Europe 2001

Résultats européens :

Europe champion of Cross-Country
Winner of Europe Cup

    Laurence Leboucher
    Europe Champion

LEBOUCHER WINS AGAIN

Everything in the top of the feminine hierarchy, Laurence Leboucher preserved his champion's title of Europe. In the absence of Margarita Fullana, patient, and of the Swiss Barbara Blatter, the prize-winner of the World cup last year, all the weight of the running was won nevertheless. Quickly isolated at the head of running together with the German Sabine Spitz and the Russian young person Irina Kalentieva ( 24 years), "Lolotte" appeared at the top of her art. " My two opponents had never anticipated me this year, she explains. But it was necessary to distrust it. Spitz because she ran to her. Kalentieva because she had ended 2nd behind Fullana one week earlier to Kaprun. And both together because they run all year long for the same team. With a too much inflated back wheel, I did not very feel at ease in the subwood, on the other hand I was more effective on the asphalted part. One moment Spitz asked me to pass. !

 There had front wind there. I preferred to wait for a portion where the wind was favorable. I placed a first acceleration in a little climb in tar. The Russian was a little tired  then I attacked frankly in the big asphalted rib. I left there, in the 2nd of 5 tours. Later, It was a little hard. It is there that the experience counts to digest the effort. When the distance reached the minute, I managed. I was informed well about the distances thanks to the staff of the team of France. " In the arrival, Leboucher pushed away Spitz in 2 ' 39 ", the biggest distance from the weekend between both first ones of a running.

    LAURENCE LEBOUCHER did not miss to keep her title, yesterday to Saint Wendel, in the Saar, where quarrelled in this fief of the cross-country the Championships of Europe of MOUNTAIN BIKE. Norman, unopposed at her height, glanced through the test. II is true that two of her main competitors, the Spaniard Fullana and the Italian Stropparo, had made the impasse on these Championships of Europe. II prevent only Laurence Leboucher appears there world shape, as shows of it its victory on the circuit of the World cup here is two weeks to Leysin, in Switzerland. Her last releases show, that she can claim to get back the world title at the middle of September, to Vail, in the Colorado. At the men, the Dutchman Bart Brentjens, the Olympic champion in Atlanta, is reappeared in the foreground. Nevertheless, Miguel Martinez, his successor to the Olympic prize list, accompanied him during the first two tours of this circuit rather rolling. Regrettably, Miguel Martinez was a victim of a fall in the third tour and, demobilized, did not then stop moving back to end on the twelfth place.

    Christophe Dupouey ends so first Frenchman ( 5 ), just in front of Ludovic Dubau. France obtained another European title with Julien Absalon, who confirms his dominion absolved in the category espoir where he is already assured by the victory in section of the world. Other three-coloured representative, Filippi, ended twentieth, in 29 ". At the juniors, Laws, Guérin was classified fourth, in 2 ' 10 " of the Finnish winner Jukka Wastaranta. At your juniors girls, Julie Pesenti is the fifth, in 3`48 " of the Pole Maïa Woszozow "

Finale of the Europe Cup

 

    If this year, the Europe Cup was not really as high as what we could wait, finale of Annecy, in spite of contrary time and a decreased plateau, took away all the same a deserved success.

    TEXTS AND PHOTOS: SAM PÉRIDY

     We waited certainly more of this for finale to Annecy Malheureusement, the big names of the European cross-country, that they are French, Swiss, Dutch, Spanish or even Belgian did not deign to move. Damage because the organization had set up a structure and a circuit deserving of the biggest tests. course in the top for the pilots, the terraces for the public, the person had been forgotten, the same the sun made us a small visit on Sundays. It does not matter, absentees are always wrong and it is not the prize-winners of this test that will contradict me. The circuit contained a buckle of nine kilometres divided into two parts which joined on the finishing line. Already ultra-technical in the dry with roots and many cliffs, this track was it even more when the rain began falling. The runnings open of Saturday gave quite a lot of hard nut to crack to the pilots who would have taken place well without this new difficulty it is not Mister "Cannondale Montaggioni" !

The running of the girls

    Running of the girls was not less great there but the suspense did not last for a long time. Indeed, Laurence Leboucher ( Team Leboucher) very motivated with its three victories in section by Europe could not make what to take away the big Slam by granting itself the pass of four. Laurence thus took things in hand from the beginning of the running not to be joined any more. In some cable's lengths, two Frenchwomen complete this podium with Sonia Clorus (Caen club 14), 2nd, and Sandra Montaron (ASPTT Dijon).

    To end

    For this first year, the Europe Cup was certainly the expected test, at least by the pilots. Left by all the elites of the cross-country, to involve exactly better in the world cup, it is difficult to see who is going to be interested in this kind of demonstration.. It is true that the door is opened to the young people and that it is the good decision, but that is going to cover and to sponsor this kind of event if the experimental tops are not there? There is not more than to hope that the calendar of the next season coincides with that of the big runnings, but I am hardly afraid that the problem is not so simple to resolve.

    Classement général

    Elite Men : Mirko Pirazzoli (Italia) ; Kashi Leuchs (New Zeland) ; Radim Korinek (Czech Republic) Espoir : Pavel Boudny (Czech Republic) ; Erwin Bakker (Holland) ; Jiri Vavra (Czech Republic)
    Women : Laurence Leboucher (France) ; Elena Giacomuzzi (Italia) ; Daniela Porta (Italia)

 VTT Maq