Horakova wins women's four cross

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The first round of the 2010 four cross World Cup in Houffalize, Belgium, produced a fresh face on the top step of the podium, with Jana Horakova (SKC Prostejov), who took what was only her second career victory to win the women's competition.

Sixteen women made it through qualifying to the heats, and the final four was pretty much as expected: Horakova, defending World Cup champion Anneke Beerten (Suspension Centre), her new teammate and downhill World Champion Emmeline Ragot and Austrian Anita Molcik, the fastest qualifier.

Molcik and Beerten were fastest out of the gate for the final, but tangled in the first corner, allowing Horakova to sneak through. Molcik managed to avoid going down and took second, followed by Ragot, with Beerten, who crashed, limping home in fourth.

"I was pretty happy with my gates," said Horakova, "But I wasn't thinking that I could win. In the final, Anita cut inside, and forced me to go higher on the first corner, which was a good thing when she and Anneke bumped, because it allowed me to go through to the front." 

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