Malene Degn crossing the finish line in Stellenbosch
In Mountain Bike Cross Country World Cup’s opening stage in Stellenbosch, South Africa, the Norwegian prospect dominated the men’s race while the Team Ghost Factory claimed a superb one-two in the women’s category with Malene Degn and the World Champion Sina Frei. Marotte third in the Elite race.
Northwave claimed an amazing “double” in the U23 races at Mountain Bike Cross Country World Cup’s opening stage in Stellenbosch (South Africa) on Saturday March 10th, thanks to the excellent performances of Malene Degn (Ghost Factory) and Petter Fagerhaug (Norway).
In the U23 race, opening the program, the 21-year-old Danish athlete after a slow start increased the pace in the lap2 broadening the gap over the first chasers, her teammate Sina Frei, World Champion last year in Cairns (Australia), and British Evie Richards, joining the finish line with a delay of 27 and 48 seconds respectively. A wonderful one-two for Ghost XC.
Petter Fagerhaug in action
One hour after the first seasonal World Cup success: Petter Fagerhaug gave Northwave the “double” claiming the the U23 Men’s race. The Norwegian prospect moved on the attack in the lap3, preceding New Zealand’s Ben Oliver (+1’06”) and France’s Neilo Perrin Ganier (+1’54”) on the finish line.
Maxime Marotte claimed the third place in MTB World Cup’s opening round
French Champion Maxime Marotte was in the running for the top spot until the last meters, as the Cannondale Factory Racing biker crossed the finish line in third place, 2 seconds behind winner, New Zealand’s Samuel Gaze who outsprinted the World Champion Nino Schurter. Seventh place for the European Champion, Northwave’s Florian Vogel (Focus XC Team).
In the Elite Women’s category, German Helen Grobert (Cannondale Factory Racing) clinched fourth, behind winner Annika Langvad, Pauline Ferrand Prevot and Anna Tauber. The World Champion Jolanda Neff (Kross Racing Team), sixth, Sabine Spitz (Wiawis Bikes Pro Team), eighth, Linda Indergand (Focus XC Team), ninth, and Alessandra Keller (Thomus RN Racing Team), tenth, completed the “Northwave MTB Team” solid performance at the World Cup opening round.
Onigo di Pederobba (Italy), March 10th, 2018
