September 7th 1998
Washington DC

The 1998 Cycle Messenger World Championships culminated on Monday in one of the most grueling single days of cycling ever witnessed. After two days of qualifying on a course that was difficult to ride and required constant routing and navigational decisions, the 511 bike messengers competing were narrowed down to the top 80 men and 40 women. The messenger community was shocked to find a woman sitting in the pole position as the top qualifier. Chantal Kunzi of Basel Switzerland had beaten the best men with a combined qualifying time of 40:30, over a minute and a half ahead of the nearest competitor. The course contained six checkpoints over  3km with several cross overs and intersections, requiring the racers to complete six deliveries before finishing.

The Germans, while admitting the course was interesting and fun, complained mildly that 25-30  minutes was too short for a race. Their complaints soon turned to fear  on the final day on  Monday, when they learned that to be Cycle Messenger World Champion they would have to complete the course eight times in succession. Each time around, the last 10 men and 5 women were eliminated from the race, turing the  calm streets on Labor Day morning in front of Washington DC 's Convention Center into a all out sprint for over 2 and a half hours. By mid way, many racers were pleading to be eliminated, and several dropped out from exhaustion despite being told they had made the rounds cut.

Finally, when it seemed it wouldn't end for the top riders, the first two finished their last manifest and headed towards the finish. Korte of Copenhagen took the title of World Champion, followed closely by friend and teammate Hansen. The boys from the Denmark Green Champs Team found themselves more exhausted then elated, but soon began to revel in the joy of being the worlds best. Hansen almost didn't make the finals, but a successful protest and a reexamination of Sundays' manifest got him into the hunt. He humbly thanked the organizers for the diligence and then him and Korte road to glory together.

Yvonne Kraft of Germany reclaimed her title as Women's Cycle Messenger World Champion. After a disappointing disqualification last year in Barcelona, forcing her to settle for a cargo champion title, she returned to show that she is not only the worlds fastest female bike messenger of all time, but that she is capable of  making a run to beat the men as well. She took sixth amongst the men this year, and between her and Chantal the days before, left  many to wondering why we divide the genders at all. Pia came in behind Yvonne for second place, followed by Chantal who held on for third.

Washington DC's top messenger, known only as Midget, somehow found the strength to do a wheely across the finish line as he took fourth. Helga Fuller was the top DC woman with an astonishing perfomance. She was not expected to even make the finals, but surprised her hometown by taking 5th place amongst the women.The top team overall hails from Germany: the world famous BSG Sprint team including Yvonne Kraft. The number 2 team overall was the Swiss Female team, who was of course, also the top all female team. Needless to say, gender stereotypes were destroyed on the streets of DC this weekend.

The Champions:

Cycle Messenger World Champions:
Korte; Copenhagen, Denmark; De Groenne Bude "Green Champs Team"
Yvonne Kraft; Duseldorf, Germany; BSG Sprint "Till Toll Team"

Top Qualifyer: Chantal Kunzi; Basel, Switzerland; Swiss Female Team

Best mixed team: BSG Sprint "Till Toll Team"
Best All Female Team: Swiss Female Team (2nd Best Team Overall)

Best All Around Riders:
Yvonne Kraft; Duseldorf, Germany; BSG Sprint "Till Toll Team"
Rasmus Dige; Copenhagen Denmark; Den Bla 1

Cargo Cycle Messenger World Champions:
Stephan Mack, Washington DC
Yvonne Kraft; Duseldorf, Germany; BSG Sprint "Till Toll Team"

Sprint Cycle Messenger World Champions:
Mauron Yann; Geneva, Switzerland; Siss II Team
Carole Vuillaume; Geneva Switzerland; Swiss Female Team

Bunny Hop Cycle Messenger World Champions:
Marlon Wesley Prather; Washington DC
Due to an utter failure on behalf of the results committee, we were never able to verify the female Bunny Hop Champion. The originally reported Female Champion had not registered for nor competed in the Bunny Hop, and thus could not have won. Every effort was made to declare a female Bunny Hop Champion and place her with her proper title. We are very sorry that we were never able to.

Trials Cycle Messenger World Champions:
Jens "Gaz" Ostergtaard; Copenhagen, Denmark; Den Bla 3
Lisa Thomas; Washington DC; Team Revolution

Fixed Gear Only Event:
Track Bike Skid Cycle Messenger World Champions:
Eric Roman; Washington DC; Team Rush
Rebecca "Lambchop" Reilly; Washington DC; Team Call Girls

Fixed Gear Only Event:
Track Stand Cycle Messenger World Champions:
J.P. Sutphin; Washington DC;
Chrissima Pearce; Toronto, Canada

Our apologies to Michelle, Crissima, and Rebecca. At the time of the awards ceremony, we had not yet received the full results from the fixed gear events, and thus did not have their names to call out. We embarrassingly stumbled when we heard that people in the audience knew who the winners were, yet in the confusion of the moment, we could not hear the names, and thus were not able to ask them on to stage. Our sincerest apologies for this blunder. No shaft of any kind was intended, and we hope that Michelle, Crissima and Rebecca will all forgive us for our mistake.

-- bega, results coordinator.