Neumannova First World Champion in Oberstdorf

Czech skier Katerina Neumannova led from start to finish in today's 10km freestyle race in Oberstdorf, Germany to become the first World Champion of 2005. Neumannova's winning time on the tough, hilly course was 26:27.6, just enough to keep Julija Tchepalova of Russia on the second step of the podium, 1.2 seconds behind. Overall World Cup points leader Marit Bjoergen of Norway finished 15.2 seconds back in third, ahead of Estonia's Kristina Smigun.

1 74 Neumannova Katerina  CZE 26:27.6 0.0 2 68 Tchepalova Julija  RUS 26:28.8 +1.2 3 61 Bjoergen Marit  NOR 26:42.8 +15.2 4 70 Smigun Kristina  EST 26:46.2 +18.6 5 57 Baranova-Masolkina Natalia  RUS 26:59.1 +31.5 6 71 Savialova Olga  RUS 27:00.3 +32.7 7 45 Malahova Svetlana  KAZ 27:02.1 +34.5 8 60 Valbusa Sabina  ITA 27:03.6 +36.0 9 66 Kowalczyk Justyna  POL 27:09.2 +41.6 10 58 Steira Kristin  NOR 27:13.8 +46.2 11 69 Medvedeva-Abruzova Evgenia  RUS 27:16.6 +49.0 12 64 Paruzzi Gabriella  ITA 27:17.5 +49.9 13 75 Lassila Riitta Liisa  FIN 27:35.1 +1:07.5 14 59 Scott Beckie  CAN 27:47.2 +1:19.6 15 63 Shevchenko Valentina  UKR 27:48.6 +1:21.0 16 47 Philippot Karine  FRA 27:53.1 +1:25.5 17 56 Leonardi Cortesi Natascia  SUI 27:55.4 +1:27.8 18 67 Sachenbacher Evi  GER 28:01.1 +1:33.5 19 51 Follis Arianna  ITA 28:06.6 +1:39.0 20 65 Jatskaja Oxana  KAZ 28:11.9 +1:44.3 21 53 Reschwamm Schulze Anke  GER 28:17.7 +1:50.1 22 72 Confortola Antonella  ITA 28:18.2 +1:50.6 23 73 Muerer Stemland Kristin  NOR 28:36.2 +2:08.6 24 46 Konrad Sarah  USA 28:40.9 +2:13.3 25 32 Boehler Stefanie  GER 28:41.0 +2:13.4 26 62 Bjoernaas Kine Beate  NOR 28:43.7 +2:16.1 27 23 Kolomina Elena  KAZ 28:46.4 +2:18.8 28 43 Rochat Laurence  SUI 28:55.5 +2:27.9 29 49 Yokoyama Sumiko  JPN 29:03.8 +2:36.2 30 48 Vasiljonok Olga  BLR 29:15.1 +2:47.5 31 26 Storti Cecile  FRA 29:15.2 +2:47.6 32 31 Benedicic Maja  SLO 29:20.5 +2:52.9 33 6 Chunli Wang  CHN 29:23.9 +2:56.3 34 38 Janeckova Ivana  CZE 29:26.0 +2:58.4 35 44 Soklic Mirjam  SLO 29:28.1 +3:00.5 36 24 Rydqvist Maria  SWE 29:28.4 +3:00.8 37 54 Swiden Kina  SWE 29:32.8 +3:05.2 38 18 Olsson Jenny  SWE 29:34.6 +3:07.0 39 36 Mischol Seraina  SUI 29:35.4 +3:07.8 40 55 Terentjeva Irina  LTU 29:37.4 +3:09.8 41 50 Jakimchuk Vita  UKR 29:37.9 +3:10.3 42 22 Zavalij Tatjana  UKR 29:42.9 +3:15.3 43 35 Soneta Chizuru  JPN 29:43.0 +3:15.4 44 16 Starostina Daria  KAZ 29:52.1 +3:24.5 45 28 Korolik Ludmila  BLR 29:54.1 +3:26.5 46 37 Nesterenko Lada  UKR 29:57.1 +3:29.5 47 39 Hongxue Li  CHN 30:00.8 +3:33.2 48 17 Trachsel Doris  SUI 30:04.2 +3:36.6 49 41 Whitten Tara  CAN 30:22.2 +3:54.6 50 29 Chun Ja Lee  KOR 30:37.0 +4:09.4 51 42 Manninen Pirjo  FIN 30:37.4 +4:09.8 52 33 Brumley Clare-Louise  AUS 30:42.6 +4:15.0 53 15 Obayashi Chisa  JPN 30:48.1 +4:20.5 54 40 Smigun Katrin  EST 30:51.7 +4:24.1 55 25 Balatkova Erbenova Helena  CZE 30:51.8 +4:24.2 56 20 Fessel Nicole  GER 30:55.9 +4:28.3 57 21 Nyltova Eva  CZE 30:57.5 +4:29.9 58 30 Sirge Kaili  EST 31:03.0 +4:35.4 59 52 Prochazkova Alena  SVK 31:06.1 +4:38.5 60 19 Vina Emilie  FRA 31:15.5 +4:47.9 61 12 Blaskova Barbara  SVK 31:16.1 +4:48.5 62 14 Hongyan Liu  CHN 32:04.4 +5:36.8 63 10 Gyorgy Monika  ROM 32:18.4 +5:50.8 64 4 Kouva Rayna  BUL 32:23.9 +5:56.3 65 7 Chunli Jiang  CHN 32:27.0 +5:59.4 66 27 Randall Kikkan  USA 32:37.8 +6:10.2 67 2 Malcheva Teodora  BUL 33:21.0 +6:53.4 68 11 Aydin Kelime  TUR 34:06.6 +7:39.0 69 1 Saribekyan Aida  ARM 34:25.3 +7:57.7 70 13 Hakobyan Meri  ARM 35:11.9 +8:44.3 71 9 Ochirsuren Erdene-Ochir  MGL 37:53.0 +11:25.4 72 3 Kuzmina Katarina  ISR 39:59.2 +13:31.6 73 5 Zambo Viktoria  HUN 40:53.4 +14:25.8 DNF 8 Gyenesei Judit  HUN DNF 34 Kezele Maja  CRO