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  May 1, 2005 |
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2005 UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup Round 01: Spain
Minnaar Takes Podium at Spain |
The 2005 UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup kicked off this weekend on the
Atlantic coast of Spain, on the outskirts of the city of Vigo, in front of an
estimated 25,000 spectators. The Downhill race today saw Greg Minnaar (RSA) take
the podium with a strong 2nd place finish, and young newcomer to the team Matti
Lehikoinen (FIN) finishing an impressive 7th, just 0.3 seconds off the podium.
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Greg Minnaar (Team G Cross Honda) |
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Greg Minnaar (Team G Cross Honda) |
Vigo is a new venue for the World Cup circuit and the course proved to be very
popular among the top riders who found the roughly two and half minutes of trail,
just a few kilometers from the city centre, to be an excellent mix of speed and
technical terrain. Known for mixed weather at this time of the year, and after
a week of rain prior to the event, the training in Vigo took place in near perfect
conditions. Timed training on Saturday saw Greg with the 3rd fastest time and
Matti 4th, and this was to set the tone for the semi final today.
Today saw the return of the rain in the morning and a change in the course. Due
to the slippery conditions the race officials eliminated a large rocky section
that had already caused World Champion Fabien Barel to crash in training earlier
in the week. The riders then by-passed this section, which slowed them by a few
seconds but otherwise the course was ideal for racing, as the sun came out later
in the day.
The first race of the season is always difficult, as the riders don't always know
where they stand with their main opponents, both in physical and technical preparation.
With a month until Round 2 in Germany, the main goal for both Greg and Matti was
to score solid points and get the World Cup campaign off to a smooth start. With
50 points up for grabs in the semi final both riders went for solid runs. Greg
finished 3rd with a time of 2min 36.303s, and amazingly, Matti finished just
1/1000th of a second behind Greg with 2min 36.304s, for a 4th place. This gave
both riders strong points and set the scene for the final.
For the final the course had dried out even more and both riders opted for dry
tyres despite Matti having used semi-mud tyres for the semi final race. Matti
finished the final with a strong time of 2min 33.492s taking nearly 3 seconds
off his morning time. Greg then came down the course and took Sam Hill, 2004 World
Cup 2nd placed rider, out of the hot seat with the fastest time of the day at
2min 28.668s. The time wasn't beaten by the next rider Mick Hannah however 2004
World Cup Champion Steve Peat once again showed how strong he could be at the
start of the season with an impressive 2min 25.791s. This meant that Greg's 2nd
in the final, and his 3rd in the semi final, secured him a strong 2nd overall
in the Series thus far. Matti's 4th in the semi final, and his eventual 7th in
the final, means that he now stands 6th in the World Cup overall, his best ever
standing in the series.
Team G Cross Honda is also, for the first time, the leading UCI team in Downhill
competition.
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Matti Lehikoinen (Team G Cross Honda) |
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Matti Lehikoinen (Team G Cross Honda) |
#9 Greg Minnaar (2nd Place)
"I'm incredibly happy with this result. I came to this event a little tired from
training so I wasn't sure I could be as fast as I was today, so this is a great
result for me. I have some work to do to bridge the gap to Peaty, and that will
be my main goal for Round 2 in Willingen, in about a month from now. The new version
of the RN01 bike was great today, and especially with some of our new components
on board for this season. The race too was a great success, the fans were really
into the racing and that always makes the day just a bit more special."
#11 Matti Lehikoinen (7th Place)
"I was a little uncertain when I switched from wet to dry tyres, not knowing exactly
how the bike would handle, so I was a bit conservative in the first part of the
course during the final, and I think that cost me half a second, but Iím
really happy to know that Iím so close to the podium already. My semi final
run was great and considering where I am with my physical preparation right now,
Iím really looking forward to the main part of the season, in June and
July."
Team Director Martin Whiteley
"Both riders performed above expectation this week and so that is always a welcome
result. The bikes were flawless and this is mainly due to the tireless efforts
of the mechanics and engineers who did a great job in the days leading up to this
race. We have some improving to do before Round 2, but already we are very happy
with 2nd and 6th in the overall, and to have the lead in the UCI Team Ranking."
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2005 UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup Round 01: Spain
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| 1 |
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Steve Peat (Team Orange) |
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| 2 |
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Greg Minnaar (Team G Cross Honda) |
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| 3 |
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Sam Hill (Iron Horse
Mad Catz) |
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| 4 |
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Mick Hannah (Haro Bikes) |
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| 5 |
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Nathan Rennie (Santa
Cruz Syndicate) |
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| 6 |
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Fabien Barel (Kona Les Gets) |
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| 7 |
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Matti Lehikoinen (Team G Cross
Honda) |
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| 8 |
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Mickael Pascal (Maxxis-MSC) |
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| 9 |
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Gee Atherton (Animal Giant) |
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| 10 |
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Bryn Atkinson (GT Hyundai) |
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Greg Minnaar (Team G Cross Honda) |
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