Avancini and Novak resume leadership with Fabian Rabensteiner's win on Brasil Ride's XC

After the next-to-last stage of the main MTB ultramarathon in the Americas, the cross-country stage, the open category now has the Czech-Brazilian duo with a gap of 21 seconds ahead of Trek Selle San Marco Italians

Porto Seguro, Bahia - Those who have bet on a reversal on Brasil Ride's leadership for the 6th stage, the cross country (XC), in Arraial d’Ajuda, are right. Despite Italian Fabian Rabensteiner's win, in 1h29min08, Henrique Avancini, fourth of the day, and Jiri Novak, second, snatched the yellow jersey from the Italians, since Michele Casgrande finished fifth, approximately two minutes after Avancini. The duo has now approximately a 20-second gap. XC stage winner in 2016, Hans Becking, completed the podium, finishing in third.

With an accumulated time of 1h31min13 on the sixth day of Brasil Ride, Henrique Avancini and Jiri Novak saw the 10 seconds gap they had behind Michele Casagrande and Fabian Rabensteiner turn into an advantage of 21 seconds, and now occupy the top of the GC. Rabensteiner and Casagrande finished the stage with a sum of 1h31min44. Now there's just 75 km left to define the winners, during the Discovery Marathon, between Arraial d'Ajuda and Trancoso, on Saturday (21) morning.

“I suffered a lot this morning, and did not have a good performance, but we went well as a team, resulting in being the first duo of the day”, defined Henrique Avancini. Now we have the yellow jersey, and this is the greatest objective”, said Avancini, pursuing his second win on Brasil Ride, while Novak has the objective of being the greatest winner of all times, in case he gets his third title.

Jiri Novak commented the XC dispute: “It was a nice and fast XC. In the beginning, I was leading with Hans Becking and Fabian Rabensteiner, but I had problems with my chain in the last lap, and I lost contact with them. So it was difficult to me. But I finished second and Henrique fourth, so I'm happy with the leadership”, told Novak.

Even without enough time to keep their leadership, Rabensteiner highlighted his individual result. “This win was very hard. I felt very tired this morning, my legs were heavy. But I felt good during the race. Unfortunately I made some mistakes on the opening lap, and I couldn't escape from Jiri and Hans at that moment. From then on, I attaked and managed to escape, doing my best until the end”, analyzed Rabensteiner, present champion of Brasil Ride.

Three-times Brazilian champion wins - Raiza Goulão's favoritism prevailed on the XC stage. The Pirenópolis (GO) atlhete has just returned from Australia, where she got the 14th place on the XCO (Olympic cross-country). Raiza not only lead the stage end to end, but was also the only women to complete four laps, meaning that the winner, Fabian Rabensteiner did not pass her.

“In 2015, during my debut in Brasil Ride, I was also the only girl to complete four laps, and once again I'm very happy. It was a fun day on the trails, since it was an individual race. The objective is completing the course tomorrow, and try to become a two-time champion”, said Raiza.

The Discovery Marathon - Always carried out on the seventh and last day of Brasil Ride, the Discovery Marathon will be a single event during the most important MTB ultramarathon in the Americas. In the XCM dispute, Arraial d'Ajuda transforms in an ocean of bicycles. From the start of the decicion stage, at 9 a.m. until the end of the day, the surroundings of the Uiki Parracho will be taken by riders from all over the world.

Today's results

Top 3 individual at open's category

1-Fabian Rabensteiner (ITA) - 1h29min08
2-Jiri Novak (CZE) - 1h30min05
3-Hans Becking (HOL) - 1h30min24

Top 3 teams at open's category

1-Henrique Avancini (BRA) e Jiri Novak (CZE)- 1h31min13
2-Michele Casagrande (ITA) e Fabian Rabensteiner (ITA) - 1h31min44
3-Hans Becking (NED) e Sebastian Fini (DIN) - 1h33min02

Top 3 GC

1-Henrique Avancini (BRA) e Jiri Novak (CZE) - 20h37min17
2-Michele Casagrande (ITA) e Fabian Rabensteiner (ITA) - 20h37min38
3-Hans Becking (NED) e Sebastian Fini (DIN) - 20h47min01

Videos of day 5 - The videos of stage 5 are available in two versions: one complete, with subtitles and soundtrack, and one clean, without subtitles or soundtrack:

Complete version: https://we.tl/6W7rgIvOJv
Clean version: https://we.tl/qMND5cOsfe

Youtube.com (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7rJkGkO1A8)
Prologue - https://youtu.be/v7rJkGkO1A8
Stage 2 - https://youtu.be/WDJDmftEmwY
Stage 3 - https://youtu.be/-ykdkNgzmss
Stage 4 - https://youtu.be/zVCFhqRp0YQ
Stage 5 - https://youtu.be/sOKVcpolU0s

Pinkbike.com (https://www.pinkbike.com/u/BrasilRide/channel/all/)
Prologue - https://www.pinkbike.com/video/480019/
Stage 2 - https://www.pinkbike.com/video/480020/
Stage 3 - https://www.pinkbike.com/video/480021/
Stage 4 - https://www.pinkbike.com/video/480061/

Brasil Ride 2017 program - 558,2 km - 11.379 m

21/10 - Saturday, 9h (local time)/10h (Brasília) - Stage 7: 73,4 km e 1.041 m, the last stage in Arraial d'Ajuda and Trancoso

Recognition - Six times Guidão de Ouro (for the best mountain bike competition in Brazil) award winner, Brasil Ride recognition is growing in the MTB community. At present, mountain bikers usually compare the event with the most important races of the world and have nicknamed the ultramarathon the "Giro de Italia of MTB".

About Brasil Ride - Brasil Ride's 8th edition will feature 500 athletes from 22 countries and 24 Brazilian states. On Saturday (21th), the Marathon of the Discoveries, held in a single stage, will have over 1,000 cyclists. Classified as S1, the race will give winners of Open and Ladies categories 120 points in the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) rankings. A competition born in Bahia, Brazil Ride brought together, in 2016, 500 athletes from 23 countries and 24 Brazilian states and the Federal District from October 16th to 22nd, in the Discovery Coast.

Brasil Ride is sponsored by Trek, Shimano and Unidas and supported by the Government of Bahia and the City Halls of Porto Seguro and Guaratinga. The event is an achievement of Roma Comunicação and the Instituto Brasil Ride.

Brasil Ride: More than a race, a stage in your life.

Website: http://www.BRASILRIDE.COM.BR
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BRASILRIDE
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brasil_ride
Instagram: https://instagram.com/brasilride

Gustavo Coelho / Doro Jr. - Mtb 13209
E-mail: gustavo@zdl.com.br / dorojr@zdl.com.br
Phone: +55 11 32855911 / Cell phone: + 55 11 9.8457-9699

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Fabian Rabesteiner (Fabio Piva / Brasil Ride)

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Rabesteiner during the race (Fabio Piva / Brasil Ride)

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Open's podium (Marina Magalhães / Brasil Ride)

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Avancini and Jiri Novak (Marina Magalhães / Brasil Ride)

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Raiza Goulão (Fabio Piva / Brasil Ride)

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Athlete racing in the Brasil Ride Village (Marina Magalhães / Brasil Ride)

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XC start (Fabio Piva / Brasil Ride)

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