During the race he realized that his opponents were not able to go any faster anymore, so he decided to repeatedly increase the pace until he saw a chance to get away on his own. To win a Worldcup race in such a way takes an awful lot of experience and shows that Hermida has started this season stronger than ever before. This was Hermida’s fourth Worldcup win, summing up to an overall of 20 Worldcup podium finishes.



Hermida’s team mate Moritz Milatz had tough luck as he got entangled in a mass crash immediately after the start and was forced to pick up his race way in the back of the pack. Nevertheless he managed to fight back to a 15th place finish, another proof of the remarkable form the German mountain biker currently is in. Finishing within the top10 would have been an absolutely realistic target.With Rudi van Houts in 18th and Jochen Käß finishing right behind him, the «Multivan Merida Biking Team» has achieved one of its aims: By winning the team ranking, the status as one of mountain biking’s strongest racing teams has been underlined. No wonder team manager Andreas is satisfied: «This overall balance sheet is something to be pleased and proud about. We are exactly on target, and rest assured that we are going to be even stronger in races to come.» After all, Rottler had to do without two of his strongest riders. Ralph Näf was forced to pass on competing at the Worldcup opener due to a stomach flu whereas Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå currently is recovering from the birth of her son but plans to get back to racing for the second half of the season.



On the way to his fourth Worldcup victory, José Hermida was using the newly develloped hardtail «O.NINE», riding the bike to victory in its very first use at a Worldcup race. Thanks to its novel construction the bike has become significantly lighter than its predecessors and is clearly one of the technologically most advanced bicycles in mountain biking’s Worldcup racing.



Results Mountainbike Worldcup Pietermaritzburg, Men:

1. José Hermida (ESP), 1.55.03
2. Julien Absalon (FRA), 1.55.35
3. Burry Stander (RSA), 1.55.55
4. Christoph Sauser (SUI), 1.56.20
5. Wolfram Kurschat (GER), 1.56.23
6. Nino Schurter (SUI), 1.57.04
7. Jean-Christophe Peraud (FRA), 1.58.43
8. Lukas Flückiger (SUI), 1.58.59
9. Roel Paulissen (BEL), 1.59.22
10. Mathias Flückiger (SUI), 1.59.33
11. Stéphane Tempier (FRA), 1.59.38
12. Florian Vogel (SUI), 1.59.46
13. Martin Gujan (SUI), 1.59.52
14. Jaroslav Kulhavy (CZE), 2.00.10
15. Moritz Milatz (GER), 2.00.17
18. Rudi van Houts (NED), 2.00.54
19. Jochen Käß (GER), 2.00.57
101. Robert Gehbauer (AUT), -3 Lap.