The success story of the series continues. The Cyprus Sunshine Cup from the end of February to the beginning of March will once again be a fixture for a host of top mountain bike stars. Among them for the first time is Pauline Ferrand Prevot, last year's road world champion and two-time cross-country World Cup winner. The Frenchwoman is using the Mediterranean island and the Afxentia SHC stage race, from February 26 to March 1, to prepare for the 2015 season. At her side will be her Rabo-Liv teammate and previous road world champion, Marianne Vos, who will bring the absolute highest level to the women's competition. Marianne Vos was already in Cyprus in 2013 and promptly won the Afxentia stage race. The Dutchwoman and the Frenchwoman are preparing for the mountain bike and road season. They want to combine both disciplines, with their sights already set on the 2016 Olympic Games.

As already announced, Gunn-Rita Dahle-Flesjaa (Multivan-Merida) will also be at the start. The nine-time mountain bike world champion from Norway will compete in the South African Cape Epic stage race together with Kathrin Stirnemann. The 25-year-old Swiss rider, who now rides for Haibike-Ötztal, has announced that she will also be competing in the Afxentia. "It's good that we can compare our performance levels," says the Eliminator World and European Champion. And of course to improve our form ahead of the Cape Epic.

"It's really great to have four women with rainbow stripes in six different disciplines at the start. It has a wow effect," says CSC organizer Mike Hadjioannou happily.

Dahle-Flesjaa was four times cross-country world champion and five times in the marathon, Stirnemann is eliminator world champion, Ferrand Prevot on the road and Vos has three road titles, two on the track and seven in cyclo-cross, where she is also reigning world champion.

Rainbow stripes among the men too
To continue with the rainbow stripes: Jaroslav Kulhav (Specialized Racing) is not only the London 2012 Olympic champion, but he is also competing in the Cyprus Sunshine Cup as the reigning marathon world champion and a former cross-country world champion. Kulhavy leads a nine-strong group from the Czech Republic, including European Championship bronze medalist Jan Skarnitzl (Sram Rubena Trek) and European Marathon Champion Tereza Hurikova (Superior).

The first Olympic champion in mountain bike history, Bart Brentjens from the Netherlands, has entered his entire team of seven riders. His team includes the French super talent Margot Moschetti, U23 World Championship runner-up and U23 World Cup winner Yana Belomoina from Ukraine. As already known, Cannondale pro Manuel Fumic is also coming. The 2013 World Championship silver medallist from Germany is expected to be accompanied by his new team-mate Henrique Avancini from Brazil. Avancini already knows Cyprus from previous years.

Marianne Vos and Jaroslav Kulhavy are the top favorites in Cyprus. ©EGO-Promotion - Armin Küstenbrück

Dates Cyprus Sunshine Cup 2015

26.02 - 01.03	Afxentia (SHC)
08.03.	Voroklini (C1)

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