<p>Jaroslav Kulhavy raced to a convincing solo victory at the second round of the elite men's cross country mountain bike World Cup in Dalby, Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom on Sunday, May 22. The powerful Czech racer also made World Cup history on his full suspension Specialized Epic by becoming the first rider to win a UCI cross country World Cup round on a 29er. </p><p>
</p><p>
By backing up his third place finish at the opening World Cup round in Pietermaritzburg with this victory, Kulhavy stepped up to become the new leader of World Cup series.</p><p>
</p><p>
The Specialized team also won the elite men's team category at Dalby, thanks to Kulhavy and his teammates South African Burry Stander in seventh and Swiss Christoph Sauser in eighth. American Todd Wells logged an impressive 16th place as the highest ranked North American finisher.</p><p>
</p><p>
"It was good. It was fast," said Kulhavy after his victory. "It was a perfect race for me." Kulhavy, who was onboard his 9.5kg Epic with a 2x10 drivetrain including front SRAM XX rings (39/27T), took advantage of an opportunity in the beginning of the race when favorites Nino Schurter and Julien Absalon were marking each other. </p><p>
</p><p>
Kulhavy attacked while Schurter and Absalon were on the defensive with each other. He bolted off the front, and the rest of the race played out as a one-man show. The Czech cruised along, with 27psi in his tires, and never looked to be in danger, even when Absalon made a strong attack out of the favorites' group to try and chase him down. The Frenchman put in a good ride, but he couldn't get closer than within 18 seconds of Kulhavy, who kept putting the hammer down to consistently defend his advantage. Kulhavy crossed the finish line with a convincing 50-second margin of victory.</p><p>
</p><p>
"My bike was perfect. It was fast, and I think it was the best bike for the course today," said Kulhavy of his Specialized Epic 29er.</p><p>
</p><p>
Sauser, Stander and Wells were all part of the group of favorites behind leader Kulhavy and solo chaser Absalon . The three Specialized teammates were joined by Marco Fontana, Maxime Marotte, Manuel Fumic and Moritz Milatz.</p><p>
</p><p>
In the end, Stander raced to a solid seventh place despite fighting a cold. "Today was a good day for the team, but for me, it was not a good week. I felt ill when we got her on Wednesday," said a still congested-sounding Stander after the race. He had piloted his 26er Stumpjumper hardtail with a 1x10 drivetrain (36T front rotor ring).</p><p>
</p><p>
"I was trying out a new Specialized 26er here - I've been training on it for three weeks," said Stander. "I think it's an awesome bike, and I'd hoped to do good things on it today, but sometimes you get dealt bad cards, and you just have to stick it out. The mechanics did a great job - thanks to them."</p><p>
</p><p>
Sauser finished with the same time as Stander, 1:51 behind Kulhavy. He had been leading the chasers, but a last lap mistake cost him some places and he found himself nearer to the rear of that group thereafter. In contrast to Stander, Sauser was on a 29er version of the Stumpjumper hardtail and opted for a 34T ring on the front of his 1x10 drivetrain, but both riders selected identical tire pressures: 25 psi. Sauser's 29er was a bit heavier at 8.6kg while Stander's 26er tipped the scales at 7.5kg.</p><p>
</p><p>
Wells rode to his 16th place on an 8.8kg 29er hardtail like Sauser's except the American opted for a 2x10 drivetrain with SRAM XX rings (39/27T).</p><p>
</p><p>
By virtue of winning the elite team rankings, the Specialized men will race with special yellow number plates for the next World Cup round in Offenburg, Germany, on May 29.</p><p>
</p><p>
<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Uc_f4DZMPF0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p><p>
</p><p>
Women's race</p><p>
</p><p>
Ren Chengyuan and Lene Byberg gave the Specialized team two places in the top eight of the elite women's cross country World Cup in Dalby.</p><p>
</p><p>
Chengyuan, who won round one in Pietermaritzburg, got off to an impressive start and led for most of the first four of five laps while onboard her 8.7kg Specialized S-Works Era 26". </p><p>
</p><p>
The Chinese star tired as the race progressed, but managed to hang on well enough to earn herself the fifth and final place on the podium. She was 1:24 behind eventual winner Julie Bresset.</p><p>
</p><p>
Norway's Byberg led early in the race - on the starting loop - on her 7.5kg Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper Hardtail 26er, but her legs felt heavy and she eventually slipped to eighth place at 1:51.</p><p>
</p><p>
Both Chengyuan and Byberg raced with 2x10 drivetrains. Chengyuan chose Sram XX rings (39/27T) while Byberg competed on rotor rings (40/27T). They raced on tires pumped to 30psi and 26psi respectively.</p><p>
</p><p>
The Specialized women, including American Lea Davison in 30th place, raced collectively to a third spot in the team rankings.</p><p>
</p><p>
The entire team, including men and women, raced on Specialized Renegade 1.95 or Fast Trak 2.00 tires. It was a tough call as the weather was constantly changing, which meant conditions could also have changed at any time. However, on what proved to be a cold, windy, threatening but mostly dry kind of a day, they made the right choice.</p><p>
</p><p>
Where to next?</p><p>
</p><p>
The racers will be back in action next weekend at round three of the UCI cross country World Cup in Offenburg, Germany. In the meantime, Wells and Stander are taking a trip to check out the 2012 Olympic Games mountain bike course near London while the rest of the team will head directly to Offenburg, except for Kulhavy, who will head home for a few days to celebrate his win with family and friends.</p>
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</p><p>
By backing up his third place finish at the opening World Cup round in Pietermaritzburg with this victory, Kulhavy stepped up to become the new leader of World Cup series.</p><p>
</p><p>
The Specialized team also won the elite men's team category at Dalby, thanks to Kulhavy and his teammates South African Burry Stander in seventh and Swiss Christoph Sauser in eighth. American Todd Wells logged an impressive 16th place as the highest ranked North American finisher.</p><p>
</p><p>
"It was good. It was fast," said Kulhavy after his victory. "It was a perfect race for me." Kulhavy, who was onboard his 9.5kg Epic with a 2x10 drivetrain including front SRAM XX rings (39/27T), took advantage of an opportunity in the beginning of the race when favorites Nino Schurter and Julien Absalon were marking each other. </p><p>
</p><p>
Kulhavy attacked while Schurter and Absalon were on the defensive with each other. He bolted off the front, and the rest of the race played out as a one-man show. The Czech cruised along, with 27psi in his tires, and never looked to be in danger, even when Absalon made a strong attack out of the favorites' group to try and chase him down. The Frenchman put in a good ride, but he couldn't get closer than within 18 seconds of Kulhavy, who kept putting the hammer down to consistently defend his advantage. Kulhavy crossed the finish line with a convincing 50-second margin of victory.</p><p>
</p><p>
"My bike was perfect. It was fast, and I think it was the best bike for the course today," said Kulhavy of his Specialized Epic 29er.</p><p>
</p><p>
Sauser, Stander and Wells were all part of the group of favorites behind leader Kulhavy and solo chaser Absalon . The three Specialized teammates were joined by Marco Fontana, Maxime Marotte, Manuel Fumic and Moritz Milatz.</p><p>
</p><p>
In the end, Stander raced to a solid seventh place despite fighting a cold. "Today was a good day for the team, but for me, it was not a good week. I felt ill when we got her on Wednesday," said a still congested-sounding Stander after the race. He had piloted his 26er Stumpjumper hardtail with a 1x10 drivetrain (36T front rotor ring).</p><p>
</p><p>
"I was trying out a new Specialized 26er here - I've been training on it for three weeks," said Stander. "I think it's an awesome bike, and I'd hoped to do good things on it today, but sometimes you get dealt bad cards, and you just have to stick it out. The mechanics did a great job - thanks to them."</p><p>
</p><p>
Sauser finished with the same time as Stander, 1:51 behind Kulhavy. He had been leading the chasers, but a last lap mistake cost him some places and he found himself nearer to the rear of that group thereafter. In contrast to Stander, Sauser was on a 29er version of the Stumpjumper hardtail and opted for a 34T ring on the front of his 1x10 drivetrain, but both riders selected identical tire pressures: 25 psi. Sauser's 29er was a bit heavier at 8.6kg while Stander's 26er tipped the scales at 7.5kg.</p><p>
</p><p>
Wells rode to his 16th place on an 8.8kg 29er hardtail like Sauser's except the American opted for a 2x10 drivetrain with SRAM XX rings (39/27T).</p><p>
</p><p>
By virtue of winning the elite team rankings, the Specialized men will race with special yellow number plates for the next World Cup round in Offenburg, Germany, on May 29.</p><p>
</p><p>
<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Uc_f4DZMPF0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p><p>
</p><p>
Women's race</p><p>
</p><p>
Ren Chengyuan and Lene Byberg gave the Specialized team two places in the top eight of the elite women's cross country World Cup in Dalby.</p><p>
</p><p>
Chengyuan, who won round one in Pietermaritzburg, got off to an impressive start and led for most of the first four of five laps while onboard her 8.7kg Specialized S-Works Era 26". </p><p>
</p><p>
The Chinese star tired as the race progressed, but managed to hang on well enough to earn herself the fifth and final place on the podium. She was 1:24 behind eventual winner Julie Bresset.</p><p>
</p><p>
Norway's Byberg led early in the race - on the starting loop - on her 7.5kg Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper Hardtail 26er, but her legs felt heavy and she eventually slipped to eighth place at 1:51.</p><p>
</p><p>
Both Chengyuan and Byberg raced with 2x10 drivetrains. Chengyuan chose Sram XX rings (39/27T) while Byberg competed on rotor rings (40/27T). They raced on tires pumped to 30psi and 26psi respectively.</p><p>
</p><p>
The Specialized women, including American Lea Davison in 30th place, raced collectively to a third spot in the team rankings.</p><p>
</p><p>
The entire team, including men and women, raced on Specialized Renegade 1.95 or Fast Trak 2.00 tires. It was a tough call as the weather was constantly changing, which meant conditions could also have changed at any time. However, on what proved to be a cold, windy, threatening but mostly dry kind of a day, they made the right choice.</p><p>
</p><p>
Where to next?</p><p>
</p><p>
The racers will be back in action next weekend at round three of the UCI cross country World Cup in Offenburg, Germany. In the meantime, Wells and Stander are taking a trip to check out the 2012 Olympic Games mountain bike course near London while the rest of the team will head directly to Offenburg, except for Kulhavy, who will head home for a few days to celebrate his win with family and friends.</p>
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