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Wet and muddy conditions did not stop the World Cup leaders for both the men and women from padding their leads in the standings at round three of the Downhill World Cup, as Aaron Gwin (Trek World Racing) and Emmeline Ragot (MS Mondraker) held off all challengers to record victories in Fort William, Scotland. Both spent much of their respective races sitting in the Hot Seat, after encountering problems during qualifying that resulted in early start positions.
In qualifying, the course was so dry that organizers resorted to wetting down sections of the run that was become extremely loose and washing out. However, overnight the always threatening Highlands rain moved in, and continued to fall more or less steadily throughout racing, backing off occasionally, only to return. The men also had to contend with mist on the open slopes of the upper section of the course, at times so thick that it became almost impossible to see more than ten metres ahead. Proof as to how poor the conditions were could be seen in the winning times: neither Ragot nor Gwin came close to the fastest times set in qualifying.
Ragot started halfway through the women's field, after a flat in qualifying put her well back in the field. Rachel Atherton (GT Factory) had set the fastest time in qualifying, a blazing 5:15.146, but early riders were having trouble getting under six minutes in race day conditions. Celine Gros (Team Morzine-Avoriaz/Haute-Savoie) was the only to do so before Ragot took a staggering 28 seconds off to claim the Hot Seat.
As rider after rider came down, none could get within ten seconds of Ragot's time until the final two riders. Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Riding Addiction), the second fastest qualifier, came in 9.416 seconds slower than Ragot, so it was up to Atherton, the winner of round two a week earlier. Atherton came through the top split over a second and a half faster than Ragot, but lost nearly two and a half seconds by the second split, recovering slightly by the finish to end up 1.315 seconds behind. Nicole took third.
Top North American was U.S. champion Jill Kintner (Norco International)in tenth, one spot in front of Canada's Miranda Miller. "It was a long time that I was waiting, but I just tried to stay mellow," agreed Ragot. "I had a good feeling on my bike, but it was pretty muddy conditions and at the same time you have to go fast but not slip on the rocks, so it was hard conditions. After my flat I just had to be positive and think, 'tomorrow is another day', and it work."
Ragot now leads the women's standings with 570 points, followed by Atherton - who missed round one - with 450 and Nicole at 441. Kintner drops one spot to seventh with 252 points, while Miller is in 14th with 95.
The men also struggled with the wet and slippery conditions, and it wasn't until there were less than 30 riders remaining that the five minute barrier was broken by young British rider Greg Williamson, at 4:57.864 . Williamson held onto the Hot Seat through seven more riders before Gwin obliterated it, knocking 9.654 seconds off the leading time - a time still nearly six seconds slower than Marc Beaumont's (GT Factory) best qualifying time. Gwin had crashed twice in qualifying, resulting in his much earlier than usual start position.
As the race counted down to the final ten riders, they began chipping away at Gwin's lead, but it wasn't enough. Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate), the winner of round one, was five seconds back despite dropping his chain mid run, a resurgent Sam Hill (Monster Energy-Specialized) was at three and a half seconds, and Gee Atherton (GT Factory) a second closer. Canada's Steve Smith (Devinci Global Racing) had qualified fourth, and was sixth fastest at the first split, less than two-tenths off Gwin's time, but then crashed on one of the slippery bridges further down to finish 19th.
Only world champion Danny Hart could get within a second, after leading at the first split, but even he was 0.834 seconds back, while Beaumont crashed heavily high on the course, taking him out of contention. It was Gwin's second consecutive Downhill World Cup win of the season. "I was coming down thinking it was going well, and it was a good run," said Hart. "But it's hard work, the new bottom section, when it's rained like it has. I just wish I could have gone eight-tenths faster." "I didn't know if it would be enough," commented Gwin, who had crashed in qualifying. "That was a hard run, I didn't have much left at the bottom. It wasn't the best weekend for me, but I managed to pull it together. I can't believe it really."
Gwin now leads the standings with 650 points to Minnaar's 565, with Atherton at 495. Smith drops from fifth to sixth in the standings, with 302 points.
Flat tires beat more riders than other competitors. All photos by Colin Meagher.
Women Time
1 Emmeline Ragot (Fra) MS Mondraker Team 05:27.1
2 Rachel Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing 05:28.4
3 Myriam Nicole (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction 05:36.5
4 Floriane Pugin (Fra) Scott11 05:38.8
5 Tracy Moseley (GBr) TM Racing 05:41.3
6 Tracey Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson United Ride 05:46.8
7 Morgane Charre (Fra) Passion Velo.fr 05:49.8
8 Anita Molcik (Aut) Four Elements 05:53.7
9 Céline Gros (Fra) Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie 05:55.8
10 Jill Kintner (USA) Team Norco International 05:59.8
11 Miranda Miller (Can) SRAM/Santa Cruz 06:01.0
12 Emilie Siegenthaler (Sui) Scott11 06:02.0
13 Fionn Griffiths (GBr) Team Gr 06:05.8
14 Tahnee Seagrave * (GBr) 06:06.3
15 Sarah Newman (GBr) 06:08.4
16 Mio Suemasa (Jpn) 06:09.0
17 Jessica Stone (GBr) Unior Tools Team 06:14.6
18 Zarja Cernilogar (Slo) Crn trn GT 06:22.0
19 Petra Bernhard (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria 06:29.3
20 Harriet Rucknagel (Ger) 06:57.8
DNF Carina Cappellari (Sui) Team Ridebook
Men
1 Aaron Gwin (USA) Trek World Racing 04:48.2
2 Danny Hart (GBr) Giant Factory Off-Road Team 04:49.0
3 Gee Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing 04:50.7
4 Samuel Hill (Aus) Monster Energy-Specialized 04:51.7
5 Josh Bryceland (GBr) Santa Cruz Syndicate 04:53.3
6 Greg Minnaar (RSA) Santa Cruz Syndicate 04:53.3
7 Joseph Smith (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof 04:55.1
8 Sam Dale (GBr) 04:55.4
9 Matthew Simmonds (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof 04:55.6
10 Cameron Cole (NZl) Lapierre International 04:55.8
11 Rémi Thirion (Fra) Labyrinth Shimano Racing Team 04:55.9
12 Samuel Blenkinsop (NZl) Lapierre International 04:56.2
13 Andrew Neethling (RSA) Giant Factory Off-Road Team 04:56.3
14 Luke Strobel (USA) 04:57.2
15 Michael Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson United Ride 04:57.5
16 Loic Bruni (Fra) Lapierre International 04:57.8
17 Greg Williamson (GBr) 04:57.9
18 Nick Beer (Sui) Devinci Global Racing 04:59.4
19 Steve Smith (Can) Devinci Global Racing 04:59.4
20 Bryn Atkinson (Aus) Team Norco International 05:02.0
21 George Brannigan (NZl) Devinci Global Racing 05:02.3
22 Patrick Thome (Fra) Lapierre International 05:02.4
23 Lewis Buchanan (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof 05:03.1
24 Mitchell Delfs (Aus) Kona 05:03.2
25 Richard Thomas (GBr) 05:03.3
26 Filip Polc (Svk) POLCSTER RACING 05:03.5
27 Ben Reid (Irl) Dirt Norco Race Team 05:03.6
28 Pierre Charles Georges (Fra) Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsac 05:04.0
29 Brendan Fairclough (GBr) Scott11 05:04.2
30 Johannes Fischbach (Ger) Ghost Factory Racing Team 05:04.4
31 Alexander Kangas (Swe) 05:04.4
32 Justin Leov (NZl) Trek World Racing 05:04.6
33 Richard Rude Jr (USA) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team 05:04.8
34 Mickael Pascal (Fra) CK Racing Santacruz 05:05.0
35 Fraser Mcglone (GBr) 05:05.4
36 Dan Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing 05:05.5
37 Matti Lehikoinen (Fin) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof 05:06.3
38 Connor Fearon * (Aus) Kona 05:06.6
39 Jack Reading (GBr) 05:07.0
40 Marcelo Gutierrez Villegas (Col) CG Racing Brigade 05:07.5
41 Duncan Riffle (USA) Dirt Norco Race Team 05:07.7
42 Damien Spagnolo (Fra) MS Mondraker Team 05:08.1
43 Nico XCYTT (Bel) Rose Vaujany Gravity MTB Team 05:08.3
44 Ivan Oulego Moreno (Esp) 05:08.4
45 Aurélien Giordanengo (Fra) Topcycle by Trek 05:08.6
46 Lars Vatnebryn Sandviken (Nor) 05:09.2
47 Julien Camellini (Fra) 05:09.5
48 Joshua Button (Aus) SC-Intense 05:10.0
49 Thomas Braithwaite (GBr) 05:10.7
50 Nejc Rutar (Slo) Unior Tools Team 05:10.9
51 Ralph Jones (GBr) 05:11.0
52 Joe Barnes (GBr) 05:11.0
53 Ziga Pandur (Slo) Unior Tools Team 05:11.2
54 Boris Tetzlaff (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria 05:11.2
55 Oliver Burton (GBr) 05:11.5
56 Mark Scott (GBr) 05:14.1
57 Fabien Cousinie (Fra) Hutchinson United Ride 05:14.2
58 Cyrille Kurtz (Fra) Ck Racing Santacruz 05:14.3
59 Scott Mears (GBr) 05:14.9
60 Oscar Harnstrom (Swe) Pila-Black Arrows-Mtb Herin School A 05:16.0
61 Florent Payet (Fra) SC-Intense 48 25 05:16.5
62 Francisco Pardal (Por) 05:17.2
63 Thomas Jeandin (Sui) 05:18.9
64 Phil Atwill (GBr) Madison Saracen Downhill Team 05:19.2
65 Robin Wallner (Swe) Team Are Bikepark by W-Racing 05:19.3
66 Marc Beaumont (GBr) GT Factory Racing 05:20.7
67 Niklas Wallner (Swe) Team Are Bikepark by W-Racing 05:21.6
68 Mathieu Gallean (Fra) Dagg - Racing 05:25.4
69 Brook Macdonald (NZl) MS Mondraker Team 05:27.4
70 Edgar Carballo Gonzalez (Esp) 05:27.5
71 Matthew Beer (Can) Intense Cycles/ Fox Shox 05:29.7
72 Alex Bond (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof 05:30.5
73 Gaetan Ruffin (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction 05:40.2
74 Bernat Guardia Pascual (Esp) 05:41.3
75 Harry Heath (GBr) Unior Tools Team 05:44.1
76 Jared Graves (Aus) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team 05:46.0
77 Steve Peat (GBr) Santa Cruz Syndicate 08:07.5
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