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MTB World Cup XC #6 & DH #5 - CDM
Maribor, Slovenia, September 14-16, 2007
Main Page Results Previous Race
Race 7 - September 16: Elite Women Downhill
Atherton takes revenge as Jonnier wraps up overall
By Rob Jones in Maribor
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Frenchwoman Sabrina Jonnier (Iron Horse-Monster Energy) added a World Cup title to the world title she won last weekend in Scotland, at the World Cup final today in Maribor, Slovenia.
Jonnier could manage no better than sixth in the final, after battling illness much of the week, and it gave Rachel Atherton (Animal Commencal) a measure of revenge to win the final event after being beaten last week for the world title.
Rain, which had been forecast for the morning, never materialized, and the large and enthusiastic crowd of spectators were treated to perfect blue skies and temperatures in the mid-20s Celcius. This left the 2.57 kilometre course bone dry, and the soft loamy ground began to get more and more churned up as the day went on, making some corners ragged, and exposing roots all the way down the course.
Atherton was the clear favourite for the women, having qualified a full six and a half seconds ahead of Tracey Hannah (Australia). Jonnier was well back in 11th during qualifying, 17 seconds behind, and could only improve by five seconds in the final, a fact that could be explained by her ill health.
"I've been sick all week, so I just did the best I could," she explained. "It was bad today, it was the worst. I couldn't breathe at all, stuffed up nose and plugged ears."
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Jennifer Makgill (SSangyong-Fusion), halfway through the women's 30 rider field set the first strong time of 3:34.11. Jonnier took another five seconds off, but that lasted for four riders before Helen Gaskell dropped the best time by a further two seconds.
Junior world champion Floriane Pugin (France) knocked another second off, and then two riders later, the defending champion, Tracy Moseley (Kona Les Gets), reduced the top time by a further second. Hannah couldn't beat the time, moving into third, however, Moseley's time was still over five seconds slower than Atherton's qualifier.
Atherton made it clear that she was the strongest rider by knocking a further three-plus seconds off her qualifying time, to win by 8.63 seconds.
"I had a pretty good run for sure, it's a wicked fast course," said the Briton. "The course suited me down to the ground, as it was pretty technical all the way down. I think it probably wasn't pedally enough for Sabrina."
Moseley took second overall behind Jonnier, with Tracey Hannah rounding out the top three.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by MTB.si
- Great Britain's Tracy Moseley (Kona Les Gets) ensured a Commonwealth podium, taking second spot.
- Newly re-crowned World Champion Sabrina Jonnier (Iron Horse/Monster Energy) settled for sixth spot.
- Great Britain's Rachel Atherton (Animal Commencal) on her way to winning the final World Cup round of 2007.
- Podium L-R): Floriane Pugin (Chatel Mtn Cycle), Tracy Moseley (Kona Les Gets), Rachel Atherton (Animal Commencal), Tracey Hannah (Orange-Maxxis), Helen Gaskell (Bikehut).
Images by Rob Jones/www.canadiancyclist.com
- Canada's Claire Buchar was 16th.
- Lisa Myklak was the top North American rider.
- Kiwi Jennifer Makgill set the first strong time and eventually came in 10th.
- Another New Zealander, Scarlett Hagen, was 12th.
- Frenchwoman Emmeline Ragot was 13th.
- Great Britain's Fionn Griffiths was 17th.
- World Champion Sabrina Jonnier finished 6th but still won the World Cup overall.
- Swiss rider Marielle Saner was 8th.
- New Zealand's Vanessa Quin was 11th.
- Helen Gaskell from Great Britain had a good ride for 5th.
- Céline Gros took 7th.
- Junior world champion Floriane Pugin was 4th.
- Mio Suemasa was 9th.
- Tracy Moseley settled for 2nd.
- Tracey Hannah continues to improve and took 3rd.
- Rachel Atherton was the strongest rider on the course and won her first World Cup.
- The women's podium (l-r): Floriane Pugin, Tracy Moseley, Rachel Atherton, Tracey Hannah and Helen Gaskell.
- The World Cup top five (l-r): Emmeline Ragot, Tracy Moseley, Sabrina Jonnier, Tracey Hannah and Marielle Saner.
Results
1 Rachel Atherton (GBr) Animal Commencal 3.16.27 2 Tracy Moseley (GBr) Kona Les Gets 0.08.63 3 Tracey Hannah (Aus) 0.09.33 4 Floriane Pugin (Fra) Chatel Mountain Cycle 0.09.80 5 Helen Gaskell (GBr) 0.10.80 6 Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Iron Horse / Monster Energy 0.12.84 7 Celine Gros (Fra) 0.13.21 8 Marielle Saner (Swi) Bikepark.Ch Tui 0.14.74 9 Mio Suemasa (Jpn) 0.15.72 10 Jennifer Makgill (NZl) Ssangyong-Fusion Pro Team 0.17.84 11 Vanessa Quin (NZl) Ms-Intense Factory-Racing Team 0.18.78 12 Scarlett Hagen (NZl) 0.22.49 13 Emmeline Ragot (Fra) 0.22.81 14 Haby Blu Cann (GBr) 0.26.07 15 Lisa Myklak (USA) 0.27.27 16 Claire Buchar (Can) 0.27.37 17 Fionn Griffiths (GBr) 0.27.81 18 Petra Bernhard (Aut) 0.32.14 19 Anita Molcik (Aut) Team Hotec / Rsp 0.33.61 20 Dalma Kiss (Hun) 0.35.71 21 Calamaty Jayne Cann (GBr) 0.36.42 22 Amy Laird (NZl) 0.37.37 23 Daniela Bossard (Swi) 0.37.74 24 Diana Marggraff (Ecu) 0.37.86 25 Elisa Canepa (Ita) Playbiker - Iron Horse 0.37.89 26 Helene Fruhwirth (Aut) 0.38.56 27 Jaymie Mart (Bar) 0.52.00 28 Anne Mai Sletten (Nor) 1.04.71 29 Jessica Vogt (USA) 1.10.22 30 Elise Koren (Nor) 1.14.84 Final World Cup standings 1 Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Iron Horse / Monster Energy 975 pts 2 Tracy Moseley (GBr) Kona Les Gets 845 3 Tracey Hannah (Aus) 800 4 Emmeline Ragot (Fra) 718 5 Marielle Saner (Swi) Bikepark.Ch Tui 661 6 Celine Gros (Fra) 592 7 Mio Suemasa (Jpn) 515 8 Helen Gaskell (GBr) 432 9 Floriane Pugin (Fra) Chatel Mountain Cycle 390 10 Fionn Griffiths (GBr) 385 11 Vanessa Quin (NZl) Ms-Intense Factory-Racing Team 277 12 Scarlett Hagen (NZl) 272 13 Jennifer Makgill (NZl) Ssangyong-Fusion Pro Team 269 14 Rachel Atherton (GBr) Animal Commencal 250 15 Claire Buchar (Can) 226 16 Helene Fruhwirth (Aut) 195 17 Petra Bernhard (Aut) 192 18 Daniela Bossard (Swi) 192 19 Melissa Buhl (USA) 170 20 Anja Rees Jones (GBr) Stendec Racing 165 21 Emily Horridge (GBr) Chatel Mountain Cycle 165 22 Calamaty Jayne Cann (GBr) 163 23 Elisa Canepa (Ita) Playbiker - Iron Horse 143 24 Lisa Myklak (USA) 130 25 Miriam Blas Otondo (Spa) Massi 118 26 Diana Marggraff (Ecu) 110 27 Jaymie Mart (Bar) 102 28 Anita Molcik (Aut) Team Hotec / Rsp 95 29 Dalma Kiss (Hun) 74 30 Olivia Johnston (NZl) 68 31 Joanna Pettersen (RSA) 67 32 Pascaline Reusser (Swi) 67 33 Amy Laird (NZl) 66 34 Sue Mahony (GBr) 62 35 Haby Blu Cann (GBr) 59 36 Silja Stadler (Swi) 55 37 Mireia Bosca Ballester (Spa) 55 38 Sheila Morris (Can) 49 39 Miriam Ruchti (Swi) 46 40 Aurea Agostinho (Por) 46 41 Mylene-Kim Fortier (Can) 43 42 Micayla Gatto (Can) Rocky Mountain Haywood 37 43 Jessica Vogt (USA) 34 44 Patarina Tothova (Cze) 32 45 Aimee Dix (GBr) 30 46 Claudia Paquin (Can) 30 Team 1 Iron Horse / Monster Energy 172 pts 2 Kona Les Gets 158 3 Chatel Mountain Cycle 141 4 Bikepark.Ch Tui 137 5 Ms-Intense Factory-Racing Team 73 6 Ssangyong-Fusion Pro Team 71 7 Stendec Racing 43 8 Animal Commencal 40 9 Playbiker - Iron Horse 36 10 Massi 34 11 Team Hotec / Rsp 27 12 Rocky Mountain Haywood 12
