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MTB World Cup XC #7 & DH #5 - CDM

Bromont, Canada, August 1-3, 2008

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Race 4 - August 2: Elite women downhill

Atherton repeats in slippery conditions

By Sue George in Bromont, Québec

Rachel Atherton (Animal Commencal) won
Photo ©: FJ Hughes
(Click for larger image)

World Champion Rachel Atherton (Animal Commencal) overcame a disappointing, mistake-filled qualifying run to log her second, consecutive World Cup win with a smooth final fun despite rainy, slippery conditions Saturday afternoon. Sabrina Jonnier (Team Maxxis) was briefly in the hot seat, but had to settle for second again, a little over two seconds behind Atherton. Tracy Moseley (Kona) finished third, one additional second later.

"I set off at the gate, and I was pretty nervous because I had a bad qualifier," said Atherton. "The ground was really wet and I was a bit scared because it rained quite a lot at the top. I was slipping and sliding but I kept it pinned and tried to ride it like it was try. Luckily it paid off."

"It's good to win two weekends in a row," said Atherton, who not happy with her qualifier. "I didn't think I'd win here. I didn't know if I'd pull it back. When you have a bad race (as she said she did in qualifying), it's always good to pull it back with a good one."

Light rain started after the first four racers completed their final runs. After a few minutes of heavier rain, the precipitation tapered off, but the several of the women commented that after a week of regular and often heavy rains, conditions were even more slippery than in the morning's qualifying runs, which were conducted under cloudy skies on a downhill course that differed from when Bromont has previously held World Cups and the 1992 World Championship.

Miranda Miller, Elisa Canepa (Playerbike - Ironhorse), and Danice Uyesugi traded time in the hot seat before Anita Molcik (4 Elements Yeti) clocked a 3:35.25, five seconds faster than Uyesugi.

"The rain started when I was on the start," said Molcik, who was happy with her run. "The track was slippery. I had some stops, but I think in these conditions, every rider will have some problems - except maybe for the top three."

Neither of the trio of racers that followed her could better her time, but Floriane Pugin (Playerbike - Iron Horse) took advantage of her opportunity and posted a blazing 3:25.26.

"I wasn't expecting it to be so wet because we had rain at the start, but just for five minutes before, so I didn't think it would already be wet, but it was," said Pugin. "It was more slippery in finals than in qualifying, but I think it was my best run of the week."

Although Claire Buchar and Mio Suemasa (MS Intense Factory Racing) gave it their best shots, neither could best Pugin's time, a time that would hold up for fifth.

"There are a lot of flat sections where you have to do a lot of sprinting," said Buchar, Canada's best finisher in sixth. "It's tough physically. This track is so stop and go, with tight corners and mud. You need a lot of power here."

It was another French woman, Jonnier, who would unseat her with a 3:16.64. But Jonnier's time in the hot seat was especially short-lived as Atherton came down with a 3:14.68 immediately thereafter.

"It was really slippery so I just tried to stay on my bike, but it apparently wasn't fast enough," said Jonnier, who didn't blame the rain. "It was just how it was - it's not like I could do anything about it."

Try as they would, neither Moseley nor Emmeline Ragot (Suspension Center) could surpass Atherton.

"I didn't ride the bottom half well, but I'm pleased with how I rode the technical stuff," said Moseley. "It was another solid result. Not quite where I want to be but at least I'm close enough."

"The run wasn't bad," an understated, but relieved Atherton said after winning. "I made three mistakes, stalling and then I sort of hit a tree at the top - barely squeezed past. But I've learned from experience that you can never give up, no matter what happens."

A challenging course

The course seemed to take a toll on the women, many of whom were upset after their qualifying runs. The track challenged both the physical abilities of the women as well as their mental outlook.

"Even in the dry, it would have been a tough track, but the rain out there made it hard," said Moseley.

"There holes were getting bigger. There were a few sections I was hoping I could get through. Normally by race day, I can pretty much pin it when it comes to the track, but this was still pretty much a lottery. The rain at the start (of the final) was a bit of a worry."

"There were big holes where you don't expect them," added Harriet Harper. "It's claimed a few riders in spots. There are big rocks everywhere. It's a real mind game." The difficulty was impossible to put out of her mind. "I couldn't really sleep last night."

"The course is really difficult, especially with the mud," said Jonnier after her qualifying run.

Even World Champion Atherton seemed to struggle at first.

"In qualifying, I got to the first turn and messed up really badly," said Atherton. "I nearly crashed. Then I got to a few turns down and went over the bars. And then I got a few more turns down and hit a tree. I was surprised to still get the third best time. I knew if I had a good run in the final I'd be up there, but you never know with the girls - they always go faster in the finals."

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by FJ Hughes / www.fhughesphoto.com

Images by Dave McElwaine/www.trailwatch.net

Results

1 Rachel Atherton (GBr) Animal Commencal         3.14.35
2 Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Team Maxxis              0.02.29
3 Tracy Moseley (GBr) Kona                       0.03.33
4 Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Suspension Center         0.03.80
5 Floriane Pugin (Fra) Playbiker - Iron Horse    0.10.91
6 Claire Buchar (Can)                            0.20.24
7 Mio Suemasa (Jpn) MS-Intense Factory-Racing    0.20.43
8 Anita Molcik (Aut) 4 Elements Yeti             0.20.90
9 Scarlett Hagen (NZl)                           0.24.56
10 Micayla Gatto (Can)                           0.25.20
11 Danice Uyesugi (Can)                          0.26.28
12 Fionn Griffiths (GBr) Norco World Team        0.37.02
13 Elisa Canepa (Ita) Playbiker - Iron Horse     0.50.63
14 Myriam Nicole (Fra)                           0.52.73
15 Amy Laird (NZl)                               0.54.14
16 Miranda Miller (Can)                          0.56.58
17 Harriet Harper (NZl)                          0.57.02
18 Amber Zirnhelt (Can)                          1.49.35
19 Sheila Morris (Can)                           2.14.65
DNS Caroline Buchanan (Aus)                             

Teams

1 Santa Cruz Syndicate                                       90 pts
2 Animal Commencal                                           70
3 Team Maxxis                                                69
4 Monster Energy / Iron Horse                                66
5 MS-Intense Factory-Racing                                  47
6 Playbiker - Iron Horse                                     46
7 Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team                            42
8 Giant Mountain Bike Team                                   34
9 Kona                                                       32
10 Suspension Center                                         30
11 Team Bike Radar                                           28
12 Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense                             27
13 4 Elements Yeti/Hotec/RSP                                 23
14 Subaru Mountain Bike Pro Team                             22
15 Kenda Tomac                                               22
16 Norco World Team                                          19
17 GT Bicycles                                               17
18 Team Sunn                                                 15
19 Massi                                                     11
20 Dolphin-Trek Mountainbike Racing Team                      8
21 Cannondale Factory Racing                                  2

Semi-finals 

1 Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Suspension Center              3.15.40
2 Tracy Mosely (GBr) Kona                             0.04.79
3 Rachel Atherton (GBr) Animal Commencal              0.06.29
4 Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Team Maxxis                   0.07.88
5 Mio Suemesa (Jpn) MS-Intense Factory Racing         0.15.34
6 Claire Buchar (Can)                                 0.19.57
7 Floriane Pugin (Fra) Playbiker - Iron Horse         0.20.71
8 Fionn Griffiths (GBr) Norco World Team              0.23.76
9 Scarlett hagen (NZl)                                0.27.41
10 Micayla Gatto (Can)                                0.27.61
11 Anita Molcik (Aut) 4 Elements Yet                  0.31.36
12 Danice Uyesugi (Can)                               0.36.99
13 Myriam Nicole (Fra)                                0.38.20
14 Amber Zirnhelt (Can)                               0.41.83
15 Amy Laird (NZl)                                    0.50.47
16 Elisa Canepa (Ita) Playbiker Iron Horse            0.51.74
17 Harriet Harper (NZl)                               1.11.05
18 Caroline Buchanan (Aus)                            1.14.32
19 Miranda Miller (Can)                               1.34.47
20 Sheila Morris (Can)                                2.37.75
21 Katrina Strand (Can)                               3.46.82
22 Anne Laplante (Can)                                7.31.53
23 Helen Gaskell (GBr)                               10.35.00
24 Helene Valer Fruhwirth (Aut)                      16.19.22
DNS Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Suspension Center              
DNS Daniela Bossard (Swi)                                    
DNS Kim Huard (Can)                                          
DNS Wendy Reynolds (USA)                                     
DNS Diana Dromundo Vargas (Mex) 

World cup standings after five rounds

1 Rachel Atherton (GBr) Animal Commencal                          1083 pts
2 Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Team Maxxis                               1000
3 Tracy Moseley (GBr) Kona                                         867
4 Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Suspension Center                           641
5 Floriane Pugin (Fra) Playbiker - Iron Horse                      558
6 Fionn Griffiths (GBr) Norco World Team                           544
7 Mio Suemasa (Jpn) MS-Intense Factory-Racing                      542
8 Claire Buchar (Can)                                              449
9 Myriam Nicole (Fra)                                              344
10 Céline Gros (Fra) Solid Aclass Factory Team                     334
11 Anita Molcik (Aut) 4 Elements Yeti/Hotec/Rsp                    333
12 Micayla Gatto (Can)                                             297
13 Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Suspension Center                     225
14 Melissa Buhl (USA)                                              199
15 Kathleen Pruitt (USA)                                           191
16 Scarlett Hagen (NZl)                                            175
17 Katy Curd (GBr)                                                 158
18 Helene Valerie Fruhwirth (Aut)                                  153
19 Petra Bernhard (Aut)                                            152
20 Danice Uyesugi (Can)                                            144
21 Miriam Ruchti (Swi) Sport Promotion                             139
22 Diana Marggraff (Ecu)                                           136
23 Harriet Harper (NZl)                                            126
24 Amy Laird (NZl)                                                 120
25 Elisa Canepa (Ita) Playbiker - Iron Horse                       118
26 Joanna Petterson (RSA)                                          117
27 Anais Pajot (Fra) Team Sunn                                     114
28 Helen Gaskell (GBr)                                              96
29 Mélanie Pugin (Fra) Sport Promotion                              66
30 Katrina Strand (Can)                                             65
31 Miranda Miller (Can)                                             58
32 Amber Zirnhelt (Can)                                             52
33 Sheila Morris (Can)                                              52
34 Dalma Kiss (Hun)                                                 49
35 Marie-Eve Marcotte (Can)                                         46
36 Birgit Braumann (Aut)                                            46
37 Victoria Hernandez Molinas (Spa)                                 45
38 Pascaline Reusser (Swi)                                          43
39 Anka Martin (RSA)                                                 9
40 Maria Michalogiannaki (Gre)                                       9
41 Jaymie Mart (Bar)                                                 9
42 Sophie Borderes (Fra)                                             9
43 Aimee Dix (GBr) Mojo Orange                                       9
44 Anne Laplante (Can)                                               6
45 Sandra Rubesam (Ger)                                              6
46 Leoni-Caro. Dickerhoff (Ger) IXS Sports Division Racing Team      6
47 Katarina Tothova (Cze)                                            6
48 Caroline Buchanan (Aus)                                           3
49 Diana Lorena Dromundo Vargas (Mex)                                3
50 Kim Huard (Can)                                                   3
51 Darian Harvey (USA)                                               3
52 Wendy Reynolds (USA)                                              3
53 Calamaty Jayne Cann (GBr)                                         3
54 Silja Stadler (Swi)                                               3
55 Mireia Bosca Ballester (Spa)                                      3
56 Helena Boskova (Svk)                                              3
 
Teams

1 Santa Cruz Syndicate                                             449 pts
2 Animal Commencal                                                 415
3 Monster Energy / Iron Horse                                      253
4 Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team                                  225
5 Team Maxxis                                                      218
6 Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense                                    204
7 Subaru Mountain Bike Pro Team                                    190
8 Ms-Intense Factory-Racing                                        187
9 Suspension Center                                                177
10 Kona                                                            158
11 Playbiker - Iron Horse                                          153
12 Norco World Team                                                126
13 Massi                                                            86
14 Msc Bikes                                                        85
15 4 Elements Yeti/Hotec/RSP                                        84
16 Solid Aclass Factory Team                                        76
17 Gt Bicycles                                                      70
18 Team Bike Radar                                                  69
19 Team Sunn                                                        69
20 Mojo Orange                                                      63
21 Kenda Tomac                                                      58
22 Giant Mountain Bike Team                                         56
23 Sport Promotion                                                  55
24 Team Pyrenees Morewood                                           46
25 Ixs Sports Division Racing Team                                  30
26 Lapierre Dh Powered By Saab Salomon                              24
27 Dolphin-Trek Mountainbike Racing Team                            23
28 Commencal - Furious - Oakley Team                                18
29 Team Ghost International                                          9
30 Cannondale Factory Racing                                         8
31 Specialized Factory Racing                                        7