
2. Julien Absalon (FRA) +0:03
3. Florian Vogel (SWI) +0:58
8. Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.) +3:06
18. Adam Craig (Bend, Ore.) +5:03
29. Sam Schultz (Missoula, Mt.) +7:31
34. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo.) +9:01
54. Carl Decker (Bend, Ore.) +14:27
65. Michael Broderick (Chilmark, Mass.) -3 laps
Elite Men’s Cross Country Team Ranking
1. Switzerland 214
2. France 213
3. Spain 183
5. USA 173
Photo caption: Willow Koerber crosses the finish in third place, 52 seconds behind world champion Irina Kalentieva.
Photos courtesy of Rob Jones/www.canadiancyclist.com
About USA Cycling
Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX, and cyclo-cross. As a membership-based organization, USA Cycling consists of 64,000+ licensees including 1,500 coaches, 4,000 student-athletes, 2,200 officials, 1,800 clubs and teams, 350 professional cyclists, 200 certified mechanics, and 34 local associations. The national governing body sanctions 2,500 competitive and non-competitive events throughout the U.S. each year and is responsible for the identification, development, and support of American cyclists through various initiatives and programs. Additionally, USA Cycling conducts national championship events for all categories of amateur and professional cycling. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit www.usacycling.org.
