Mountainbiking: Perilous course undoes Hanlen

Whakatane's Karen Hanlen was undone by a perilous course in the fourth round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in France yesterday.

Hanlen dropped out on the second of six laps in a race that claimed a significant number in the field.

She was chasing Olympic qualification in the final race to earn points for London, after rival Rosara Joseph crashed and broke her wrist during practice.

It was a serious blow for Hanlen and Joseph who were chasing a high placing to support their Olympic bids.

New Zealand is expected to earn a single elite women's spot for London when quotas are finalised by the UCI.

Experience and patience proved the key at La Bresse with legendary Norwegian Rita-Gunn Dahle claimed her first World Cup victory in four years.

It proved a double success for mountain bike legends with double Olympic gold medallist Julien Absalon, who lives nearby, winning the men's honours.

The cross-country battle moves to North America for rounds in Canada and USA in late June, while the downhillers are back in action with the world cup at Val de Sole in Italy in two weeks.

UCI Mountain Bike World Cup cross-country

Elite women:

Gunn-Rita Dahle (NOR) 1:39.57, 1; Katerina Nash (CZE) at 16s, 2; Julie Bresset (FRA) at 55s, 3; Catharine Pendrel (CAN) at 1:12, 4. Also: Karen Hanlen (NZL) dnf.

Elite men:

Julien Absalon jl(FRA) 1:37.33, 1; Jaroslav Kulhavy (CZE) at 7s, 2; Ralph Naef (SUI) at 40s, 3.