Mont Sainte Anne World Cup Round 4

As it did last year, for the 2010 World Championships, Mont Sainte Anne (MSA) turned on the wet and wild weather. Combined with slick rocks that littered the four and a half minute track it was always going to be interesting. MSA has held a World Cup or World Championships every year since the series inception and riders are happy to come back as the event is always well run on a proper track. This year the organisers ensured everyone watching from home had a better experience with the additon of a cable cam into the finish area.

Practice caused a few dramas with Mitch Delfs slicing his hand open after crashing in a corner while doing runs with team mate Connor Fearon and fellow Australian Josh Button. Mitch would have to miss the race and required stiches, his hand was eventually determined to be infected and required some serious anti-biotics. This was Connor’s first World Cup and made a lot of people sit up and take notice. In the end Connor had an off in the last technical rock garden of the track but still finished a highly credible 50th. IN the end Troy Brosnan flew the flag for the Australians with a career high 6th place, Rob Warner simply going nuts as Troy came down. Troy was visibly spent and if you sawA�his run then you would know why, he was pedalling everywhere including in the air on the finish line jump! Aaron Gwin continued on his winning ways and took the win just ahead of Josh Bryceland who posted his best result to date in second place, the rest of the podium was made up by riders who have transitioned from fast juniors into top 10 overall contenders. The two big omissions were Greg Minnaar in 20th, who crashed after hitting the same tree as he did in last years World Championships, and Gee Atherton who had another mechanical and recorded a DNF.

After winning the World Champinships here last year and coming into the event with good momentum from the previous World Cups Tracey Mosely was always going to be the favourite. She didn’t dissapoint finishing over 1.5 seconds ahead of second place Floriane Pugin. However, at 22 Floriane is destined to have a big future ahead of her, watch out for her at the World Championships.