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Peat, Jonnier top tough Mont Sainte-Anne DH

by VeloNews.com

• June 26, 2004
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By Chris Milliman, Special to VeloNews

Peat pounds the tricky course

Photo: Chris Milliman

If Steve Peat (Orange) could race all his races on the Mont Sainte-Anne downhill, he’d be a happy man. The burly Englishman collected his third Mont Sainte-Anne World Cup in as many years as the tricky course claimed more than a few potential winners, including world champ Greg Minnaar (Team G-Cross Honda), who crashed twice in his final run.

Peat overcame a hard crash in yesterday’s final practice run and a slow start in Saturday’s final to motor down the final kilometer of the course just fast enough to take the lead from Australian Sam Hill (Iron Horse-MadCatz). The tight, technical course gave every rider fits; whoever made the fewest mistakes would have the best chance of winning. With his size and power, Peat was able to make up any time he lost on the upper steep, rocky sections with blasts of speed through the lower woods and open slopes.

“The lower parts aren’t as tricky so I can carry more speed and use my momentum to gain time in there,” said Peat.

For Hill, last year’s world junior champion, second place had a sweet taste, as it was his highest World Cup finish to date. Nathan Rennie (Santa Cruz Syndicate) rounded out the top-three.

Jonnier: Second no longer

Photo: Chris Milliman

Sabrina Jonnier (Intense) has finished second at Mont Sainte-Anne three times, behind three different riders, but finally broke that string today with a stellar final run. The French star rode some 10 seconds faster than American Kathy Pruitt (Luna) who had held a seemingly solid lead until Jonnier’s second-to-last run of the afternoon. It was Jonnier’s first World Cup win of the year but her fourth consecutive appearance in the top three.

“I think this year I’m going better than ever,” said Jonnier. “I had a very good winter of riding, and I’ve not gotten injured, which always helps.”

For Pruitt, who convincingly won last weekend’s Mount Snow NORBA downhill, finishing second to Jonnier marked the best World Cup result in her young career. After a subpar qualifying run in the morning, Pruitt put together a mistake-free final.

“I was maybe a little cautious [in the final],” said Pruitt. “After this morning I wanted to make sure I didn’t have big mistakes on the run, so maybe I rode conservative, but I’m still happy with second.”

Mont Sainte-Anne World Cup
Downhill
Men
1. Steve Peat (GB), Orange, 2:50.62
2. Sam Hill (Aus), Iron Horse-MadCatz, 2:51.48
3. Nathan Rennie (Aus), Santa Cruz Syndicate, 2:57.29
4. Mickael Pascal (F), Maxxis-MSC, 2:58.86
5. George Atherton (GB), Muddy Fox, 2:59.56
6. Cedric Gracia (F), Siemens-Cannondale, 2:59.83
7. Fabien Barel (F), Kona Clarks-Les Gets, 2:59.90
8. Jared Rando (Aus), Giant-Pearl Izumi, 3:02.57
9. Justin Havukainen (Aus), 3:05.47
10. Kirt Voreis (USA), Santa Cruz Syndicate, 3:05.59

Women
1. Sabrina Jonnier (F), Intense, 3:23.71
2. Kathy Pruitt (USA), Luna, 3:33.46
3. Celine Gros (F), Team Morzine, 3:39.30
4. Helen Gaskell (GB), 3:39.64
5. Tracy Moseley (GB), Kona Clarks-Les Gets, 3:39.64
6. Bernadita Pizzaro (Chi), Red Bull-Michelin, 3:41.48
7. Michelle Dumaresq (Can), Santa Cruz, 3:44.43
8. Mio Suemasa (Jpn), Trek, 3:44.70
9. Rachel Atherton (GB), Muddy Fox, 3:46.70
10. Anita Molcik (A), Arbo RSP, 3:47.21

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