Minnaar, Atherton win Mont-Ste-Anne Downhill

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• Results

By Fred Dreier

Drenched with sweat after riding at maximum effort for four and a half minutes, Greg Minnaar couldn’t contain his smile after winning the Mont-Ste-Anne round of the 2008 UCI World Cup.

“Winner winner, chicken dinner,” Minnaar said.

For Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate), the win slayed two demons with one undoubtedly muddy, slippery proverbial sword. Minnaar finally won at Mont-Ste-Anne, the only regular World Cup venue that had stifled him in his nine-year career as a pro. And the South African took the victory one year after Mont-Ste-Anne’s punishing rough course left him with a painful dislocated shoulder.

“I knew I was on pace to do well last year and I think I could have done well if my shoulder hadn’t have come out,” Minnaar said. “I had confidence to win this year because I knew the course was very similar.”

The South African took a slim 1.73 advantage over reigning World Cup champion Sam Hill (Monster-Ironhorse), who looked to have the victory sewn up after beating both Steve Peat (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and newly crowned world champ Gee Atherton (Animal-Commençal). Hill, who suffered a nasty pileup at last month’s world championships while nursing a six-second lead, finished second at that race as well.

“I just wanted to make it out without crashing this time,” Hill said. “Everyone is telling me I should have slowed down on that turn [at worlds] but I had a six-second lead. I wasn’t going to slow down.”

Grabbing fourth was Peat. All four riders finished within three seconds of each other — proof that downhill racing at the elite level is the most competitive it’s been in years.

“The top-four overall mimics the World Cup results now too,” Peat said. “It’s cool that anyone can win.”

The world champ confirms her jersey

Taking the women’s race was newly crowned world champ Rachel Atherton (Animal-Commençal), who squeezed by Frenchwoman Sabrina Jonnier (Maxxis) by 1.43. Jonnier admitted she suffered on the wet, slippery slopes of Mont-Ste-Anne, which has seen plenty of rainfall in the past week. Jonnier sat in the hot seat as Atherton flew down the course nipping at her heels.

“I was thinking she should slow down,” Jonnier said.

For Atherton, the victory was confirmation that she has taken the reins from Jonnier as the best female downhiller in the world.

“The rainbow jersey hasn’t changed anything because I always knew I could win — it sounds a bit arrogant but I know that I’m the fastest, even when my race results don’t say that,” Atherton said. “It was actually hard to get motivation after world champs because it was midway through the season this year.”

Race Notes

• Mont-Ste-Anne is hosting the 2010 UCI world championships, and the venue is already boasting a number of upgrades. Chief among those is a sizable jumbotron, which featured televised angles from the downhill race.
• In his World Cup debut 20-year old Aaron Gwin finished an amazing 10th place, 12.08 off of Minnaar’s winning time. Gwin, who hails from Morongo Valley, California and rides for the Yeti-Fox factory team, has only been racing downhill mountain bikes since November of 2007.
• A number of elite downhill racers are sporting the South African-made Leatt brace, an over-the-shoulder neck brace used by motocross racers to prevent spinal injuries.
• Swiss rider Christoph Sauser, the recently crowned world champ, was a maybe for Sunday’s cross-country after crashing and hurting his knee. The current World Cup leader required four stitches for his injury.

UCI World Cup Mont-Ste-Anne, Quebec
Downhill
Men
1. Greg Minnaar (SA), Santa Cruz Syndiate, 4:30.57
2. Sam Hill (Aus), Monster-Ironhorse, 4:32.30
3. Gee Atherton (GB), Animal-Commençal, 4:32.80
4. Steve Peat (GB), Santa Cruz Syndicate, 3:33.53
5. Fabien Barel (F), Subaru, 4:37.25
6. Sam Blenkinsop (NZ), Yeti-Fox, 4:38.34
7. Nathan Rennie (Aus), Santa Cruz Syndiacte, 4:40.12
8. Julien Camellini (F), Chain Reaction, 4:41.74
9. Justin Leov (NZ), Yeti-Fox, 4:42.35
10. Aaron Gwin (USA), Yeti-Fox, 4:42.65

Women
1. Rachel Atherton (GB), Animal-Commençal, 5:12.36
2. Sabrina Jonnier (F), Maxxis, 5:13.79
3. Tracy Moseley (GB), 5:21.86
4. Mio Suemasa (Jpn), MS-Intense, 5:35.52
5. Fionn Griffiths (GB), Norco, 5:37.21
6. Clair Buchar (Can), 5:39.40
7. Helen Gaskell (GB), 5:43.63
8. Anita Molcik (Aut), 4 Elements, 5:47.15
9. Scarlett Hagen (NZ), GT, 5:47.40
10. Micayla Gatto (Can), 5:47.74

Photo Gallery

Results

Downhill

Men

1. Greg Minnaar (SA), Santa Cruz Syndiate, 4:30.57

2. Sam Hill (Aus), Monster-Ironhorse, 4:32.30

3. Gee Atherton (GB), Animal-Commençal, 4:32.80

4. Steve Peat (GB), Santa Cruz Syndicate, 3:33.53

5. Fabien Barel (F), Subaru, 4:37.25

6. Sam Blenkinsop (NZ), Yeti-Fox, 4:38.34

7. Nathan Rennie (Aus), Santa Cruz Syndiacte, 4:40.12

8. Julien Camellini (F), Chain Reaction, 4:41.74

9. Justin Leov (NZ), Yeti-Fox, 4:42.35

10. Aaron Gwin (USA), Yeti-Fox, 4:42.65

Women

1. Rachel Atherton (GB), Animal-Commençal, 5:12.36

2. Sabrina Jonnier (F), Maxxis, 5:13.79

3. Tracy Moseley (GB), 5:21.86

4. Mio Suemasa (Jpn), MS-Intense, 5:35.52

5. Fionn Griffiths (GB), Norco, 5:37.21

6. Clair Buchar (Can), 5:39.40

7. Helen Gaskell (GB), 5:43.63

8. Anita Molcik (Aut), 4 Elements, 5:47.15

9. Scarlett Hagen (NZ), GT, 5:47.40

10. Micayla Gatto (Can), 5:47.74

FILED UNDER: Mountain / Race Report / Race Result