There were surprises at the sixth Mountain Bike World Cup at the famed Mont-Sainte-Anne course in Quebec (CAN), but the men’s World Cup seasonal titles were secured by the long-time leaders of each class.
France’s Amaury Pierron was not among the Downhill leaders after the first race, but won three in a row in Ft. William (GBR), Leogang (AUT) and Val di Sole (ITA) to take a significant lead and with a fourth last weekend, has a 307-point lead over countryman Loris Vergier to take his first seasonal title. Pierron will break a three-year win streak for American Aaron Gwin and it’s the first title for France in the Downhill since Nicolas Vouilloz won the last of his three straight in 2000.
However, it was Loic Bruni, also from France, who won in Mont-Sainte-Anne, ahead of Australia’s Troy Brosnan.
In the men’s Cross Country race, Swiss Mathias Flueckiger won his first-ever World Cup race, but countryman Nino Schurter has wrapped up his sixth seasonal World Cup victory, previously in 2010-12-13-15-17. After a ninth-place finish, he has 1,546 points to 1,080 for Mathieu van der Poel (NED) and 1,061 for Henrique Avancini (BRA).
The women’s seasonal races are closer, but Britain’s Rachel Atherton got closer with a win in the women’s Downhill event over Tahnee Seagrave (GBR) and Tracey Hannah (AUS). Atherton has the lead after six of seven events, 1,226-1,116 over Seagrave with Hannah (AUS) third with 905. If Atherton holds on to win, it will be her fifth World Cup title in the last seven years.
In the Women’s Cross Country class, Swiss two-time champ Jolanda Neff has 1,600 points, in front of Annika Langvad (SEN) with 1,458 and Maja Wloszczowska (POL) has 1,077. Neff won in Mont-Sainte-Anne to pad her lead, with Langvad second, and is in a commanding position to win her third World Cup title. Summaries:
UCI Mountain Bike World Cup
Mont-Sainte-Anne (CAN) ~ 12-17 August 2018
(Full results here)
Men/Cross Country (29.7 km): 1. Mathias Flueckiger (SUI), 1:27:26; 2. Gerhard Kerschbaumer (ITA), 1:27:41; 3. Titouan Carod (FRA), 1:27:49; 4. Maxime Marotte (FRA), 1:28:04; 5. Luca Braidot (ITA), 1:28:31.
Men/Downhill (2.664 km): 1. Loic Bruni (FRA), 4;12.713; 2. Troy Brosnan (AUS), 4:13.034; 3. Danny Hart (GBR), 4:14.036; 4. Amaury Pierron (FRA), 4:16.010; 5. Loris Vergier (FRA), 4:16.181. Also in the top 25: 6. Luca Shaw (USA), 4:17.441; 7. Charlie Harrison (USA), 4:17.836; … 21. Neko Mulally (USA), 4:22.456.
Women/Cross Country (25.60 km): 1. Jolanda Neff (SUI), 1:29:27; 2. Annika Langvad (DEN), 1:31.19; 3. Emily Batty (CAN), 1:31:33; 4. Yana Belomoina (UKR), 1:32:26; 5. Anne Tauber (GER), 1:33:27. Also in the top 25: 11. Lea Davison (USA), 1:36:46; … 13. Erin Huck (USA), 1:37:50; … 19. Ellen Noble (USA), 1:42:06.
Women/Downhill (2.664 km): 1. Rachel Atherton (GBR), 4:51.443; 2. Tahnee Seagrave (GBR), 4:56.530; 3. Tracey Hannah (AUS), 5:11.723; 4. Marine Cabirou (FRA), 5:13.144; 5. Mariana Salazar (ESA), 5:14.137. Also in the top 25: 14. Caroline Washam (USA), 6:00.238.
