Ragot takes first World Cup win

The race for the World Cup title in the women's Downhill got a little tighter on Saturday, at round four in Champéry, Switzerland. World champion Emmeline Ragot (Suspension Center) took the first World Cup victory of her career and jumped into third in the women's overall standings behind leader Sabrina Jonnier (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain).

The rain, which had turned the steep 1,500 metre course into a slippery mud slide during qualifying, finally backed off for race day, but the damage had been done and, in some ways, the drying conditions made things worse. As the thick mud began to dry, it clung to bikes and turned to the consistency of peanut butter, doubling the weight of bikes and slowing forward momentum to a crawl. For the lighter, less powerful women, it was the worst, with riders literally coming to a halt in some corners as they pushed on the ground with their feet to keep moving.

Floriane Pugin (Scott 11) set the first fast, sub-6 minute time. Canada's Claire Buchar (Chain Reaction/Intense) also went under six minutes, but was more than 16 seconds behind Pugin. The young French rider stayed in the hot seat until the final three riders came down, with Ragot racing third from last and knocking over eleven and a half seconds off the top time. Jonnier was next, and moved into second, still nearly five seconds behind Ragot, and the fastest qualifier, Myriam Nicole (Commencal Superiders) slotted into third.

"I was a real balance not to fall, [because] the mud was very sticky," said Ragot. "I kept saying 'go slow, go slow, go slow' ... but not too slow or you will fall over! The end [of the course] it was terrible... I had a rock caught between my frame and my tire. It made a terrible noise. But now I feel good. I have been waiting for a win."

Jonnier now has 850 points to Pugin's 645, with Ragot up to 615 points.

Full results

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Elite women
1Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Suspension Center0:05:27.25
2Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain0:00:04.87
3Myriam Nicole (Fra) Commencal Superiders0:00:09.72
4Floriane Pugin (Fra) Scott 110:00:11.65
5Tracy Moseley (GBr) Trek World Racing0:00:12.08
6Manon Carpenter (GBr)0:00:18.11
7Claire Buchar (Can) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense0:00:27.87
8Petra Bernhard (Aut) RC Alpine Commencal Austria0:00:38.87
9Fionn Griffiths (GBr) Norco World Team0:00:39.72
10Céline Gros (Fra) Morzine-Avoriaz/Haute-0:00:41.16
11Mio Suemasa (Jpn) FFC0:00:51.71
12Martina Bruehlmann (Swi)0:00:52.77
13Miriam Ruchti (Swi) Dr-Gravity Union0:01:06.75
14Katy Curd (GBr) Rose Bikes0:01:07.63
15Caroline Sax (Fra)0:01:13.06
16Micayla Gatto (Can) Oakley/Commencal0:01:15.88
17Jacqueline Harmony (USA) Vixen Racing0:01:38.21
18Nicole Beege (Ger)0:02:01.84
19Morgane Charre (Fra)0:04:00.15
DNFEmilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Scott 11Row 19 - Cell 2
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Elite women's teams
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense85pts
2Scott 1170Row 1 - Cell 3
3Santa Cruz Syndicate48Row 2 - Cell 3
4Commencal40Row 3 - Cell 3
5Suspension Center40Row 4 - Cell 3
6Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain35Row 5 - Cell 3
7Monster Energy / Specialized / Mad Catz32Row 6 - Cell 3
8Commencal Superiders32Row 7 - Cell 3
9Norco World Team32Row 8 - Cell 3
10Lapierre International30Row 9 - Cell 3
11Mondraker Factory Team28Row 10 - Cell 3
12Trek World Racing28Row 11 - Cell 3
13MS Evil Racing26Row 12 - Cell 3
14Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team23Row 13 - Cell 3
15RC Alpine Commencal Austria23Row 14 - Cell 3
16Morzine-Avoriaz/Haute-Savoie21Row 15 - Cell 3
17GT Bicycles19Row 16 - Cell 3
18Dr-Gravity Union18Row 17 - Cell 3
19Solid Aclass Factory Team17Row 18 - Cell 3
20Kenda-Playbiker15Row 19 - Cell 3
21Giant Factory Team9Row 20 - Cell 3
22Team Lac Blanc Massif Des Vosges8Row 21 - Cell 3
23Blackmountain Morewood United7Row 22 - Cell 3
24XMS Racing Squad4Row 23 - Cell 3
25Team Cingolani - Protone3Row 24 - Cell 3

World Cup Standings after four rounds

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World Cup Individual Standings
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain850pts
2Floriane Pugin (Fra) Scott 11645Row 1 - Cell 3
3Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Suspension Center615Row 2 - Cell 3
4Myriam Nicole (Fra) Commencal Superiders540Row 3 - Cell 3
5Tracy Moseley (GBr) Trek World Racing519Row 4 - Cell 3
6Rachel Atherton (GBr) Commencal460Row 5 - Cell 3
7Claire Buchar (Can) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense374Row 6 - Cell 3
8Petra Bernhard (Aut) RC Alpine Commencal Austria326Row 7 - Cell 3
9Céline Gros (Fra) Morzine-Avoriaz/Haute-Savoie321Row 8 - Cell 3
10Mio Suemasa (Jpn)316Row 9 - Cell 3
11Manon Carpenter° (GBr)307Row 10 - Cell 3
12Fionn Griffiths (GBr) Norco World Team155Row 11 - Cell 3
13Micayla Gatto (Can)140Row 12 - Cell 3
14Katy Curd (GBr)135Row 13 - Cell 3
15Miriam Ruchti (Swi) Dr-Gravity Union100Row 14 - Cell 3
16Harriet Rucknagel (Ger)90Row 15 - Cell 3
17Melissa Buhl (USA)75Row 16 - Cell 3
18Jessica Stone (GBr)70Row 17 - Cell 3
19Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Scott 1165Row 18 - Cell 3
20Martina Bruehlmann (Swi)45Row 19 - Cell 3
21Joanna Petterson (RSA)40Row 20 - Cell 3
22Caroline Sax (Fra)30Row 21 - Cell 3
23Aimee Dix (GBr)25Row 22 - Cell 3
24Jacqueline Harmony (USA)20Row 23 - Cell 3
25Anais Pajot (Fra) Team Sunn Montgenevre20Row 24 - Cell 3
26Fanny Lombard° (Fra)20Row 25 - Cell 3
27Nicole Beege (Ger)15Row 26 - Cell 3
28Morgane Charre (Fra)15Row 27 - Cell 3
29Sophie Borderes (Fra)15Row 28 - Cell 3
30Birgit Braumann (Aut)10Row 29 - Cell 3
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World Cup Team Standings
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense309pts
2Scott 11260Row 1 - Cell 3
3Commencal240Row 2 - Cell 3
4Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain235Row 3 - Cell 3
5Santa Cruz Syndicate219Row 4 - Cell 3
6Trek World Racing196Row 5 - Cell 3
7Monster Energy / Specialized / Mad Catz125Row 6 - Cell 3
8Suspension Center124Row 7 - Cell 3
9Commencal Superiders122Row 8 - Cell 3
10MS Evil Racing119Row 9 - Cell 3
11Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team109Row 10 - Cell 3
12Lapierre International105Row 11 - Cell 3
13GT Bicycles96Row 12 - Cell 3
14RC Alpine Commencal Austria92Row 13 - Cell 3
15Morzine-Avoriaz/Haute-Savoie89Row 14 - Cell 3
16Norco World Team71Row 15 - Cell 3
17Dr-Gravity Union60Row 16 - Cell 3
18Giant Factory Team57Row 17 - Cell 3
19Mondraker Factory Team50Row 18 - Cell 3
20Kenda-Playbiker42Row 19 - Cell 3
21Kona41Row 20 - Cell 3
22Solid Aclass Factory Team28Row 21 - Cell 3
23Team Cingolani - Protone20Row 22 - Cell 3
24Team Sunn Montgenevre20Row 23 - Cell 3
25Blackmountain Morewood United16Row 24 - Cell 3
26Dirt Norco Race Team15Row 25 - Cell 3
27Massi Team8Row 26 - Cell 3
28Team Lac Blanc Massif Des Vosges8Row 27 - Cell 3
29Ancillotti Doganaccia Racing Team6Row 28 - Cell 3
30XMS Racing Squad4Row 29 - Cell 3

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