Race preview: Cyprus Cup Voroklini

Cyprus Sunshine Cup’s will conclude this Sunday with the Voroklini’s Cross Country race where vice world champion Maja Wloszczowska will be make her season debut. Jan Skarnitzl is the favourite amongst the men and Jolanda Neff will be keen to continue on from her success last weekend. Maja Wloszczowska (Giant Pro XC) th­e 2010 world champion, four time World Champion (04,05,11,13) and Olympic Silver medallist in Bejing Games 2008 missed last weekend Afxentia stage race due to a wrist injury, “I wouldn’t have been able to compete four days in a row. It’s getting better now and I think for one day, it will be okay”, Wloszczowska explains.

Jolanda Neff is pleased to have her teammate racing, “Great to have her with me. Myself, I would like to show a good race again. The last day at Afxentia I felt already a bit tired, but for Sunday I should be fresh again.”

Neff has to defend the Cyprus Sunshine Cup leaders jersey. Annika Langvad (Specialized Racing) has left the sunny island to continue her preparation for the Cape Epic. Adelheid Morath (Sabine Spitz­Haibike) will be the most serious contender for the overall. The German was third at Afxentia.

Other contenders for the podium include Sabine Spitz (Sabine Spitz­Haibike), Blaza Klemencic (Slo, Feenstra­Felt), Elisabeth Osl (Aut, Ghost Factory Racing), Gunn­ Rita Dahle­ Flesjaa (Nor, Multivan­Merida), Tereza Hurikova (Specialized Racing), Kathrin Stirnemann (Sabine Spitz­Haibike), Katrin Leumann and Alexandra Engen (both Ghost Factory Racing), Afxentia winner Fabian Giger (Giant Pro XC) and also Marco Fontana (Cannondale Factory Racing) have left Cyprus. That makes Ondrej Cink (Multivan­Merida) and his Czech country mate Jan Skarnitzl (Sram Rubena Trek) favourites.

“After Afxentia I was a bit tired, but I think that’s normal. I am going to fight for the podium again, but Jan looks very, very strong. He is the man to beat”, Cink said on Wednesday. Skarnitzl can now ride his own bike after he was forced to ride a rental bike at Afxentia because his one was delayed during his flight.

Cink’s Multivan­Merida companion José Antonio Hermida smiled when asked about his ambitions. “I think it should be better than last weekend.” Ondrej Cink and Julian Schelb have trained with Jose this week, “I think, José will be much stronger in Voroklini”, Schelb says and Cink agrees. Young gun Schelb himself tries to repeat his strong Afxentia appearance. “On Wednesday I already felt good again in training. So I am hopeful to be competitive again”, he says.

Michiel van der Heijden (Giant Pro XC) was stopped by a flat tire at Afxentia’s cross country race, he should be also a serious contender as well as his Dutch friend Rudi van Houts (Multivan­Merida). New in the game is the German Wolfram Kurschat (Topeak­Ergon), who was at Voroklini podium in 2012 (5th).

Sebastian and Hamish Batchelor (Fluid Fin), Sam Stean (Mountain Trax – Vauxhall Motors Cycling Team), Steven James (Hargroves Cycles), Jason Bouttell (Velopro) and Lee Williams (Gateway Racing) are the remaining Brits who’ve stayed in Cyprus to race this weekends event.

The Voroklini Cross Country race is UCI Class 1 with points down to 15th place. The circuit is a 6km loop with 219m of climbing per lap.