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World Cup overall victory for BMC in the team standings

14. September 2013


BMC Mountainbike Racing Team
World Cup Finals in Hafjell, Norway

After having received some severe blows recently, BMC Racing Team nevertheless has defended the lead in the team standings at the World Cup finals. With great fighting spirit, Ralph Näf, Moritz Milatz and Martin Fanger in Norway secured victory for team BMC for the first time.

The auspices were not favorable in Scandinavia. Shortly after European champion Julien Absalon had opted out of participation in the World Cup finals, also Lukas Flückiger had to cancel his start in Hafjell due to two broken ribs. Absalon nevertheless is third overall in the final ranking.

Ralph Näf says that he is still missing "one or two percent" for top form, but the Swiss rider fought bravely for his team. From start position 38, Näf quickly moved up through the field into 15th position, where he stayed for much of the remainder of the race.
„Currently I can only go at a certain speed, and that's why at some point I don't gain further ground," explained Näf.

He finished the race two positions further back due to a flat rear tire that he suffered on the penultimate lap. This handicap made the BMC crew get into quite a sweat again. But Näf braced all his energies and did not loose much time.

For Moritz Milatz things did not nearly go as well as he had hoped for. „I have no idea what mistakes I made in the lead-up to the race. As a matter of fact I am in top shape," he grumbled. However, he had to fight hard for every position in the race and finished 16th.

Although Martin Fanger had a miserable day and was not able to contribute any World Cup points, after six races the results of the team were good enough to be honored as the best team in 2013.

In the U23 competition Reto Indergand was doing somewhat better than he did in the Worlds race. But a crash on the first lap took away all his chances to claim a better result than eighth position. Due to this mishap he also lost his podium place in the overall standings and in the end was fourth. „What a pity! It's always unfavorable to crash on the first lap," mused Indergand.

1. Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze)
2. Nino Schurter (Sui)
3. Manuel Fumic (Ger)
4. Mathias Flueckiger (Sui)
5. Marco Fontana (Ita)
16. Moritz Milatz
17. Ralph Näf
...31. Martin Fanger

1. Nino Schurter
2. Daniel McConnell (Aus)
3. Julien Absalon
4. Jaroslav Kulhavy (Cze)
5. Ondrej Cink (Cze)
11. Lukas Flueckiger
19. Martin Fanger
22. Ralph Näf
37. Moritz Milatz

1. Jordan Sarrou (Fra)
2. Anton Cooper (Nzl)
3. Michiel van der Heijden (Ned)
8. Reto Indergand

Overall U23
1. Markus Schulte-Luenzum (Ger)
2. Hugo Drechou (Fra)
3. Michiel van der Heijden
4. Reto Indergand