Cycling: Cyprus looks set to become the starting point of the mountain bike season again for a large number of the very best athletes. The fabulous Rabo-Liv duo Marianne Vos and Pauline Ferrand Prevot have announced their participation in the 2015 Cyprus Sunshine Cup, as have Olympic Champion Jaroslav Kulhavy and Eliminator World Champion Kathrin Stirnemann. Bart Brentjens is also sending his entire Betch.nl Superior Team.
The success story of the series continues. The Cyprus Sunshine Cup from the end of February to the beginning of March will again be a fixture for a number of top stars in MTB sports.
Among them, for the first time, is Pauline Ferrand Prevot, 2014 Road World Champion and two-time MTB World Cup winner. The French uses the Mediterranean island and the Afxentia SHC stage race (February 26.2 to March 1.3) to prepare for the 2015 season. And at her side, it is her Rabo-Liv teammate and predecessor as road world champion, Marianne Vos, who gives the women's competition the absolute highest level.
Marianne Vos was already in Cyprus in 2013 and promptly won the Afxentia stage race.
The Dutch and the French are preparing for the mountain bike and road seasons. They want to combine both disciplines, already looking towards the 2016 Olympic Games.
As previously announced, Gunn-Rita Dahle-Flesjaa (Multivan-Merida) will also be at the start. The nine-time MTB world champion from Norway will contest the South African stage race Cape Epic together with Kathrin Stirnemann. The 25-year-old Swiss, who now rides for Haibike-Ötztal, has announced that she will also start at the Afxentia.
"It's good that we can compare our level of performance", says the Eliminator World and European Champion. And of course improving the form ahead of the Cape Epic.
“It's really great to have four women with rainbow stripes competing in six different disciplines. That has a wow effect", CSC organizer Mike Hadjioannou considers himself lucky.
Dahle-Flesjaa has been a four-time cross-country world champion and five-time marathon champion, Stirnemann is a world eliminator champion, Ferrand Prevot on the road and Vos has three road titles, two on the track and seven in cyclo-cross, where she is also the reigning world champion is.
To continue with the rainbow stripes, Jaroslav Kulhav (Specialized Racing) is not only the London 2012 Olympic Champion, but he also competes in the Cyprus Sunshine Cup as reigning World Marathon Champion and ex-Cross Country World Champion (2011).
Kulhavy leads a group of nine from the Czech Republic, including European Championship bronze medalist Jan Skarnitzl (Sram Rubena Trek) and European Marathon Champion Tereza Hurikova (Superior).
The first Olympic champion in MTB history, Bart Brentjens from the Netherlands, registered his entire team of seven riders. His team includes the French super talent Margot Moschetti, U23 Vice World Champion and U23 World Cup winner Yana Belomoina from the Ukraine.
As already known, Cannondale pro Manuel Fumic is also coming. The 2013 Vice World Champion from Germany is expected to be accompanied by his new team-mate Henrique Avancini from Brazil. Avancini knows Cyprus from earlier years.
Dates Cyprus Sunshine Cup 2015
1. February 26 – March 1 Afxentia (SHC)
2. March 8 Voroklini (C1)