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MTB World Cup Cross Country #5, Downhill #5 & Four Cross #5 2010

Date range:
July 30 - August 1, 2010

August 1, Elite men downhill:

Beaumont plummets to victory

By:
Rob Jones
Published:
August 1, 2010, 17:48,
Updated:
August 2, 2010, 21:30

Atherton takes World Cup lead from Minnaar

Marc Beaumont (GT Bicycles) on his way to winning.

Marc Beaumont (GT Bicycles) on his way to winning.

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The men's downhill World Cup competition tightened after round five in Val di Sole, Italy, on Sunday as Marc Beaumont (GT) secured the victory giving him the second World Cup win of his career. Meanwhile, Gee Atherton (Commencal) took the leader's jersey from Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate) by the extremely slim margin of seven points.

Canada's Steve Smith (MS Evil) finished fifth, becoming the first Canadian man in at least a decade to make a podium appearance at a downhill World Cup.

There were two races in the men's competition - the one for the World Cup win, and the one between Minnaar and Atherton for the overall title. Atherton qualified first, on the course where he had won his world title in 2008, while Minnaar struggled in the upper, rocky section.

This actually put Atherton into the World Cup lead, based on ranking points awarded for qualifying. However, a similar situation had happened a week earlier at Champéry, and Minnaar had pulled out a stellar final run to retain his leader's jersey.

Australian Mitchell Delfs set the first fast time for the men, only to be bumped by Markus Pekoll (Solid A-Class). Pekoll spent a long time in the Hot Seat, and his time would eventually hold up for tenth place. It took Minnaar to finally knock the Austrian rider out of the lead, and his time would stand up to six riders before Beaumont finally took the best time down by nearly a second and a half.

At that point there were still seven riders to go, but none came close to unseating Beaumont until there was only Atherton left. But Atherton was over a second slower at the first split, and even further back at the second, eventually finishing third, behind Minnaar. However, the difference between second and third was not enough to keep Minnaar in the leader's jersey and Atherton took it by a mere seven points - 1007 points to 1000 after five rounds of racing.

"Qualifying went pretty well," said Beaumont, "Just steady and I put a nice run together, and I was feeling good again this morning, so I just tried to go about it as if it was practice.

"I posted a pretty good time, but there's some fast boys, and I was thinking maybe I can scrap a podium. I wasn't expecting to win by any means. I'm pretty shocked, and not really sure what to say," he continued.

"My previous win in Spain [in 2007], a lot of people frowned upon it, because it was weird circumstances with the weather. This proves to me that I'm capable of doing it, and I've done it on a level playing field. Hopefully this is kind of a resurgence, and I can get on the podium a little more often."

For Atherton, it was a bittersweet victory. "I knew that I had to put a solid run in, in qualifying, and start chasing the points," he explained. "It's what saved me and has given me the lead. But, taking third place wasn't exactly my game plan... it's good enough, though.

"It's definitely been my best season, but it's been frustrating watching Greg, being so consistent. I've been waiting for him to slip up and hammer some points, but it hasn't happened. He's really making me work for it.

"I didn't make mistakes, exactly, but you do have to have a faultless run. I was riding a bit nervous and a bit tense, and really just fighting the bike all the way down, not flowing at all, and it showed in my results."

Smith, who has a string of top 10 results and has finished as high as sixth at World Cups in the past, was happy to finally make it onto the podium. "I crashed out in two of the other four [World Cups], so I just wanted to have a clean run here and have a solid race," he said.

"I wasn't expecting to get on the podium, but conditions were tough up there, really loose powder, so anything can happen, and I just squeezed on the podium. I loved this track, it's rough and hard, first day of riding it I knew that I loved it.

"So far [this podium] is the highlight of my career, I've been trying to get on the podium the last couple of years, and with the crashes this year I was almost more worried about just making it down with a clean run. I did that and got a podium."

Full Results

# Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Marc Beaumont (GBr) GT Bicycles 0:03:18  
2 Greg Minnaar (RSA) Santa Cruz Syndicate 0:00:01  
3 Gee Atherton (GBr) Commencal 0:00:03  
4 Andrew Neethling (RSA) Trek World Racing 0:00:03  
5 Steve Smith (Can) MS Evil Racing 0:00:04  
6 Steve Peat (GBr) Santa Cruz Syndicate 0:00:04  
7 Danny Hart (GBr) Giant Factory Team 0:00:04  
8 Samuel Blenkinsop (NZl) Lapierre International 0:00:05  
9 Josh Bryceland (GBr) Santa Cruz Syndicate 0:00:06  
10 Markus Pekoll (Aut) Solid Aclass Factory Team 0:00:06  
11 Matti Lehikoinen (Fin) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 0:00:06  
12 Michael Hannah (Aus) GT Bicycles 0:00:07  
13 Brook Macdonald (NZl) MS Evil Racing 0:00:08  
14 Aaron Gwin (USA) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team 0:00:08  
15 Mickael Pascal (Fra) 0:00:08  
16 Lewis Buchanan° (GBr) MS Evil Racing 0:00:09  
17 Romain Paulhan (Fra) 0:00:09  
18 Bryn Atkinson (Aus) 0:00:10  
19 Joseph Smith (GBr) Kona 0:00:10  
20 Cédric Gracia (Fra) 0:00:11  
21 Nick Beer (Swi) Scott 11 0:00:11  
22 Chris Kovarik (Aus) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 0:00:11  
23 Mitchell Delfs (Aus) 0:00:11  
24 Sam Dale (GBr) 0:00:11  
25 Matthew Simmonds (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 0:00:12  
26 Luke Strobel (USA) MS Evil Racing 0:00:12  
27 Pierre Charles Georges (Fra) Solid Aclass Factory Team 0:00:12  
28 Fabien Pedemanaud (Fra) Scott 11 0:00:12  
29 Bradley Benedict (USA) 0:00:14  
30 Pasqual Canals Flix (Spa) XMS Racing Squad 0:00:14  
31 Ludovic Oget° (Fra) Ryde-Racing 0:00:14  
32 Shaun O'connor (Aus) Kenda-Playbiker 0:00:14  
33 Duncan Riffle (USA) Giant Factory Team 0:00:16  
34 Maxime Remy (Fra) Suspension Center 0:00:16  
35 Ruaridh Cunningham (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 0:00:16  
36 Marcel Beer (Swi) 0:00:17  
37 Florent Payet (Fra) Blackmountain Morewood United 0:00:18  
38 Jack Reading (GBr) 0:00:18  
39 Marcus Klausmann (Ger) Ghost A.T.G. Pro Team 0:00:18  
40 Cyrille Kurtz (Fra) Team Lac Blanc Massif Des Vosges 0:00:19  
41 Wyn Masters (NZl) Kenda-Playbiker 0:00:19  
42 Adam Brayton (GBr) 0:00:19  
43 Matej Charvat (Cze) K.T.R. Racing Team 0:00:19  
44 Scott Mears (GBr) 0:00:20  
45 Rémi Thirion (Fra) Team Sunn Montgenevre 0:00:20  
46 Matthew Scoles (NZl) Team Cingolani - Protone 0:00:20  
47 Dennis Dertell (Swe) 0:00:20  
48 Curtis Keene (USA) 0:00:21  
49 Richard Thomas (GBr) 0:00:21  
50 Antonio Ferreiro Pajuelo (Spa) XMS Racing Squad 0:00:22  
51 Joris Bigoni (Fra) 0:00:22  
52 Aurélien Giordanengo (Fra) Mondraker Factory Team 0:00:22  
53 Thomas Braithwaite (GBr) 0:00:22  
54 Dominik Gspan (Swi) 0:00:22  
55 Thibaut Ruffin (Fra) Commencal Superiders 0:00:23  
56 Oliver Burton (GBr) 0:00:23  
57 Bernard Kerr (GBr) Norco World Team 0:00:24  
58 Martin Mikulenka (Cze) 0:00:24  
59 Sam Flockhart° (GBr) Lapierre International 0:00:24  
60 George Brannigan° (NZl) Ancillotti Doganaccia Racing Team 0:00:24  
61 Damien Spagnolo (Fra) Mondraker Factory Team 0:00:24  
62 Harry Heath (GBr) 0:00:25  
63 Marco Milivinti (Ita) Team Cingolani - Protone 0:00:26  
64 Jed Rooney° (NZl) 0:00:27  
65 Charly Di Pasquale (Fra) 0:00:27  
66 Alexandre Lohner (Fra) 0:00:27  
67 Eliot Jackson (USA) 0:00:29  
68 Thomas Jeandin (Swi) 0:00:29  
69 Rupert Chapman° (NZl) 0:00:29  
70 Nejc Rutar (Slo) MBK Orbea 0:00:31  
71 Ben Cathro (GBr) 0:00:32  
72 Julien Camellini (Fra) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 0:00:37  
72 Luis Paulo Vicente Ferreira (Por)    
74 Martin Frei (Swi) 0:00:40  
75 Filip Polc (Svk) MS Evil Racing 0:00:44  
76 Lorenzo Suding (Ita) 0:00:45  
77 Nathan Rankin (NZl) Kenda-Playbiker 0:01:03  
78 Robin Wallner (Swe) Team Sunn Montgenevre 0:03:11  
79 Brendan Fairclough (GBr) Monster Energy / Specialized / Mad Catz 0:03:42  
80 Fergus Lamb (GBr) 0:03:49  
DNS Justin Leov (NZl) Trek World Racing    
DNS Bernat Guardia Pascual (Spa) Massi Team    
DNS Emanuel Pombo (Por)    
Teams
# Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Santa Cruz Syndicate 83  pts
2 MS Evil Racing 66  
3 Scott 11 63  
4 Trek World Racing 62  
5 GT Bicycles 59  
6 Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 59  
7 Suspension Center 40  
8 Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain 35  
9 Commencal 32  
10 Commencal Superiders 30  
11 Solid Aclass Factory Team 25  
12 Giant Factory Team 24  
13 Lapierre International 23  
14 Morzine-Avoriaz/Haute-Savoie 23  
15 Dr-Gravity Union 20  
16 RC Alpine Commencal Austria 18  
17 Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team 17  
18 Kona 12  
19 XMS Racing Squad 1  
World Cup individual standings after five rounds
# Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Gee Atherton (GBr) Commencal 1007  pts
2 Greg Minnaar (RSA) Santa Cruz Syndicate 1000  
3 Samuel Blenkinsop (NZl) Lapierre International 694  
4 Aaron Gwin (USA) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team 592  
5 Brendan Fairclough (GBr) Monster Energy / Specialized / Mad Catz 526  
6 Marc Beaumont (GBr) GT Bicycles 518  
7 Cameron Cole (NZl) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain 450  
8 Matti Lehikoinen (Fin) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 415  
9 Steve Peat (GBr) Santa Cruz Syndicate 415  
10 Fabien Pedemanaud (Fra) Scott 11 413  
11 Danny Hart (GBr) Giant Factory Team 405  
12 Steve Smith (Can) MS Evil Racing 370  
13 Damien Spagnolo (Fra) Mondraker Factory Team 356  
14 Andrew Neethling (RSA) Trek World Racing 354  
15 Justin Leov (NZl) Trek World Racing 327  
16 Shaun O'connor (Aus) Kenda-Playbiker 323  
17 Matthew Simmonds (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 315  
18 Michael Hannah (Aus) GT Bicycles 314  
19 Nick Beer (Swi) Scott 11 311  
20 Bryn Atkinson (Aus) 302  
21 Luke Strobel (USA) MS Evil Racing 290  
22 Brook Macdonald (NZl) MS Evil Racing 279  
23 Mickael Pascal (Fra) 279  
24 Mitchell Delfs (Aus) 257  
25 Joseph Smith (GBr) Kona 257  
26 Florent Payet (Fra) Blackmountain Morewood United 254  
27 Sam Dale (GBr) 250  
28 Josh Bryceland (GBr) Santa Cruz Syndicate 243  
29 Chris Kovarik (Aus) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 240  
30 Julien Camellini (Fra) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 233  
31 Wyn Masters (NZl) Kenda-Playbiker 225  
32 Romain Paulhan (Fra) 217  
33 Matthew Scoles (NZl) Team Cingolani - Protone 217  
34 Markus Pekoll (Aut) Solid Aclass Factory Team 211  
35 Ruaridh Cunningham (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 211  
36 Ben Reid (Irl) Dirt Norco Race Team 203  
37 Ben Cathro (GBr) 202  
38 Aurélien Giordanengo (Fra) Mondraker Factory Team 194  
39 Pierre Charles Georges (Fra) Solid Aclass Factory Team 187  
40 Cédric Gracia (Fra) 186  
41 Thomas Braithwaite (GBr) 183  
42 Thibaut Ruffin (Fra) Commencal Superiders 179  
43 Antonio Ferreiro Pajuelo (Spa) XMS Racing Squad 177  
44 Samuel Hill (Aus) Monster Energy / Specialized / Mad Catz 160  
45 Nico Vink (Bel) 154  
46 Robin Wallner (Swe) Team Sunn Montgenevre 153  
47 Filip Polc (Svk) MS Evil Racing 144  
48 George Brannigan° (NZl) Ancillotti Doganaccia Racing Team 139  
49 Troy Brosnan° (Aus) Monster Energy / Specialized / Mad Catz 137  
50 Harry Molloy (GBr) 135  
51 Dennis Dertell (Swe) 133  
52 Matej Charvat (Cze) K.T.R. Racing Team 130  
53 Cyrille Kurtz (Fra) Team Lac Blanc Massif Des Vosges 129  
54 Richard Thomas (GBr) 124  
55 Bernat Guardia Pascual (Spa) Massi Team 122  
56 Adam Brayton (GBr) 122  
57 Joshua Button (Aus) Kona 121  
58 Marcus Klausmann (Ger) Ghost A.T.G. Pro Team 120  
59 Bernard Kerr (GBr) Norco World Team 118  
60 Joris Bigoni (Fra) 117  
61 Duncan Riffle (USA) Giant Factory Team 117  
62 Oliver Burton (GBr) 112  
63 Kyle Strait (USA) 112  
64 Joe Barnes (GBr) 105  
65 Pasqual Canals Flix (Spa) XMS Racing Squad 101  
66 Fabien Cousinie (Fra) Blackmountain Morewood United 98  
67 Marco Milivinti (Ita) Team Cingolani - Protone 96  
68 Scott Mears (GBr) 96  
69 Lewis Buchanan° (GBr) MS Evil Racing 95  
70 Adam Vagner (Cze) 94  
71 Robert Smith (GBr) 88  
72 Emanuel Pombo (Por) 86  
73 Marcelo Gutierrez Villegas (Col) 83  
74 Lorenzo Suding (Ita) 82  
75 Fergus Lamb (GBr) 79  
76 Harry Heath (GBr) 78  
77 Rémi Thirion (Fra) Team Sunn Montgenevre 75  
78 Benny Strasser (Ger) 75  
79 Curtis Keene (USA) 73  
80 Nathan Rankin (NZl) Kenda-Playbiker 69  
81 Jack Reading (GBr) 66  
82 Dan Atherton (GBr) Commencal 65  
83 Maxime Remy (Fra) Suspension Center 62  
84 Ralph Jones (GBr) 62  
85 Nejc Rutar (Slo) MBK Orbea 61  
86 Marcel Beer (Swi) 56  
87 Chris Hutchens (GBr) 53  
88 Bradley Benedict (USA) 52  
89 Ludovic Oget° (Fra) Ryde-Racing 50  
90 Ludovic May (Swi) 47  
91 Alexander Kangas (Swe) 44  
92 Martin Frei (Swi) 41  
93 Antoine Badouard (Fra) 39  
94 Emyr Davies (GBr) 35  
95 Lars Peyer (Swi) Suspension Center 32  
96 Sam Flockhart° (GBr) Lapierre International 32  
97 Dan Stanbridge (GBr) Dirt Norco Race Team 31  
98 Mathieu Gallean (Fra) Ryde-Racing 29  
99 Thomas Jeandin (Swi) 28  
100 Dominik Gspan (Swi) 27  
101 Billy Caroli (Swi) 26  
102 Olivier Nicole (Fra) 26  
103 Aari Barrett (NZl) Scott 11 26  
104 Faustin Figaret° (Fra) Team Sport Bike 25  
105 Martin Mikulenka (Cze) 23  
106 Ben Baker (GBr) 23  
107 Carlo Gambirasio (Ita) Surfing Shop 20  
108 Boris Tetzlaff (Aut) Ghost A.T.G. Pro Team 19  
109 Marco Bugnone (Ita) Argentina Bike Gravity Team 18  
110 Jed Rooney° (NZl) 17  
111 Charly Di Pasquale (Fra) 16  
112 Alexandre Lohner (Fra) 15  
113 Scott Laughland (Irl) 14  
114 Eliot Jackson (USA) 14  
115 Esteban Deronzier (Fra) Morzine-Avoriaz/Haute-Savoie 13  
116 Kristof Lenssens (Bel) 12  
117 Rupert Chapman° (NZl) 12  
118 Yannick Colomb (Fra) 11  
119 Ivan Oulego Moreno (Spa) Massi Team 11  
120 Jan Javornik (Svk) 9  
121 Luis Paulo Vicente Ferreira (Por) 9  
122 Florian Arthus (Fra) 8  
123 Arthur Racaud° (Fra) US Cagnes VTT 8  
124 Neko Mulally° (USA) Trek World Racing 7  
125 Mark Scott° (GBr) 7  
126 Joseph Nation (NZl) 6  
127 Bertrand Gilles (Bel) 5  
128 Kim Petersson (Swe) 4  
129 Evan Turpen (USA) 3  
World Cup team standings after round five
# Rider Name (Country) Team Result
1 Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 368  pts
2 Scott 11 323  
3 Santa Cruz Syndicate 302  
4 Commencal 272  
5 Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain 270  
6 Trek World Racing 258  
7 MS Evil Racing 185  
8 Suspension Center 164  
9 GT Bicycles 155  
10 Commencal Superiders 152  
11 Lapierre International 128  
12 Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team 126  
13 Monster Energy / Specialized / Mad Catz 125  
14 Morzine-Avoriaz/Haute-Savoie 112  
15 RC Alpine Commencal Austria 110  
16 Giant Factory Team 81  
17 Dr-Gravity Union 80  
18 Norco World Team 71  
19 Solid Aclass Factory Team 53  
20 Kona 53  
21 Mondraker Factory Team 50  
22 Kenda-Playbiker 42  
23 Team Cingolani - Protone 20  
24 Team Sunn Montgenevre 20  
25 Blackmountain Morewood United 16  
26 Dirt Norco Race Team 15  
27 Massi Team 8  
28 Team Lac Blanc Massif Des Vosges 8  
29 Ancillotti Doganaccia Racing Team 6  
30 XMS Racing Squad 5