Report: MTB World Cup Round 7
Miss round seven of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup live from Bromont, Canada on British Cycling? We've got the report and results from the men's and women's downhill, fourcross and cross country with video highlights of each race to follow.
FOURCROSS
Men's Final
Men's Semi Final 2 (possibly the best ever fourcross racing)
Women's Final
"The wildest race ever" is how winner Joost Wichman described round seven of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. The course in Bromont was a real mix of loose open turns that caused riders to bunch up, pile in and then take risks over the open rock gardens. The jumps were just for show and made little impact on the overall result, but were spectacular none the less.
The evening started out with two ridiculous rounds, setting the tone for racing. Bernard Kerr was intent not to take out Dan Atherton in his first moto despite several clear chances, but when Atherton made the move into first place this left Kerr with an opportunity but too far back to make anything of it.
What followed however nobody could predict - World Cup Overall winner Jared Graves went out in the opening race, crashing in a loose turn. That afternoon another mistake in the downhill qualifying resulted in Graves missing out on the downhill finals - so not a great weekend for the Aussie.
One consolation (for the live viewers at least) was that Graves would join Rob Warner and the Santa Cruz Syndicate in the Freecaster commentary box. What followed was some classic coverage of a demolition derby - nobody taking to the spirit of the event more than Mitch Ropelato. He came from last in every round to qualify for the finals. And as the gate dropped Wichman got the snap, Prokop hit the deck in the first corner and took Ropelato and Dan Atherton to ground with him. Only Ropelato would get up from the spill - Atherton finishing much later holding his shoulder and Prokop walking from the course.
Ffion Griffiths took her first World Cup win of the 2009 season, outsmarting Jill Kintner and Anneke Beerten in the process. Kintner and Beerten were too focused on each other and Griffiths hit the gap, panicking the top two. From here there was no way back and Griffiths could enjoy the win.
Unfortunately these words will never do what was an amazing race justice; luckily we have the Freecaster highlights if you missed the greatest fourcross race in mountain bike history.
Men's Finals Result
1. Joost Wichman
2. Mitch Ropelato
3. Dan Atherton
4. Michael Prokop
Women's Finals Result
1. Ffion Griffiths
2. Anneke Beerten
3. Jill Kintner
4. S. Petterson
DOWNHILL - MEN'S
Against all odds Greg Minnaar has taken out the penultimate round of the Mountain Bike World Cup to set up an all-or-nothing Schladming showdown for the World Cup Finals, to be held mid-September.
Sam Hill - everyone's favourite to take back-to-back wins in the Canadian double-header - was outstripped on a track he had reportedly perfected over the past four weeks. Staying in the Bromont resort Hill practiced the track before the World Cup event, but that couldn't stop Minnaar who was a second up at the first split and pedalled through the rock steps, where others - including overall contender Steve Peat - had lost composure.
Despite losing nearly half his advantage in the lower sector, by the finish Minnaar had regained his full one-second gap over then-leader Gee Atherton. The reigning World Champion would continue his victory drought in 2009, finishing as top-Brit in fourth position.
Hill was next down but never looked to trouble Minnaar, despite taking an inside line that others ignored. The result was a 0.63 second deficit at the bottom, with last man Fabien Barel to follow. Winner of Maribor and qualifying first in Bromont in wet conditions there was never any question over Barel's ability to pull a run together - but it wasn't ever expected to overhaul Hill.
In the top section the Frenchman's battle looked over - 1.51 seconds down on a track where the top eight were separated by just 1.87 seconds was never a solid start - but somehow Barel went wild and restored his losses to under half a second by the line.
Hill would be bumped into third, American Aaron Gwin slotting in fifth taking his second consecutive podium and Steve Peat a disappointing seventh following his mistake in the rock garden, dabbing and scooting his way through.
Still, Sam Hill leads the overall owing to Peaty's error, relegating the Brit to thrid and Minnaar is back in the hunt now sitting second despite his crash and puncture in Mont Sainte Anne last weekend.
All this means that in a repeat of 2008, Minnaar and Hill will face off once more for the title of UCI World Cup Downhill champion - the truest judge of consistency and form over a year of competition on the World's most demanding mountain tracks. This time though there will be the small matter of Steve Peat to contend with - and while he's further back on points, you'd never want to bet against Sheffield Steel on making the return of all returns, maybe even in Rainbow jersey.
Whatever happens you'll be able to watch the World Championships live on British Cycling Online, and the World Cup Finals, where we'll have live coverage and will be there to capture the atmosphere of the Finals, behind the scenes.
Men's Downhill Finals Result
1. Greg Minnaar 2.31.65
2. Fabien Barel +0.46
3. Sam Hill +0.63
4. Gee Atherton +1.03
5. Aaron Gwin +1.41
6. Michael Hannah +1.67
7. Steve Peat +1.83
8. Chris Kovarik +2.79
9. Josh Bryceland +4.07
10. Brendan Faurclough +4.09
11. Justin Leov +4.61
12. Marc Beaumont +4.67
Men's Downhill Overall
1. Sam Hill 1219
2. Greg Minnaar 1203
3. Steve Peat 1150
4. Gee Atherton 1078
5. Michael Hannah 929
DOWNHILL - WOMEN'S
Sabrina Jonnier has secured the women's UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, winning in Bromont by a clear 2.64 seconds. Unchallenged almost all season, with six consecutive victories and second place at the opening round in South Africa, Jonnier rightfully returns to the head of women's downhill racing.
But even without Rachel Atherton to challenge the Frenchwoman in 2009, it is obvious she is still beatable. While Tracy Moseley hasn't been able to discover that formula since her only win of the series back in April, Emmeline Ragot was certainly close today. It did take every risk though - and eventually one risk too far for Ragot to get inside Jonnier's time, as she crashed on the rock garden and became entangled in the tapes.
That all or nothing approach just highlights how Jonnier has managed to capture the fine balance of risk and control that every downhiller is looking for and right now nobody would imagine her stepping the wrong side of the boundary before the World Championships in Canberra.
Women's Downhill Finals Result
1. Sabrina Jonnier 2.58.28
2. Floriane Pugin + 2.64
3. Mio Suemasa + 2.95
4. Tracy Moseley +3.96
5. Celine Gros +5.96
Women's Downhill Overall
1. Sabrina Jonnier 1602 - Jonnier is now 2009 World Cup Champion
2. Emmeline Ragot 1225
3. Tracy Moseley 1141
4. Floriane Pugin 904
5. Celine Gros 850
CROSS COUNTRY
Geoff Kabush and Lene Byberg took surprise inaugural wins in round six of the UCI Moutain Bike World Cup held at Bromont - and in deeply contrasting conditions. For the women it was a drying course with some heavy, isolated downpours; the rain never penetrating the dense wooded 5km course.
For Byberg the race was won from behind - early on the Norwegian was back in the ranks - whereas Willow Koerber, Catherine Pendrel, Marga Fullana and Irina Kalentieva swapped lead positions in the early stages. Koerber, clearly enjoying the technical track was flying, but got caught early on in lap two at the opening climb by a persistent Pendrel. Fullana meanwhile was only finding reverse gear, slipping back through the order and retiring soon after - a mistake that would punish the World Cup Leader later in the race.
By lap three of four though it was Byberg calling the shots as she bridged to the top riders, pressurised with an attack and took only Kalentieva for company. Pendrel couldn't hold the pace and soon Kalentieva was distanced too, leaving Byberg to take her first ever World Cup win and with it the lead in the World Cup Overall.
British representative Sue Clarke was riding well in Bromont, halfway through lap one near the top twenty - but at the worst possible moment she punctured her front tyre, having to walk the descent and take a spare wheel. Restarting in second-last position, and losing over five minutes on her opening lap time Clarke had no hope of overturning the deficit and would be pulled from the course under the 80 percent rule.
For the men's race start the earlier showers had turned to persistent downpour and the course was running a river. This produced a race of unpredictability, with one exception. Ralf Naf got his trademark fast start, but this week series leader Julien Absalon was alert to the danger, quickly catching and passing Naf early on lap two and looking good for his 22nd World Cup win.
He didn't bargain for Geoff Kabush though, who with home support rode into the head of the race and overtook Absalon. What happened next was nothing short of a disaster for Absalon, as he suffered a snapped chain and did not pass through the finish until some five minutes later. From herein it was damage limitation mode for Absalon to defend his overall lead, but finishing 17th was not great progress - losing time to Kabush throughout the remaining laps.
A chasing group containing Nino Schurter, Florian Vogel and Ralf Naf made no impact on the Canadian - this was not a course where riding in groups helped - but the rider who would eventually finish second would not be a member of this group which tried to police the race. Instead Jose Hermida, riding well in the early stages but stopping in the pits mid-race and losing time, battled back to salvage a second consecutive runners-up-spot.
Ralf Naf would eventually finish third with Vogel fourth and Lukas Flukiger fifth following a race-long advance through the placings.
It seems that once again Brit Oli Beckingsale suffered an unfortunate incident. Recovering after last weeks ridiculous crash - where a stick pierced his ear as he crashed - Beckingsale today was riding comfortably in the top twenty until the final lap, only to be listed as a non-finisher on the UCI timings. Liam Killeen meanwhile rode himself into 21st, moving steadily through the field from 40th.
Men's Final Result
1. Geoff Kabush 01.52.39
2. Jose Hermida +0.01.31
3. Ralf Naf +0.01.56
4. Florian Vogel +0.02.10
5. Lukas Flukiger +0.02.22
6. Nino Schurter +0.03.35
7. Burry Stander +0.03.43
8. Ivan Alvarez Gutierres +0.04.39
9. Todd Wells +0.04.46
10. Adam Craig +0.05.10
17. Julien Absalon +0.07.14
21. Liam Killeen +0.08.05
Women's Final Result
1. Lene Byberg 1.45.58
2. Irina Kalentieva +0.02.35
3. Catherine Pendrel +0.03.13
4. Elisabeth Osl +0.03.32
5. Mary McConneloug +0.03.50
6. Katy Compton +0.04.08
7. Willow Koerber +0.04.41
8. Georgia Gould +0.05.46
