It was pure excitement when the 2000/2001 Nokia Snowboard FIS World Cup was concluded with the season's last Snowboard Cross race today in Ruka, Finland. While Pontus Stahlkloo from Sweden and Canadian rider Jasey Jay Anderson have been the only contenders left for the men's title, Karine Ruby from France and Germany's Sandra Farmand both still had a chance to claim the lead in the women's World Cup.
Last year's Snowboard Cross champion Stahlkloo was leading by 30 points over Anderson prior to the race and according to their qualification finishes they could have only faced each other in either the small or the big finals. Both were pushing hard throughout the race and made it to the ultimate heat. The final duel was pure excitement with both having a good start. Anderson was slightly ahead but was caught by Stahlkloo. After some elbowing the Canadian took the lead and held on to the finish with the Swede behind him in 2nd place. Crossing the finish line first, Anderson claimed his fifth World Cup win in a row and the Snowboard Cross title. "This is great," he said, "it was a hard fight. Pontus is the very best Snowboard Cross rider in the world and it was a real challenge. I was a bit ahead at the start but then he passed me and I almost thought I was going to lose it but I pulled it together again and got it down. Until the finish line I was afraid that he might suddenly pass me again... I am so glad I worked it out. Snowboard Cross has not been my focus in the beginning but it went so good so I really wanted to make this happen today. I hope we can continue this duel next season also."
Stahlkloo pulled 2nd in both the final Snowbaord Cross race and the World Cup ranking. "For sure I wanted to get this," he said, "but second is fine and I am not too mad about it. Jasey is such a good rider - it is always fun racing against him - and although we were riding really tied there was never any rough staff, it was just clean riding."
French rider Thomas Bourgault and Lukas Gruener from Austria finished 3rd and 4th. Sixth place finisher Alexander Maier from Austria was 3rd in the SBX World Cup.
With a 4th place in the final race Karine Ruby would have been safe to win the title in the women's World Cup but she crashed in the quarter finals and was knocked out. It was up to defending champion Sandra Farmand then to turn it around but she needed to win the race to claim the title. The German advanced to the semi-finals but crashed and did not make it to the final heat so it was Karine Ruby won the World Cup. "I am so happy," she said, "and I did not think I would get in anymore when I fell. I was so upset when I had lost the parallel title and really feared that the same would happen again today. Sandra's crash helped me win the World Cup but we are close friends so it felt bad that she lost it that way."
Farmand won the small final and pulled 5th to take 2nd place in the overall World Cup ranking. "It would have been nice to win and I definitely was pushing for it," she said, "but Karine deserves it so I do not feel too bad."
Claudia Riegler from Austria won the final race ahead of her sister Manuela and her teammate Doris Guenther. Finishing 4th Marie Laissus took 3rd place in the overall Snowboard Cross standings.
Jasey Jay Anderson claimed the Overall World Cup title ahead of Walter Feichter from Italy and French rider Nicolas Huet.
The women's Overall World Cup went to Karine Ruby, Italy's Carmen Ranigler was 2nd ahead of US rider Rosey Fletcher.
Last but not least Sweden won the mens' Nations Cup with Austria and France in second and third, the French women took the globe ahead of Italy and Austria.
The riders take some time off now becore they pick up training again for the 2002 Olympic winter. The opening of the 2001/2002 World Cup is scheduled for Valle Nevado, Chile, in September.
— Britta Semmler, MountainZone.com Correspondent
