MTB World Cup XC #4 & DH #2 - CDM - CDM

Vallnord, Andorra, May 31-June 1, 2008

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Race 6 - June 1: Elite women downhill

Rachel Atherton scores family win number two

By Luke Webber in Vallnord, Andorra

Rachel Atherton was in top form
Photo ©: Luke Webber

Rachel Atherton (Animal Commencal) continued her family's dominance in the gravity events this weekend when she won the women's downhill, beating Sabrina Jonnier (Team Maxxis) by almost eight seconds in the final.

Atherton qualified in second place which led to excited talk of another win in the Atherton camp. In the finals, the pressure showed. Scoring the fastest ride in the in the semi-final put big focus on the youngest in the family. With the disappointment and knowledge of the mistakes she'd made three weeks previously made in Maribor it was never going to be an easy sell.

Pressure seemed to sit very comfortably with Atherton though and in a cool, focussed style she reversed the result, beating Jonnier and making it a second win in under 24 hours for Clan Atherton.

"I was a bit worried about the track at first because it was so cut up," Atherton said after her win. "but together we practiced the right lines and I was able to become more confident as the week went on. On this kind of track there were always going to be mistakes, but I was confident because I could afford to make a few and soldier on."

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Luke Webber / www.lukewebber.com

Today Sabrina Jonnier could not match Rachel Atherton.
Rachel Atherton was in top form and claimed win number two for the family.
Sabrina Jonnier selects some music before the finals.

Results

Final
 
1 Rachel Atherton (GBr) Animal Commencal          2.55.3
2 Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Team Maxxis               0.08.5
3 Floriane Pugin (Fra) Playbiker - Iron Horse     0.11.8
4 Tracy Moseley (GBr) Kona                        0.15.1
5 Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Suspension Center          0.15.8
6 Fionn Griffiths (GBr) Norco World Team          0.24.4
7 Gros Céline (Fra) Solid Aclass Factory Team     0.25.4
8 Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Suspension Center     0.29.8
9 Melissa Buhl (USA)                              0.33.3
10 Diana Marggraff (Ecu)                          0.33.6
11 Claire Buchar (Can)                            0.34.8
12 Micayla Gatto (Can)                            0.35.9
13 Pugin Mélanie (Fra) Sport Promotion            0.37.0
14 Petra Bernhard (Aut)                           0.37.1
15 Mio Suemasa (Jpn) Ms-Intense Factory-Racing    0.37.8
16 Myriam Nicole (Fra)                            0.38.0
17 Anais Pajot (Fra) Team Sunn                    0.39.2
18 Kathleen Pruitt (USA)                          0.42.4
19 Helene Valer Fruhwirth (Aut)                   0.44.4
20 Molinas Hernandez (Spa)                        0.46.7
21 Katy Curd (GBr)                                0.48.7

Semi final
 
1 Rachel Atherton (GBr) Animal Commencal          3.00.5
2 Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Team Maxxis               0.13.7
3 Tracy Moseley (GBr) Kona                        0.15.8
4 Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Suspension Center          0.23.5
5 Gros Céline (Fra) Solid Aclass Factory Team     0.26.3
6 Floriane Pugin (Fra) Playbiker - Iron Horse     0.30.5
7 Micayla Gatto (Can)                             0.31.4
8 Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Suspension Center     0.32.2
9 Fionn Griffiths (GBr) Norco World Team          0.33.4
10 Vict Hernandez Molinas (Spa)                   0.37.4
11 Myriam Nicole (Fra)                            0.39.3
12 Pugin Mélanie (Fra) Sport Promotion            0.40.1
13 Anais Pajot (Fra) Team Sunn                    0.41.7
14 Katy Curd (GBr)                                0.42.1
15 Melissa Buhl (USA)                             0.43.0
16 Diana Marggraff (Ecu)                          0.43.5
17 Claire Buchar (Can)                            0.44.3
18 Helene Valer Fruhwirth (Aut)                   0.44.4
19 Kathleen Pruitt (USA)                          0.45.1
20 Mio Suemasa (Jpn) Ms-Intense Factory-Racing    0.45.5
21 Elisa Canepa (Ita) Playbiker - Iron Horse      0.45.8
22 Petra Bernhard (Aut)                           0.47.2
23 Anita Molcik (Aut) 4 Elements Yet              0.52.5
24 Joanna Petterson (RSA)                         0.53.9
25 Silja Stadler (Swi)                            0.56.4
26 Aimee Dix (GBr) Mojo Orange                    0.59.2
27 Miriam Ruchti (Swi) Sport Promotion            1.02.4
28 Mireia Bosca Ballester (Spa)                   1.02.5
29 Sophie Borderes (Fra)                          1.11.5
30 Anka Martin (RSA)                              1.15.3
31 Jaymie Mart (Bar)                              1.49.1
32 Maria Michalogiannaki (Gre)                    1.51.4
33 Katarina Tothova (Cze)                         2.03.4