First-time world cup winner Barbara Blatter (SUI,
Scott USA) joined veteran racer Christophe Dupouey (FRA, Team Giant) at
the top of the finisher’s podium today when the two pro racers won the women’s and
men’s event in St. Wendel, Germany. Ideal racing conditions brought out an estimated
25,000 spectators to this long-running event, as the cross-country tour hit the half-way
point of its season.

With four different winners in as many rounds of racing,
the 2000 Tissot-UCI Mountain Bike World Cup cross-country series is again shaping
up as an epic series, with plenty to motivate the teams and riders in this Olympic
year.

Racing conditions were warm and sunny after light
night-time showers, keeping the course challenging, yet fast. 83 women started their
five-lap race at 10:30 a.m., with Swiss rider Barbara Blatter (SUI, Scott USA) establishing
herself in the lead by the end of the first lap after an early crash by World Champion
Marga Fullana (ESP, Subaru-Specialized) sent her a minute off the pace.

Olympic Gold Medallist Paola Pezzo (ITA, Gary Fisher
Saab) was giving chase in 2nd position, while number-two ranked Alison Dunlap
(USA, Team GT) rode in 3rd – followed closely by Sandra Temporelli (FRA, Look/LaPoste)
and Caroline Alexander (GBR). Number-one ranked Mary Grigson (AUS,
Gary Fisher/Saab) was riding in 9th position at this point.

In laps two and three the leaders remained the same,
although Pezzo reduced Blatter’s lead from a minute in lap two to 24 seconds in lap
3. Dunlap and Fullana were riding together a minute back, while Alexander, Temporelli
and Chantal Daucourt (SUI, Trek Volkswagen) rode together at 1:30.

In the 4th lap Pezzo briefly passed Blatter, but soon
crashed on a slippery hill and resumed her chase in 2nd. Meanwhile Grigson, who had
been riding nearly two minutes back in 13th position, made an impressive move toward
the front of the race, gaining 3rd position – ahead of Dunlap and Fullana.

Dunlap was tied in points with Grigson for the overall
series lead, and subsequently attacked to overtake 2nd position ahead of Fullana,
while Grigson rode in 4th – Pezzo just behind her in the 5th and final podium position.

Quoted:

1st Place, Barbara Blatter:

"It’s my first win, and it feels great! Things
have been going well the past few weeks, and this was my day. In the last lap I had
a problem with my chain, but I kept up the speed to win. It was not my plan to attack
early in the race, it was just my pace. Pezzo passed me, but when I saw her crash,
I thought ‘she is strong and can come back.’ But she didn’t, and then I was surprised
to see Dunlap in second position toward the end."

2nd Place, Alison Dunlap:

"I didn’t feel spectacular today, so I’m pretty
happy. That was the hardest I’ve ridden. I worked really hard, and there were moments
in the race when I didn’t think I’d survive! My goal was to keep the leader’s jersey,
but then Mary was there. Then everything changed and you have to re-evaluate – I
knew she was a better descender. By the end I was seeing stars all the way to the
finish. I saw Blatter after the woods toward the finish – I needed one more climb.
It’s nice to have the jersey this week, but we’ll take each race as it comes. Once
we get past the World’s we’ll sit down and plan out the rest of the season."

3rd Place, Marga Fullana:

"I was feeling good in the first lap and was
riding in the lead group, but then I crashed hard just before the rock garden on
a very fast section. After that I lost two minutes, plus I lost my mental edge. I
got back within the leaders, but at the end I was dead. I worked hard today."

Ari Cheren

Gap

1

7

250

2

2

8

200

3

8

11

170

4

1

58

150

5

9

59

130

6

13

1:27.00

95

7

18

1:56.00

90

8

11

1:59.00

85

9

48

2:07.00

80

10

26

2:57.00

75

3

20

42

55

59

62

63

66

89

95

98