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MTB World Cup XC #9 & DH #7 - CDM
Schladming, Austria, September 11-14, 2008
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Race 4 - September 13: Elite women downhill
Atherton completes clean sweep
By Luke Webber in Schladming
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World Champion Rachel Atherton (Animal Comencal) proved she was not only fast enough to blow away the competition, but could do so with consistency - much to the annoyance of her rivals. Producing a run reminiscent of her scintillating performance at the World Championships, Atherton managed to record another first today; her biggest ever winning margin in a senior event. But even with such domination, the young Brit still looks to improve to the next level in 2009:
"So far this year I've not made the qualifying mark for the men's race, which I'm pretty disappointed about. This is definitely the mark I'll set for 2009," said Atheron.
Setting standards against the opposite sex is not something alien for Atherton though, as she trains with her two brothers Dan and Gee constantly, gauging her progress against theirs and not other female riders.
"I get fed up when we go out riding not being able to keep up, or always having to go last!" Atherton joked. Unfortunately for her opponents it is clearly something she takes seriously and a mark to which others will struggle to step up.
Already though, Atherton is assessing her weaknesses ready for a very different World Championships in Canberra 2009. The course, made up of long pedalling sections does not suit Atherton's attributes, which are more accustomed to steep courses. No doubt she will work to improve her weakness for next September's worlds.
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After two nights of torrential rain, the cut-up course was in poor condition with knee-deep ruts, slick roots and running water. These conditions made tire choice a simple one. With mud spikes selected, the top women set out in the dry and Atherton posted the fastest time. Her series rivals Tracy Moseley (Kona) and Sabrina Jonnier (Team Maxxis) already looked out of the race, finishing third and fourth respectively but with more rain hitting the course come early afternoon some expected a very different final.
Jonnier was the first with intent to occupy the hot seat with a confident run and no obvious mistakes, but it was her country-woman Floriane Pugin (Playbiker - Iron Horse) who surprised by taking over the lead. With the rain firmly coming into play at this point in the contest, Atherton would have to produce a very special final descent to take the overall. What followed was on the edge of anyone's abilities and Atherton was obviously on the edge of control with her foot out of the pedal on several occasions.
The reward was total domination a winning margin of over ten seconds and the World Cup overall title. Her overall win answered the comments of critics who had called her riding inconsistent, and it marked a step up in maturity from this time last year when she had had to come to terms with losing at the World Championships in Fort William on her home turf.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Luke Weber
- Rachel Atherton warms up before the semi-final.
- And continued to ride flat out.
- Jonnier had nothing to match Atherton this weekend.
- Moseley was also out of sorts.
- This shot hopefully gives you an idea of the drop involved on the Schladming course.
- All weekend the British flag was flying at the Atherton pit.
- Rumour has it Rach only won the Worlds so she could have pretty nails for a year!.
- Focus is key in downhill.
- The Atherton fanclub was out in force for the finals.
Results
Finals 1 Rachel Atherton (GBr) Animal Commencal 4.47.21 2 Floriane Pugin (Fra) Playbiker - Iron Horse 0.13.67 3 Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Team Maxxis 0.14.12 4 Tracy Moseley (GBr) Kona 0.16.84 5 Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Suspension Center 0.17.73 6 Fionn Griffiths (GBr) Norco World Team 0.22.86 7 Helen Gaskell (GBr) 0.25.20 8 Petra Bernhard (Aut) 0.27.33 9 Claire Buchar (Can) 0.32.30 10 Anita Molcik (Aut) 4 Elements Yet 0.38.18 11 Miriam Ruchti (Swi) Sport Promotion 0.40.27 12 Diana Marggraff (Ecu) 0.42.97 13 Elisa Canepa (Ita) Playbiker - Iron Horse 0.53.70 14 Myriam Nicole (Fra) 0.55.63 15 Birgit Braumann (Aut) 0.56.58 16 Harriet Rucknagel (Ger) 1.01.81 17 Dalma Kiss (Hun) 1.02.61 18 Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Suspension Center 1.15.77 19 Silja Stadler (Swi) 1.16.13 20 Mio Suemasa (Jpn) Ms-Intense Factory-Racing 6.42.59 Qualifications / semi-finals 1 Rachel Atherton (GBr) Animal Commencal 4.45.98 2 Floriane Pugin (Fra) Playbiker - Iron Horse 0.10.45 3 Tracy Moseley (GBr) Kona 0.14.66 4 Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Team Maxxis 0.21.61 5 Petra Bernhard (Aut) 0.28.43 6 Helen Gaskell (GBr) 0.33.09 7 Fionn Griffiths (GBr) Norco World Team 0.35.86 8 Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Suspension Center 0.37.41 9 Claire Buchar (Can) 0.38.29 10 Anita Molcik (Aut) 4 Elements Yet 0.42.73 11 Myriam Nicole (Fra) 0.43.13 12 Elisa Canepa (Ita) Playbiker - Iron Horse 0.51.36 13 Mio Suemasa (Jpn) Ms-Intense Factory-Racing 0.51.59 14 Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Suspension Center 0.51.90 15 Silja Stadler (Swi) 0.52.98 16 Dalma Kiss (Hun) 0.55.06 17 Diana Marggraff (Ecu) 0.55.42 18 Miriam Ruchti (Swi) Sport Promotion 0.57.35 19 Birgit Braumann (Aut) 1.03.92 20 Harriet Rucknagel (Ger) 1.04.98 21 Helene Valer Fruhwirth (Aut) 1.07.01 22 Sarah Newman (GBr) 1.10.82 23 Jessica Stone (GBr) 1.12.96 24 Sandra Rubesam (Ger) 1.23.32 25 Jaymie Mart (Bar) 1.34.34 26 Elke Rabeder (Aut) 1.44.37 27 Katarina Tothova (Cze) 1.47.06 28 Antje Kramer (Ger) 1.51.65 29 Leoni-Caro. Dickerhoff (Ger) Ixs Sports Division Racin 2.06.42 30 Helena Boskova (Svk) 2.58.80 DNS Katy Curd (GBr) DNS Anneke Beerten (Ned) Ms-Intense Factory-Racing World Cup final standings 1 Rachel Atherton (GBr) Animal Commencal 1533 pts 2 Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Team Maxxis 1335 3 Tracy Moseley (GBr) Kona 1272 4 Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Suspension Center 898 5 Floriane Pugin (Fra) Playbiker - Iron Horse 852 6 Fionn Griffiths (GBr) Norco World Team 798 7 Mio Suemasa (Jpn) Ms-Intense Factory-Racing 687 8 Claire Buchar (Can) 539 9 Anita Molcik (Aut) 504 10 Myriam Nicole* (Fra) 406 11 Céline Gros (Fra) Solid Aclass Factory Team 334 12 Helen Gaskell (GBr) 297 13 Micayla Gatto (Can) 297 14 Diana Marggraff (Ecu) 278 15 Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Suspension Center 274 16 Petra Bernhard (Aut) 257 17 Scarlett Hagen (NZl) 249 18 Helene Valerie Fruhwirth (Aut) 218 19 Miriam Ruchti (Swi) Sport Promotion 213 20 Melissa Buhl (USA) 199 21 Kathleen Pruitt (USA) 191 22 Elisa Canepa (Ita) Playbiker - Iron Horse 184 23 Amy Laird (NZl) 169 24 Katy Curd (GBr) 158 25 Danice Uyesugi (Can) 144 26 Harriet Harper (NZl) 126 27 Joanna Petterson (RSA) 117 28 Anais Pajot* (Fra) Team Sunn 114 29 Birgit Braumann (Aut) 104 30 Dalma Kiss (Hun) 101 31 Sheryl Macleod (NZl) 98 32 Caroline Buchanan* (Aus) 69 33 Mélanie Pugin* (Fra) Sport Promotion 66 34 Katrina Strand (Can) 65 35 Claire Whiteman (Aus) 58 36 Miranda Miller* (Can) 58 37 Harriet Rucknagel (Ger) 55 38 Leigh Douglas (Can) 55 39 Cara Smith (Aus) 52 40 Amber Zirnhelt (Can) 52 41 Sheila Morris (Can) 52 42 Silja Stadler (Swi) 49 43 Joanne Fox (Aus) 46 44 Marie-Eve Marcotte (Can) 46 45 Victoria Hernandez Molinas (Spa) 45 46 Pascaline Reusser (Swi) 43 47 Jaymie Mart (Bar) 12 48 Maria Michalogiannaki (Gre) 9 49 Sandra Rubesam (Ger) 9 50 Aimee Dix (GBr) Mojo Orange 9 51 Sophie Borderes (Fra) 9 52 Anka Martin (RSA) 9 53 Katarina Tothova (Cze) 9 54 Leoni-Caro. Dickerhoff* (Ger) IXS Sports Division Racing Team 9 55 Anne Laplante* (Can) 6 56 Helena Boskova (Svk) 6 57 Julia Boer (Hun) 3 58 Jayne Rutter (Aus) 3 59 Diana Lorena Dromundo Vargas* (Mex) 3 60 Sarah Newman (GBr) 3 61 Jessica Stone* (GBr) 3 62 Kim Huard (Can) 3 63 Elke Rabeder (Aut) 3 64 Calamaty Jayne Cann (GBr) 3 65 Antje Kramer (Ger) 3 66 Mireia Bosca Ballester (Spa) 3 67 Darian Harvey (USA) 3 68 Wendy Reynolds (USA) 3 Team 1 Santa Cruz Syndicate 618 pts 2 Animal Commencal 582 3 Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team 351 4 Monster Energy / Iron Horse 325 5 Team Maxxis 303 6 Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 257 7 Playbiker - Iron Horse 247 8 Subaru Mountain Bike Pro Team 246 9 Suspension Center 246 10 Kona 228 11 Ms-Intense Factory-Racing 222 12 Norco World Team 182 13 GT Bicycles 139 14 Team Bike Radar 131 15 4 Elements Yeti/Hotec/Rsp 126 16 Giant Mountain Bike Team 122 17 Kenda Tomac 106 18 Massi 106 19 MSC Bikes 101 20 Solid Aclass Factory Team 91 21 Sport Promotion 75 22 Team Sunn 69 23 Mojo Orange 63 24 Team Pyrenees Morewood 53 25 Commencal - Furious - Oakley Team 33 26 IXS Sports Division Racing Team 30 27 Lapierre DH Powered By Saab Salomon 24 28 Dolphin-Trek Mountainbike Racing Team 23 29 Cannondale Factory Racing 17 30 Tomac Factory Racing 13 31 Team Ghost International 10 32 Specialized Factory Racing 7 33 Reverse Components 4
