I tried to break away again on the next climb but the group always came back, I think it was a bit early in the race. On lap three the Australian Taberlay attacked and everyone let him go as he's not a favorite. Then Meirhaeghe went after him, followed by Absalon and myself. When we passed Taberlay on lap four, Meirhaeghe already had a lead of about 1 minute. I was in second by then and rode to protect my position as I couldn't catch Filip.I'm really happy with my result today. Its important to get a good start to the World Cups as it affects the start positions for the next races."
Christoph Sauser:"I'm pleased with my race today. The course is very fast like a ciclosprint one, which is not ideal for me, so my goal was to get just as close to the podium as possible. There's a long season ahead with the Olympics too and I'm happy with my form right now."In Leogang in Austria, Cedric Gracia competed against some of the top names in downhill in the Top to Bottom Eliminator. He was unlucky by having his timed run in the rain, but converted it in the race to a satisfying third place podium finish.
Roel Paulissen:"At the start Susi and I pulled straight to the front and on the first climb I put the hammer down and pushed to break away from the group. It worked until the end of the first lap where it was flat and the group of about 10 riders caught us up.
