What a race the first race of the series turned out to be. It’s always hard to pick a winner as no one is 100% sure what the riders have been up to in their off season.
The first cab off the rank though were the Elite Women, with Tracey Moseley semi-retiring, Sabrina Jonnier DNS and Rachel Atherton resting for the Val di Sole World Cup it was the younger riders, such as current World Champ Emmeline Ragot, who were carrying the pressure. It was current Junior World Champion, Manon Carpenter that came down the hill with a scorching run and took the hot seat early, Jill Kintner had a bobble and couldn’t better Manon, Emmeline Ragot moved into second behind Manon. Would Tracey live up to the pressure of a win at her come back World Cup? You bet she did! She took the win by just under a second, much to her brother Mic’s delight who was the first to congratulate her.
With the women finished the male riders hit the track, conditions were good for the riders with the rain that was forecast holding off. For tyre choice riders had to contend with a few areas that were still muddy but also hard packed clay that would give no grip for spikes. In the end most riders chose to go for a drier type tyre but as evidenced by Danny Hart’s crash, conditions were still a little tricky.
It was Julian Camellini that grabbed the hot seat and held it for quite a while! He surprised many as a privateer showing he has the speed to be racing in the World Cups with the big name riders. Julian was eventually edged out of the hot seat by local hope Andrew Neethling and would end up ninth, a huge result for him. Andrew Neethling had the crowd going wild for him and when he took the hot seat you could see his relief, after a 2011 season that was up and down with top ten results (even a podium) or mechanicals a good start for 2012 was super important, seventh in the end. In between this down came Sam Hill, he rode well considering this type of course is not one he favours and ended up in eleventh, was he the highest placed flats’ rider in eleventh?! With riders, such as Brendan Fairclough, who normally ride flats making the switch to clips you know things are getting serious.
WhenA�Jared Graves powered the bottom of the course it wasA�obvious hisA�downhill styleA�fitnessA�was back. He rocketed into the hot seat with a 4.02.42, a time that would place him just off the podium in sixth place. When fellow Aussie Mic Hannah came down many were wondering whether we had just seen a race winning run, Mic dipped under the 4.00.00 barrier with a 3.58.97. Highest Aussie qualifier Troy Brosnan had a solid run but never contended for the hot seat finishing a highly commendable eighth place, incredible in his first senior year really.
The big hitters came out swinging next but neither Stevie Smith or Gee Atherton could better Mic’s time, he was guaranteed a medal. Aaron Gwin who captured his first World Cup win here last year was next on course, he was close all the way down and everyone knew he would be strong in the bottom section and he was. He edged Mic out of the hot seat by just 0.36 seconds,A�at this stage everyone sighed from relief, has the rest of the field caught up closer to Gwin in 2012? Last rider down the hill was home town favourite Greg Minnaar, he never lead at any of the splits but put in a huge effort at the bottomA�and pipped Gwin by 0.63. Did the crowd go wild or what, jumping the barrier and hoisting him up into the air! Early days yet but with the 2013 World Championships being held in South Africa he would have to take an early lead as favourite. With the first round complete there is now a few months break before the World Cup heads to Val di Sole in Italy for round two.
Elite Men:
1. Greg Minnaar 3.57.98
2. Aaron Gwin 3.58.61 + 0.63
3. Mic Hannah 3.58.97 + 0.99
4. Gee Atherton 3.59.29 + 1.30
5. Steve Smith 4.02.36 + 4.38
…
6. Jared Graves 4.02.42 + 4.44
8. Troy Brosnan 4.03.00 + 5.02
11. Sam Hill 4.03.82 + 5.84
24. Bryn Atkinson 4.08.64 + 10.66
30. Mitch Delfs 4.09.87 + 11.89
62. Connor Fearon 4.17.16 + 19.18
Look out for downhill247.com at round two in Val di Sole for your World Cup fix!