UCI World Cup #2, Offenburg GER, 26.04.2009

Good team result for CFR!

Cannondale Factory Racing made another big step towards the podium today at round 2 of the UCI MTB World Cup in Offenburg, Germany. The CFR guys finished with some strong results including a seventh, eight and twenty-eighth place. In addition, young and upcoming talent Peter Sagan found his way through the field of nearly 220 riders and arrived to the finish line with a hard-earned 55th place.

It was Roel Paulissen who kept up the pace in the leading group for the first three laps. Together with Martin Gujan, the Belgian champion pushed hard on the climbs. Eventually, Frenchman Julien Absalon took over and got away in lap four and was never seen again. Gujan struggled with some technical problems and after two stops in the tech zone, he was back in the race in 51st place.

Marco Aurelio Fontana had a very strong start. From far behind he caught up with the top riders after the first lap and found a way to catch the leading group in lap three. “I could not believe that I came that far up front in the first lap,” Fontana said with a big smile on his face. “My bike was perfect for this course. I could push hard. I loved it.” Fontana finished 8th behind his teammate Paulissen.

“In the last two laps I was suffering from some allergic problems with my lungs. But the race was good,” Paulissen said.

Gujan had to deal with his handicap of two stops at the tech zone. “My chain was twisted and I had to change it.” From out of the top fifty, Gujan finished with some strong and fast laps in 28th position.

The young rider Peter Sagan had a superb debut in the Elite World Cup. The Slovakian started on the last line of 220 starters and ended up in 55th place! In the Under 23 years category Sagan came in 9th.

In the overall standings Roel Paulissen is now on eighth place, Gujan is 17th. Fontana has only one result but is already on 26th place. For Peter Sagan it will be a tough race again next week in Houffalize. He made it to overall rank 70 which means he has to start again from far behind. In the Team ranking CFR could climb to fith place, only one point behind fourth place.