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2004 MTB World championships - CM
Les Gets, France, September 8-12, 2004
Main Page Results Previous Race Next Race
Race 6 - September 11: Downhill Elite Women
Quin wins; Chausson DNS
By Rob Jones in Les Gets
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The biggest news of the women's race was that the overwhelming favourite, Anne-Caroline Chausson of France, would not be starting after a crash in training. This threw the field wide open, with New Zealand's Vanessa Quin, the second fastest in qualifying, coming down last to snatch the title from former junior World Champion Mio Suemasa of Japan.
American April Lawyer set the early fast time of 3:22.20, which stood up until countrywoman Kathy Pruitt knocked nearly six seconds off. Suemasa came through two riders later to take a further four and a half seconds off, and her time stood until Quin, who was a further 2.78 seconds ahead.
"The run was the same as practice for me, and I hit all my lines." explained Quin, "but not having Anne-Caroline there was a big deal, and made it more of an open book, and some of us handled it better than others. It was a funny kind of feeling, to know that you definitely were not racing for second. All the women were nervous, because they suddenly had a chance."
Photography
Images by Birke Ulrich/www.alakarte.de
- Marla Streb (USA) - the USA's evergreen contender was just off the podium
- Vanessa Quin (New Zealand) took advantage of the absence of Anne-Caro to land another kiwi rainbow jersey
- Vanessa Quin concentrating hard on the goal
Images by Rob Jones/www.canadiancyclist.com
- Danika Schroeter (Canada) would place 9th
- The finish line in sight for Danika Schroeter
- Lisa Sher (USA) - in eighth, Sher was one of four US women in the top 10
- Mio Suemasa (Japan) - the former junior world champion takes silver medal
- Celine Gros (France) took the bronze for the host nation
- Marielle Saner (Switzerland) on the way to fifth
- Vanessa "Mighty" Quin (New Zealand) is the 2004 Women's DH Champion
Images by Birke Ulrich/www.alakarte.de
- The only way to beat Anne-Caro is to cripple her
- Nolvenn Le Caer heads home for tenth place
- It was lucky seventh for April Lawyer
- Michelle Dumaresq once again gets caught up in some tape
- At least it's blue and white this time, and not red
- When every second counts, it's all too easy to make a simple job into a hard one
- "Dammit, I'll just ride off and hope the tape breaks"
- It doesn't, so another stop, and an unfortunate 17th place
- A hot Vanessa Quin in the all-black of New Zealand
- Kiwi Vanessa Quin looks humbled with her World Champion win
- Mio Suemasa, Vanessa Quin and Celine Gros on the podium
- Vanessa Quin on the podium
- Number 1 in the world, and proud of it
- Japan's Mio Suemasa on the podium
- France's Celine Gros on the podium
Results
1 Vanessa Quin (New Zealand) 3.08.04 2 Mio Suemasa (Japan) 0.02.78 3 Celine Gros (France) 0.03.98 4 Marla Streb (USA) 0.05.72 5 Marielle Saner (Switzerland) 0.06.37 6 Kathy Pruitt (USA) 0.08.25 7 April Lawyer (USA) 0.14.16 8 Lisa Sher (USA) 0.14.37 9 Danika Schroeter (Canada) 0.14.56 10 Nolvenn Le Caer (France) 0.16.45 11 Bernardita Pizarro (Chile) 0.18.46 12 Fionn Griffiths (Great Britain) 0.20.30 13 Anneke Beerten (Netherlands) 0.20.83 14 Amelie Thevoz (Switzerland) 0.23.78 15 Claire Buchar (Canada) 0.27.15 16 Miriam Blas (Spain) 0.27.67 17 Michelle Dumaresq (Canada) 0.28.70 18 Katrina Strand (Canada) 0.35.83 19 Anka Martin (South Africa) 0.40.03 20 Katarina Siskova (Slovakia) 0.43.24 21 Junelle Cassidy (Canada) 0.48.42 22 Angelika Hohenwarter (Austria) 0.56.55 23 Dalma Kiss (Hungary) 0.57.84 24 Helena Boskova (Slovakia) 1.01.65 25 Antje Kramer (Germany) 1.03.72 26 Gale Dahlager (USA) 1.08.46 27 Jaymie Michelle Mart (Barbados) 1.13.86 28 Caroline Milot (Canada) 1.18.45 DNF Julia Lasso (Equador) DNS Anne-Caroline Chausson (France) DNS Anita Molcik (Austria)
