Lindgren and Klemencic take the yellow jerseys
Time trial opens Afxentia stage race
Emil Lindgren (Giant) and Blaza Klemencic won the opening stage, an individual time trial, at the second round of the Cyprus Sunshine Cup, the Afxentia stage race.
Sweden's Lindgren put eight seconds between him and Olympic Gold medalist Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized Racing) and 11 seconds on his Giant teammate Henk-Jaap Moorlag.
Slovenian Klemencic (Calcit Bikes) won by three seconds over road Olympic champion Marianne Vos (Rabobank / Liv Giant) and 15 over Adelheid Morath (Sabine Spitz-Haibike).
Men
Under warm and dry conditions in the Macheras Mountains, the men's favorites put in the best times.
Emil Lindgren is well known as an explosive rider and so it was not a big surprise, that he was able to beat Jaroslav Kulhavy on the 5.6km course and take the yellow jersey for the Afxentia lead. Lindgren seemed to be feeling better after being sick and taking antibiotics in the lead up to the race.
"I have some tough weeks behind, because I got an infection from my kid," said Lindgren. "This is the last day I was taking antibiotics. It's nice to have a win and that the whole team did really well. Oscar Saiz, our technical coach, told me to suffer on the last climb, because it's close."
Kulhavy said, "I had some difficult training the last days, hard and long. So, I was a bit tired. But I think the time trial is not so important. Tomorrow and Sunday, I think, I will be a bit fresher than today."
Third place finisher Moorlag said, "I am very, very happy about my result. I felt during training, that I am much better than last year. After a hard training in the winter, I have lost five kilograms. That affects a lot. It's also good for the whole team to start with such a result."
Women
To see Blaza Klemencic on the top was expected, after her win in Cyprus Sunshine Cup opener at Voroklini. But nobody knew how road world champion Marianne Vos could do on her mountain bike. On Friday, she proved that she is among the best.
"Last year I had a very bad feeling all three days, but today my legs were very good," said Klemencic. "The whole winter, I could train very well, without any health problems. I am really happy for today."
Vos said, "I am happy with this first experience, it's quite good. It's a tough thing, especially when you do time trial. It's so hard to keep concentration, when you get tired at the end."
Another surprise was Adelheid Morath in third position. The German was surprised about her result.
"Actually I am still not having that race feeling," said Morath. "I feel not perfectly comfortable on my new bike yet, and I had less training on the road bike as well, because the winter was hard at home. Today I had fun, but I am totally surprised by this result."
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Emil Lindgren (Swe) Giant Pro XC Team | 0:15:46 |
2 | Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze) Specialized Factory Team | 0:00:08 |
3 | Henk Jaap Moorlag (Ned) Giant Pro XC Team | 0:00:11 |
4 | Fabian Giger (Swi) Giant Pro XC Team | 0:00:12 |
5 | Rohrbach Nicola (Swi) Goldwurst-Power/Stockli | 0:00:21 |
6 | Matthias Wengelin (Swe) Ck Naten Sater/Specialized Conceptstore | 0:00:24 |
7 | Jan Skarnitzl (Cze) Sram Rubena Trek | 0:00:27 |
8 | Kevin Van Hoovels (Bel) Versluys Pro MTB Team | 0:00:48 |
9 | David Fletcher (GBr) Orange Monkey Pro Team | 0:00:54 |
10 | Periklis Ilias (Gre) Team Full-Dynamix | 0:00:57 |
11 | Anton Sintsov (Rus) Titici Lgl Pro Team | 0:00:58 |
12 | Martin Gluth (Ger) German National Team | 0:00:59 |
13 | Pascal Meyer (Swi) Jb Felt Team | 0:01:00 |
14 | Sergeii Rysenko (Ukr) Ukraine National Team/Cc Roma Team | 0:01:02 |
15 | Axel Lindh (Swe) Harnosands Ck | 0:01:07 |
16 | Erik Groen (Ned) Feenstra Felt | 0:01:11 |
17 | Robby De Bock (Bel) Feenstra Felt | 0:01:16 |
18 | Simon Scheiber (Aut) Otztal Scott Racing Team | 0:01:17 |
19 | Sebastien Carabin (Bel) Merida Wallonie MTB Team | 0:01:21 |
20 | Gogolev Maxim (Rus) Cc Roma Team / Samara-Shvsm | 0:01:22 |
21 | Christopher Platt (Ger) German National Team | 0:01:29 |
22 | Gregor Raggl (Aut) Otztal Scott Racing Team | 0:01:44 |
23 | Ryo Saito (Jpn) Miyata-Merida Bikin Team | 0:01:48 |
24 | Marios Athanasiadis (Cyp) Omonoia | 0:01:51 |
25 | Thijs Zuurbier (Ned) Feenstra Felt | 0:01:52 |
26 | Lee Williams (GBr) Gateway Race Team | 0:01:53 |
27 | Robert De Nijs (Ned) Feenstra Felt | 0:01:57 |
28 | Daniel Federspiel (Aut) Otztal Scott Racing Team | 0:01:59 |
29 | Louis Wolf (Ger) German National Team | 0:01:59 |
30 | Mark Kuyan (Rus) Team Primorsky District (Saint Petersburg) | 0:02:00 |
31 | Boredskii Ruslan (Rus) Team Primorsky District (Saint Petersburg) | 0:02:01 |
32 | Marcus Nicolai (Ger) Bdr | 0:02:04 |
33 | Artem Shevtsov (Ukr) Ukraine National Team/Cc Roma Team | 0:02:04 |
34 | Ken Onodera (Jpn) Team Specialized | 0:02:04 |
35 | Gogolev Anton (Rus) Impuls | 0:02:04 |
36 | Christopher Maletz (Ger) Team Fujibikes Rockets | 0:02:04 |
37 | Brice Scholtes (Bel) Merida Wallonie MTB Team | 0:02:05 |
38 | Bengareth Roff (GBr) Orange Monkey Pro Team | 0:02:12 |
39 | Ulisse Fieschi (Swi) Jb Felt Team | 0:02:19 |
40 | Batsutsa Mykhaylo (Ukr) Ukraine National Team/Cc Roma Team | 0:02:26 |
41 | Maximilian Holz (Ger) MTB- Club Munchen | 0:02:29 |
42 | Urban Ferencak (Slo) Calcit Bike | 0:02:30 |
43 | Pieter Geluykens (Bel) Merida Wallonie MTB Team | 0:02:31 |
44 | Omer Schubi (Isr) Teamisgav-Giant | 0:02:37 |
45 | Pascal Schmutz (Swi) Goldwurst-Power/Stockli | 0:02:41 |
46 | Nicolas Daniels (Bel) Merida Wallonie MTB Team | 0:02:49 |
47 | Giorgos Fattas (Cyp) Char. Pettemerides | 0:02:50 |
48 | Andrey Myshakov (Rus) Team Primorsky District (Saint Petersburg) | 0:02:50 |
49 | Marco Schatzing (Ger) Team Fujibikes Rockets | 0:02:55 |
50 | Vitus Wagenbauer (Ger) Team Geiger Medius Bike Base | 0:02:57 |
51 | Paul Beales (GBr) Orange Monkey Pro Team | 0:03:24 |
52 | Roy Beukers (Ned) Feenstra Felt | 0:03:25 |
53 | Petr Koudelka (Cze) Kona Cycling Point | 0:03:39 |
54 | Wirths Ragnar (Ger) Team Herzlichst Zyperrn | 0:03:55 |
55 | Andersson Jesper (Swe) | 0:04:01 |
56 | Christos Loizou (Cyp) Char. Pettemerides | 0:04:12 |
57 | Kyoto Imoto (Jpn) Miyata-Merida Bikin Team | 0:04:40 |
58 | Pantelis Christoforou (Cyp) Ayios Mnason | 0:05:21 |
59 | Simon Schilli (Ger) Felt Race Xtract | 0:05:34 |
60 | Eirinaios Koutsiou (Cyp) Irakleitos | 0:10:21 |
61 | George Ladakis (Gre) Irakleitos | 0:13:22 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Blaza Klemencic (Slo) Calcit Bike | 0:18:45 |
2 | Marianne Vos (Ned) Rabobank/Liv Giant | 0:00:03 |
3 | Adelheid Morath (Ger) Sabine Spitz - Haibike Pro Team | 0:00:14 |
4 | Katrin Leumann (Swi) Ghost Factory Racing | 0:00:22 |
5 | Jolanda Neff (Swi) Giant Pro XC Team | 0:00:26 |
6 | Eva Lechner (Ita) Colnago Sudtirol | 0:00:28 |
7 | Kathrin Stirnemann (Swi) Sabine Spitz - Haibike Pro Team | 0:00:39 |
8 | Andrea Waldis (Swi) Colnago Sudtirol | 0:01:20 |
9 | Sabine Spitz (Ger) Sabine Spitz Haibike Pro Team | 0:01:25 |
10 | Linda Indergand (Swi) Struby MTB Kader | 0:01:26 |
11 | Corina Gantenbein (Swi) Fischer Bmc | 0:01:30 |
12 | Yana Belomoina (Ukr) Superior-Brentjens MTB Racing Team | 0:01:34 |
13 | Jovana Crnogorac (Srb) Orange Monkey Pro Team | 0:01:56 |
14 | Hanna Klein (Ger) German National Team | 0:01:59 |
15 | Elizabeth Osl (Aut) Ghost Factory Racing | 0:01:59 |
16 | Elisabeth Brandau (Ger) Ebe-Racing Team/Rsc-Schoanich | 0:02:00 |
17 | Ekaterina Anoshina (Rus) Team Protek | 0:02:04 |
18 | Sarah Koba (Swi) Jb Felt Team | 0:02:22 |
19 | Lena Putz (Ger) German National Team | 0:02:25 |
20 | Michelle Hediger (Swi) Fischer Bmc | 0:02:53 |
21 | Karla Stepanova (Cze) Kona Cycling Point | 0:03:05 |
22 | Jitka Skarnitzlova (Cze) Giant Cycling Point | 0:03:09 |
23 | Iryna Popova (Ukr) Ukraine National Team/Cc Roma Team | 0:03:21 |
24 | Vendula Kuntova (Cze) Remerx- Merida Team Kolin | 0:03:21 |
25 | Antri Christoforou (Cyp) Omonoia | 0:03:23 |
26 | Elena Gogoleva (Rus) Cc Roma Team / Samara Shvsm | 0:03:48 |
27 | Marta Tereshchuk (Ukr) Ukraine National Team/Cc Roma Team | 0:03:55 |
28 | Nicoletta De Jager (Ned) | 0:04:00 |
29 | Majlen Muller (Ger) German National Team | 0:04:08 |
30 | Ronen Inbar (Isr) Ccc | 0:04:57 |
31 | Noga Korem (Isr) Team Misgav | 0:05:09 |
32 | Zuzana Pirzkallova (Cze) Kona Cycling Point | 0:05:28 |
33 | Moran Tel-Paz (Isr) Ccc | 0:05:36 |
34 | Asuman Burcu Balci (Tur) Riva Macera A.D.S.K. | 0:08:10 |
DNS | Jennifer Kupferschmied (Swi) Wheeler_Ixs_Team | Row 34 - Cell 2 |
DNS | Alexandra Engen (Swe) Ghost Factory Racing | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
DNS | Yuval Bal Ziv (Isr) Tnt / Israel National Team | Row 36 - Cell 2 |
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
2025 Tour de France to be ‘number one target’ for new Jayco-AlUla recruit Ben O’Connor
Team boss Matt White says team will also take a sprinter to the Tour and aim for Giro GC -
European Cyclocross Championships: Italy take victory in mixed team relay
Filippo Agostinacchio leads team to the win on final leg ahead of France and Spain -
Saitama Criterium - Biniam Girmay sails over line first as Japan gets its taste of the Tour de France
Mark Cavendish, Primož Roglič and Jasper Philipsen among riders lining up for the off-season crowd pleaser -
‘I wanted a Spanish team’ - Pablo Castrillo ready to put transfer saga behind him and push on with Movistar in 2025
Winner of two stages at the 2024 Vuelta a España is pleased that 'long negotiation' after long transfer battle