Kulhavy wins opening time trial
German Elisabeth Brandau suprises in women's race
At the Cyprus Sunshine Cup Afxentia stage race opener in Macheras Forest, Czech Jaroslav Kulhavy and German Elisabeth Brandau won the 7.4km time trial. Kulhavy finished the men's race ahead of Swede Emil Lindgren and Czech Jan Skarnitzl while Brandau beat Russian Ekaterina Anoshina and Slovakian Janka Stevkova in the women's contest.
Despite the race being called the Sunshine Cup, racers battled cold and rainy conditions in the Macheras Mountains. Eight degree (Celsius) temperatures and muddy conditions slowed racers.
"I felt very good today, and I'm really happy to start like this," said Kulhavy. "The course was difficult with the mud." Kulhavy added that he feels like he still has to correct his position on my new bike. "It's not perfect yet," he said.
Runner-up Lindgren said, "I felt much better than last week. I had good legs and a good feeling, but not good enough for the win. I made a couple mistakes, but I think everyone did so."
Skarnitzl was undeterred by the weather and the mud. "I always do some cyclo-cross races, so I'm used to such conditions. I think it was good. I had good legs and also good tires."
Favorites such as Roel Paulissen (Cannondale), Thomas Litscher (MiG) and Fabian Giger (Rabobank-Giant) did not race as well as expected. Litscher broke his derailleur, and Paulissen didn't have the winning form.
"I was without power. I couldn't perform. I couldn't feel anything in the legs," said Paulissen.
The winner Kulhavy, on the other hand, had no problems. The Czech was in his first race of the season and time trialed to his win with a 21.4-second margin ahead of Lindgren. Sunshine Cup leader Jan Skarnitzl (Dimp-Giant) was third at 32.4 seconds.
Russian Maxim Gogolev finished fourth ahead of Czech Jiri Friedl (Merida).
Brandau has fun on way to a win
Before the start, nobody would have bet on Elisabeth Brandau (Haibike) as the winner. The German had competed in the the cyclo-cross World Championships, then had a break of two weeks before resuming her training just one week ago.
However, having previously finished fifth at the marathon worlds, Brandau is no stranger to racing her mountain bike well. She won by 21.4 seconds over the Russian Anoshina (Primorsky District) and by 58.59 seconds over Janka Stevkova (CKEpic-Dohnany).
"Technically, it was no problem, except for a crash," said Brandau. "The legs were hurting but the lungs hurt more. I had a lot of fun being on a mountain bike again."
Title defender Alexandra Engen (Rothaus-Cube) was five seconds further back in fourth place, and Voroklini winner Annika Langvad (HMTBK) was fifth.
"At the beginning, I just wanted to go home, enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and watch a movie. But after the first downhill I started to have fun," said Engen. "Then I gave full gas."
On Saturday, racers will compete in a point to point event through the Macheras Mountains.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) Rubena Birell Specialized | 0:21:02.90 |
2 | Emil Lindgren (Swe) Rabobank-Giant Offroad Team | 0:00:21.42 |
3 | Jan Skarnitzl (Cze) DIMP Giant | 0:00:32.48 |
4 | Maxim Gogolev (Rus) Corratec Team | 0:01:07.24 |
5 | Jiri Friedl (Cze) 2010 Merida Biking Team | 0:01:19.81 |
6 | Christoph Soukup (Aut) 2010 Merida Biking Team | 0:01:19.89 |
7 | Moorlag Henk Jaap (Ned) Rabobank-Giant Offroad Team | 0:01:24.58 |
8 | Kohei Yamamoto (Jpn) V.C.Lapomme Marseille | 0:01:32.74 |
9 | Nicola Rohrbach (Swi) SRM Stevens | 0:01:33.65 |
10 | Williams Lee (GBr) Team Wiggle | 0:01:39.59 |
11 | Klaus Nielsen (Den) | 0:01:41.65 |
12 | Tim Bohme (Ger) Team Bulls | 0:01:42.98 |
13 | Periklis Ilias (Gre) Greek National | 0:01:43.52 |
14 | Timofey Ivanov (Rus) Primorskiy District | 0:01:44.55 |
15 | Alexey Medvedev (Rus) Dinamo Moscow | 0:01:48.10 |
16 | Fredrik Edin (Swe) | 0:01:48.86 |
17 | Jiri Hudeuek (Cze) DIMP Giant | 0:01:52.08 |
18 | Henrique Avancini (Bra) ISD Cycling Team | 0:01:53.77 |
19 | Ondrej Cink (Cze) 2010 Merida Biking Team | 0:01:53.86 |
20 | Platt Karl (Ger) Team Bulls | 0:01:56.32 |
21 | Anton Gogolev (Rus) Corratec Team | 0:02:00.32 |
22 | Dmitry Medvedev (Rus) Dinamo Moscow | 0:02:01.26 |
23 | Roel Paulissen (Bel) Belgian Cycling Team | 0:02:02.13 |
24 | Nicolas Vermeulen (Bel) Belgian Cycling Team | 0:02:05.06 |
25 | Shlomi Haimy (Isr) Infotre-Leecougan | 0:02:05.53 |
26 | Sahm Stefan (Ger) Bulls Team | 0:02:06.43 |
27 | Giger Fabian (Swi) Rabobank-Giant Offroad | 0:02:08.19 |
28 | Thomas Dietch (Fra) Team Bulls | 0:02:13.50 |
29 | BlomqvistALEXANDER (Swe) Alingsas Ck | 0:02:14.19 |
30 | Magnus Darvell (Swe) Team Kalas | 0:02:20.54 |
31 | Nicolas Jeantet (Ita) ISD Cycling Team | 0:02:22.90 |
32 | Frank Schotman (Ned) Stappenbelt-Specialized Mtb Team | 0:02:30.60 |
33 | Thomas Litcher (Swi) Mig | 0:02:31.48 |
34 | Ivan Rybarik (Cze) Merida Biking Team | 0:02:32.61 |
35 | Anders Ljungberg (Swe) Team Firebike-Droessiger | 0:02:40.50 |
36 | Bjorn Brems (Bel) Belgian Cycling Team | 0:02:54.83 |
37 | Ivan Smirnov (Rus) Primorskiy District | 0:03:00.13 |
38 | Pavel Pryadein (Rus) Dinamo Moscow | 0:03:00.79 |
39 | Engeniy Nikolaev (Rus) Primorskiy District | 0:03:03.00 |
40 | Pascal Hossay (Bel) Belgian Cycling Team | 0:03:05.95 |
41 | Ivan Seledkov (Rus) Dinamo Moscow | 0:03:06.20 |
42 | Looser Konny (Swi) Team Stöckli-Craft | 0:03:08.32 |
43 | Mattias Nilsson (Swe) Team Kalas | 0:03:08.84 |
44 | Matthias Wengelin (Swe) Team Firebike-Droessiger | 0:03:10.02 |
45 | Marios Athanasiades (Cyp) Omonoia | 0:03:17.44 |
46 | Benjamin Wittrup Justesen (Den) Team T-Bikes | 0:03:28.60 |
47 | Lars Bleckur (Swe) | 0:03:36.81 |
48 | Jonsson Olof (Swe) O2 Orbea | 0:03:37.36 |
49 | Ryan Sherlock (Irl) Cycleways | 0:03:37.70 |
50 | Alexey Leontyev (Rus) Dinamo Moscow | 0:03:40.88 |
51 | Artem Orlov (Rus) | 0:03:41.51 |
52 | Hutter Michael (Swi) Pink Gili Swiss Biking Team | 0:03:44.99 |
53 | Pierre Yves Facomprez (Fra) Team Look | 0:03:46.76 |
54 | Evgeniy Vitmanovsky (Rus) | 0:03:51.45 |
55 | Daum Philipp Maximilian (Ger) Haibike | 0:03:57.56 |
56 | Jensen Simon Tarp (Den) HMTBK | 0:04:07.21 |
57 | Dries Govaerts (Bel) Belgian Cycling Team | 0:04:12.67 |
58 | Skettos Kyriakos (Cyp) Omonoia | 0:04:19.53 |
59 | Henrik Andersen (Den) HMTBK | 0:04:20.24 |
60 | Georgios Pattes-Toumanis (Cyp) Greek National | 0:04:22.29 |
61 | Giorgos Fattas (Cyp) Limassol Club | 0:04:36.10 |
62 | Kasper Busk (Den) HMTBK | 0:04:37.25 |
63 | Michalis Kittis (Cyp) Pol | 0:04:38.60 |
64 | Vladislavs Neroznaks (Lat) Omonoia | 0:04:41.85 |
65 | Lasse Brun Pedersen (Den) HMTBK | 0:04:55.84 |
66 | Nicolas Tachopoulos (Gre) Greek National | 0:05:03.60 |
67 | Paul Beales (GBr) Orange Monkey Cycling Team | 0:05:06.42 |
68 | Anatoly Gavrilov (Rus) Dinamo Moscow | 0:05:06.98 |
69 | Skettos Timotheos (Cyp) Limassol Club | 0:05:10.25 |
70 | Casper Saltoft Kristiansen (Den) Team T-Bikes | 0:05:10.39 |
71 | Johnni Nielsen (Den) Team T-Bikes | 0:05:22.16 |
72 | Igor Bogdan (Ukr) | 0:05:29.00 |
73 | Huber Alexander (Ger) | 0:05:33.21 |
74 | Fagerli Ole-Christian (Nor) Raumerrytter | 0:06:17.90 |
75 | Andrews Christopher (GBr) Orange Monkey Cycling Team | 0:06:53.16 |
76 | Alaxander Chioupin (Cyp) Olympiada | 0:07:17.02 |
77 | Oleksandr Kachanov (Ukr) ISD Cycling Team | 0:10:04.68 |
78 | Jan Jobanek (Cze) 2010 Merida Biking Team | 0:10:05.25 |
79 | Loukas Theodorou (Cyp) Iraklitos | 0:12:26.88 |
DNS | Heiko Gutmann (Ger) Rothaus-Cube Mtb Team | Row 79 - Cell 2 |
DNS | Claus Crone (Den) Aarhus 1900 Mtb | Row 80 - Cell 2 |
DNS | Kiriakos Papanastasiou (Cyp) Dopi | Row 81 - Cell 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Elisabeth Brandau (Ger) German National Team | 0:26:55.02 |
2 | Ekaterina Anoshina (Rus) Primorskiy District | 0:00:21.85 |
3 | Janka Stevkova (Svk) Ck Epic | 0:00:58.59 |
4 | Alexandra Engen (Swe) Rothaus-Cube Mtb Team | 0:01:03.66 |
5 | Annika Langvad (Den) HMTBK | 0:01:19.00 |
6 | Clarke Suzanne (GBr) Great Britain | 0:01:20.16 |
7 | Maaike Polspoel (Bel) Belgian Cycling Team | 0:01:51.85 |
8 | Mosch Vanessa (Ger) | 0:02:12.06 |
9 | Julie Krasniak (Fra) Team Look | 0:02:20.86 |
10 | Melanie Spath (Ger) Cycleways | 0:02:45.05 |
11 | Githa Michiels (Bel) Belgian Cycling Team | 0:02:45.62 |
12 | Elena Gogoleva (Rus) | 0:02:47.56 |
13 | Ksenia Chernykh (Rus) Orient Giant Russia | 0:02:53.42 |
14 | Anne Terpstra (Ned) Stappenbelt Specialized Mtb Team | 0:03:13.66 |
15 | Nicoletta De Jager (Ned) Rijwielpaleis Mountainbike Team | 0:04:35.09 |
16 | Yana Klishina (Cyp) Dinamo Moscow | 0:04:39.98 |
17 | Zeldenrust Monique (Ned) Giant Benelux | 0:05:03.68 |
18 | Alla Boyko (Ukr) ISD Cycling Team | 0:05:43.99 |
19 | Idit Shub (Isr) City Cycling Club | 0:06:28.01 |
20 | Darya Zaytsena (Rus) Karofilm | 0:06:45.70 |
21 | Irina Malysheva (Rus) | 0:07:32.61 |
22 | Jelena Petrova (Lat) Omonoia | 0:13:11.31 |
DNS | Barbara Benko (Hun) Rothaus-Cube Mtb Team | Row 22 - Cell 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Jonas Pedersen (Den) HMTBK | 0:23:20.32 |
2 | Anton Stephanov (Rus) | 0:00:14.95 |
3 | Artem Alexandrov (Rus) Primorskiy District | 0:01:09.63 |
4 | Alexey Krylov (Rus) Primorskiy District | 0:01:24.35 |
5 | Sergey Lahanov (Rus) Dinamo Moscow | 0:01:30.03 |
6 | Nikita Chubukov (Rus) Karofilm | 0:02:23.33 |
7 | Ben Roff (GBr) | 0:04:35.22 |
8 | Egor Komin (Rus) Primorskiy District | 0:07:00.73 |
9 | Eirinaios Koutsiou (Cyp) Iraklitos | 0:07:34.31 |
10 | Egor Kropachev (Rus) Primorskiy District | 0:10:52.36 |
DNF | Ilya Bykov (Rus) | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
DQ | Ilya Dushakov (Rus) Dinamo Moscow | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
DNS | Andrey Shirobokov (Rus) Dinamo Moscow | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
DNS | Leontios Katsouris (Cyp) Pol | Row 13 - Cell 2 |
DNS | Mamas Kyriacou (Cyp) Dopi | Row 14 - Cell 2 |
DNS | Angelos Kyriacou (Cyp) Dopi | Row 15 - Cell 2 |
DNS | Alexey Solovyev (Rus) Dinamo Moscow | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Emmas Ferner (Swe) Borlange Ck | 0:31:24.01 |
2 | Josefine Grimbeck (Swe) Ck Wano | 0:00:01.70 |
3 | Andrea Christoforou (Cyp) Omonoia | 0:01:18.08 |
4 | Svetlana Poverina (Rus) Karofilm | 0:01:46.79 |
5 | Yulia Yakovleva (Rus) Primorskiy District | 0:02:21.76 |
6 | Valeriy Kuzmenko (Rus) Karofilm | 0:02:41.21 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Benoit Valentin (Fra) V.C.La Pomme Marseille | 0:25:16.65 |
2 | Morris Anthony (GBr) Evans Cycles Rt | 0:00:35.35 |
DNS | Marios Antoniou (Cyp) | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Mads Bodker (Den) T-Bike | 0:27:07.41 |
2 | Victor Korchagin (Rus) Giant - Russia | 0:00:24.04 |
3 | Soren Christensen (Den) HMTBK | 0:01:36.87 |
4 | Zierke Frederik (Ger) | 0:02:11.51 |
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
European Cyclocross Championships: Thibau Nys rockets to elite men's title
Belgian defeats Felipe Orts on the final lap with Eli Iserbyt finishing third -
European Cyclocross Championships: Fem van Empel wins women's elite title in thrilling battle with Ceylin Alvarado
Van Empel out-sprints her compatriot in a dramatic final lap as Brand takes third for a Dutch 1-2-3 -
European Cyclocross Championships: Jente Michels defends under-23 men's title
Filippo Agostinacchio in second and Aubin Sparfel third as Haverdings mechanical denies him podium spot -
Wout van Aert to make Cyclocross season debut after December Visma-Lease a Bike training camp
Belgian recovered from season-ending injury, exact date of racing return unconfirmed