Pressemelding:

Langvad and Skarnitzl took season kick off
 
Cyprus Sunshine Cup opener at Voroklini has shown surprising results. Young Czech Jan Skarnitzl and Annika Langvad from Denmark were taking the wins of the first European mountainbike race 2010.
 
On a warm and sunny day for the half of mens competition  a group of seven was leading the the race. Then Roel Paulissen (Bel/Cannondale) and Jan Skarnitzl (Giant) were speeding up and escaped. But then Paulissen in lap six of seven in a steep downhill section had bad luck when he flatted his front tire and crashed. After a stop at the technical zone he came back in fourth position together with Jiri Friedl (Cze/Merida) and Christoph Soukup (Aut/Merida) but about 20 seconds behind Skarnitzl.
Paulissen tried to catch the 25 years old Czech but in the last of seven laps the same problem happened again. Paulissen lost his second place to Friedl while Skarnitzl was not more in danger to loose his leading position.
 
Last years dominator Emil Lindgren (Swe/Rabobank-Giant) was in the leading group but with two laps to go, with the attack of Skarnitzl and Paulissen he lost the contact.
 
Jan Skarnitzl: “I’m very happy with the victory because it is my first one in an international race. Together with Roel I was speeding up but then he crashed. It was a very long and hard race. In the first half of the race I had a lot of problems because we are not used to this high intensity.
Now I’m looking forward to the Afxentia stage race upcoming weekend.”
 
Jiri Friedl: I felt much better than last week. I was very tired because at home it’s so cold and here it is very warm. It needs a lot of energy and so I’m really surprised about my race and the result. I think next week it will be better. No rain, that’s perfect.
 
Roel Paulissen: The whole race I was relaxed and never overdid it. Skarnitzl did a pretty good speed but then in the downhill the air went out of my front tire and I crashed. The same in the last lap. But besides the result I’m okay with my performance.
 
Langvad flatted and gets nervous without reason

The decision in womens competition was taken in the first of five laps. Annika Langvad (Den/HMTBK) took the lead and went away. Janka Stevkova (Svk/ CKEpic-Dohnany) didn’t try to follow the Danish student. Langvad extended her lead up to more than three minutes ahead of Stevkova and the 18 years old Ekaterina Anoshina (Rus).
But in the last of five laps the victory of Langvad seems to come into danger. After the tech zone the Danish lost a lot of air in the front tire. “I knew I had a good advantage but despite of that I got nervous”, Langvad explained after crossing the finish line.
But the nervousness was without reason. She had exactly two minutes ahead of Janka Stevkova, who was able to let her chasing companion Anoshina alone in the last lap. But the Russian girl was the biggest surprise of the race. Anoshina, 17th of Canberra juniors world championship 2009 could beat German Melanie Spath (Cycleways) and last years winner Alexandra Engen (Swe/Rothaus-Cube) who finished fifth.
 
Annika Langvad: I knew that I am in a good shape. The winter training was quite good. I felt really well but in second lap I crashed and then realized that I should set the speed down. It’s my first time on Cyprus and it’s wonderful to be here.
 
Janka Stevkova: I felt very good but I only wanted to test myself. It was a hard course and I’m not used to the heat. I’m really satisfied with my second place. When Annika left us alone I didn’t try to follow because I think it’s not good to go full gas in the very first race.
 
Ekaterina Anoshina: I’m surprised by this race. I never thought to be able to compete with this girls in my first elites competition.