This weekend Rotorua in New Zealand played host the the last big competition of the season, the 2009 World Cup Final. The 20" and 26" finals took place under a radiant sunshine and in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd. In 20", Benito Ros took the double again, winning the World Cup after having already won the World Championship in Canberra! Fellow Spaniard Carles Diaz came in second in Rotorua and third overall. Rick Koekoek of Holland finished in third place ahead of Pole Rafa Kumorowski, who had nevertheless been more consistent in the previous fourth rounds and finished in second place overall.
Before we do a full article on the event, here are some photos taken by Serge Froissart, the director of Fastt, who followed the riders that he coaches around at Rotorua, including Rick Koekoek, who finished on the podium at this round, as well as Guillaume Dunand and Andrei Burton. Serge has shared with us his photos of one of the highlights of the Rotorua World Cup, the Elite warm-up before the main competition... The Elite warm-up is always a pretty intense moment at the big UCI competitions, with each rider seeking to gain a psychological advantage over their adversaries before entering the sections. This always results in some fantastic photos and videos. Here are the photos of the eight 20" finalists warming up on Sunday afternoon.