Swisspower Cup #7 - Final – Muttenz, BL

September 2, 2007

Category: Elite
Started: 22
Ranked: 16
Result: 5 

1. Sabine Spitz (Ger) Ghost International 1:45:00
2. Lene Byberg (Nor) Specialized Factory Team 1:45:07
3. Katrin Leumann (Sui) goldwurst-power.ch/Sputnik 1:45:27
4. Catharine Pendrel (Can) Norco Factory Team 1:49:58
5. Sandra Walter (Can) X.0-Felt Womens MTB Team 1:50:33
6. Röthlin Franziska (Sui) X.0-Felt Womens MTB Team 1:52:19
7. Fabienne Niederberger (Sui) X.0-Felt Womens MTB Team 1:54:37
8. Sabrina Enaux (Fra) Lapierre Internationale 1:55:08
9. Tatjana Dold (Ger) Fuji Bikes 1:57:29
10. Elina Sophokleous (Cyp) Bikin'Cyprus 1:59:43 

 

14. Daniela Stünzi (Sui) X.0-Felt Womens MTB Team -1 lap  


Photos: M. Studer

 

Overall Swisspower Cup Series 

 

1. Sabine Spitz (Ger) Ghost International 480
2. Katrin Leumann (Sui) goldwurst-power.ch/Sputnik 342
3. Renata Bucher (Sui) Stöckli - Craft 310
4. Sandra Walter (Can) X.0-Felt Womens MTB Team 303
5. Röthlin Franziska (Sui) X.0-Felt Womens MTB Team 266
6. Fabienne Niederberger (Sui) X.0-Felt Womens MTB Team 256
7. Nathalie Schneitter (Sui) X.0-Felt Womens MTB Team 247
8. Janine Droz (Sui) Thömus Racing Team 242
9. Elisabeth Osl (Sui) Toni's Pro Team Kirchberg 230
10. Corina Gantenbein (Sui) Koba-Biketeam Graubünden 227 

 

14. Nadia Walker (Sui) X.0-Felt Womens MTB Team 216

15. Daniela Stünzi (Sui) X.0-Felt Womens MTB Team 208 

 

What a great way to end the series! The entire X.0-Felt Womens MTB Team had a fantastic showing in Muttenz on Sunday, ending the 2007 Swisspower Cup on a high note. I had a strong start, placing myself near the front of the pack (roadie-style) for the 2.5 start laps around the horse track. Then, as we dove into a technical bit before heading out onto the main part of the course, I made sure to be right up there with the fast girls. It paid off. There was a bit of a traffic jam behind me and I managed to get myself into third place behind Lene Byberg and Katrin Leumann on the first lap.

 

I had Sabine Spitz behind me and was hoping to keep it that way for as long as possible.  After the first lap, I was still in third, still trailing Byberg and Leumann. After the fun technical stuff in the race track infield (including drops, a water gap jump, switchback corners, BMX rollers and bridges), Spitz caught and passed me on the flats. I jumped right on her wheel and she pulled me all the way to the climb, where she eventually put a slight gap into me.

 

I felt really powerful on the flat sections and in the rolling fast singletrack on the far side of the course, and I was riding the technical park stuff well, so I was happy. I felt okay on the climb too, but that was definitely where I was losing time. On the third climb, my good friend and fellow Canadian, Catharine Pendrel, passed me like the climbing machine that she is. But after she put a small gap into me on the uphill, we basically rode the same lap times. I would gain time on the flat power sections and then she’d pull away again on the climb.

 

In the end, I was very pleased to cross the line in fifth place, sewing up a fourth place in the Swisspower Cup overall, only seven points off of third place in the series. My teammates, Franziska, Fabienne and Daniela also had strong races, with Franziska finishing sixth, Fabienne seventh and Daniela 15th. We also did well in the overall. I was the team’s top rider in fourth, followed by Franziska in fifth, Fabienne in sixth, Nathalie in seventh, Nadia 14th and Daniela 15th. Nathalie also won the U23 Women’s title! To top it all off, the X.0-Felt Womens MTB Team earned a fifth-place overall ranking. Yeah girl power!

 I’m super happy with my 2007 Swisspower season. The races were fun and well-organized, it was an honour to be a member of such a positive and talented team and I am grateful and lucky to have such great support. I’d like to heartfully thank the folks at Amsler, SRAM, DT Swiss, Ruedi, Michi, Camilla and the amazing people who helped me and cheered me on throughout the season. People like Sepp, Sonya, Trudi and Sile are actively helping me reach my goals. I couldn’t do it without you!