Windham, New York was the second stop of the North American leg of the 2011 UCI MTB World Cup Series this last weekend. CFR Riders Marco Aurelio Fontana, Manuel Fumic, Martin Gujan and Jeremiah Bishop gave their best in the fight for the podium, but missed their goal by just a few seconds. Manuel Fumic and Marco Aurelio Fontana were present in the chasing group for most of the race, fighting for positions two to eight in the six-lap race. Just like in the prior week in Mont Saint Anne, Fumic had bad luck with a flat tire that forced him to change a wheel in the tech zone. He restarted in fifteenth position and fought his way back to thirteenth at the fnish line. "I’m not sure what my problem is at the moment with my flat tires. I did a conservative race and felt in control of the group all race long. I must have hit a thorn or sharp rock, as the air went out in a pretty unspectacular spot. My legs are good and I am looking forward to the next European World Cups," a disappointed Fumic said. Marco Aurelio Fontana rode a strong race after his last week’s DNF in Sainte Anne, and seemed to be over his shoulder injury from a crash prior to the North American trip. "My base speed is pretty high at the moment, and this is what it should be. I trained in this direction, and know what to do in the next few weeks, to get my "Turbo" back. I did not really expect to be able hold the pace of the top group. Only in the sprints I couldn’t follow the others, and this unfortunately cost me the podium spot. But I am happy with sixth place and look forward to the coming weeks," Fontana said. Teammate Gujan had a bad day after his strong Sainte Anne appearance and finished in thirty-eighth. CFR USA rider and Marathon specialist Jeremiah Bishop rode impressively well, finishing 29th in the high class XCO field.
Next stop for the CFR will be Swiss and Italian National Champs this coming weekend, followed by European Championships and the 2 final World Cups in Nove Mesto and Val di Sole.
