Ragot distances Atherton with World Cup win in Ft. William

After training all week during the driest conditions on record, the wet weather returned for round three of the UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup in Fort William, Scotland. The wet and muddy conditions did not stop the World Cup leader from padding her lead in the standings, as Emmeline Ragot (MS Mondraker) held off all challengers to record victory. Ragot spent much of the women's race sitting in the hot seat, after suffering a flat during qualifying.

In qualifying, the course was so dry that organizers resorted to wetting down sections of the run that was become extremely loose and washing out. However, overnight the always threatening Highlands rain moved in, and continued to fall more or less steadily throughout racing, backing off occasionally, only to return. Proof as to how poor the conditions were could be seen in the winning time: Ragot didn't came close to the fastest time set in qualifying by round two winner Rachel Atherton (GT Factory).

Ragot started halfway through the women's field. Rachel Atherton's fastest time in qualifying was a blazing 5:15.146, but early riders were having trouble getting under six minutes in race day conditions. Celine Gros (Team Morzine-Avoriaz/Haute-Savoie) was the only to do so before Ragot took a staggering 28 seconds off to claim the lead.

As rider after rider came down, none could get within 10 seconds of Ragot's time until the final two riders. Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Riding Addiction), the second fastest qualifier, came in 9.416 seconds slower than Ragot, so it was up to Atherton. Atherton came through the top split over a second and a half faster than Ragot, but lost nearly two and a half seconds by the second split, recovering slightly by the finish to end up 1.315 seconds behind. Nicole took third.

"It was a long time that I was waiting, but I just tried to stay mellow," agreed Ragot. "I had a good feeling on my bike, but it was pretty muddy conditions and you have to go fast but not slip on the rocks, so it was hard conditions."

Ragot now leads the women's standings with 570 points, followed by Atherton - who missed round one - with 450 and Nicole at 441.

Full results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Emmeline Ragot (Fra) MS Mondraker Team0:05:27.089
2Rachel Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing0:00:01.315
3Myriam Nicole (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction0:00:09.416
4Floriane Pugin (Fra) Scott110:00:11.698
5Tracy Moseley (GBr)0:00:14.259
6Tracey Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson United Ride0:00:19.713
7Morgane Charre (Fra) Passion Velo.Fr0:00:22.696
8Anita Molcik (Aut)0:00:26.566
9Céline Gros (Fra) Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie0:00:28.738
10Jill Kintner (USA) Team Norco International0:00:32.728
11Miranda Miller (Can)0:00:33.938
12Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Scott110:00:34.899
13Fionn Griffiths (GBr)0:00:38.727
14Tahnee Seagrave° (GBr)0:00:39.163
15Sarah Newman (GBr)0:00:41.349
16Mio Suemasa (Jpn)0:00:41.921
17Jessica Stone (GBr) Unior Tools Team0:00:47.535
18Zarja Cernilogar (Slo)0:00:54.903
19Petra Bernhard (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria0:01:02.162
20Harriet Rucknagel (Ger)0:01:30.731
DNFCarina Cappellari (Swi)Row 20 - Cell 2
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Teams
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1GT Factory Racing67pts
2Lapierre International55Row 1 - Cell 3
3Santa Cruz Syndicate54Row 2 - Cell 3
4Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof54Row 3 - Cell 3
5Giant Factory Off-Road Team53Row 4 - Cell 3
6Trek World Racing40Row 5 - Cell 3
7MS Mondraker Team40Row 6 - Cell 3
8Scott1137Row 7 - Cell 3
9Hutchinson United Ride36Row 8 - Cell 3
10Devinci Global Racing35Row 9 - Cell 3
11Commencal / Riding Addiction30Row 10 - Cell 3
12Monster Energy-Specialized30Row 11 - Cell 3
13Team Norco International23Row 12 - Cell 3
14Labyrinth Shimano Racing Team20Row 13 - Cell 3
15Passion Velo.Fr18Row 14 - Cell 3
16Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie14Row 15 - Cell 3
17Kona7Row 16 - Cell 3
18Unior Tools Team4Row 17 - Cell 3
19Dirt Norco Race Team4Row 18 - Cell 3
20Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsace3Row 19 - Cell 3
21Alpine Commencal Austria2Row 20 - Cell 3
22Ghost Factory Racing Team1Row 21 - Cell 3
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World Cup individual standings after round 3
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Emmeline Ragot (Fra) MS Mondraker Team570pts
2Rachel Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing450Row 1 - Cell 3
3Myriam Nicole (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction441Row 2 - Cell 3
4Tracey Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson United Ride437Row 3 - Cell 3
5Floriane Pugin (Fra) Scott11335Row 4 - Cell 3
6Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Scott11290Row 5 - Cell 3
7Jill Kintner (USA) Team Norco International252Row 6 - Cell 3
8Anita Molcik (Aut)246Row 7 - Cell 3
9Morgane Charre (Fra) Passion Velo.Fr211Row 8 - Cell 3
10Petra Bernhard (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria174Row 9 - Cell 3
11Manon Carpenter (GBr) Madison Saracen Downhill Team165Row 10 - Cell 3
12Miriam Ruchti (Swi) SC-Intense127Row 11 - Cell 3
13Tracy Moseley (GBr)124Row 12 - Cell 3
14Miranda Miller (Can)95Row 13 - Cell 3
15Céline Gros (Fra) Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie90Row 14 - Cell 3
16Fionn Griffiths (GBr)85Row 15 - Cell 3
17Luana Maria De Souza Oliveira (Bra)84Row 16 - Cell 3
18Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Labyrinth Shimano Racing Team80Row 17 - Cell 3
19Mio Suemasa (Jpn)75Row 18 - Cell 3
20Harriet Rucknagel (Ger)70Row 19 - Cell 3
21Alia Marcellini (Ita) Torpado Surfing Shop55Row 20 - Cell 3
22Caroline Sax (Fra) Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsace40Row 21 - Cell 3
23Tahnee Seagrave° (GBr)35Row 22 - Cell 3
24Mélanie Pugin (Fra) Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie35Row 23 - Cell 3
25Martina Bruehlmann (Swi)35Row 24 - Cell 3
26Jessica Stone (GBr) Unior Tools Team35Row 25 - Cell 3
27Zarja Cernilogar (Slo)35Row 26 - Cell 3
28Sarah Newman (GBr)30Row 27 - Cell 3
29Gabriela Williams (Cze) CG Racing Brigade25Row 28 - Cell 3
30Carina Cappellari (Swi)20Row 29 - Cell 3
31Tamara Maria Ulrich (Aut)15Row 30 - Cell 3
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World Cup team standings after round 3
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1GT Factory Racing212pts
2Santa Cruz Syndicate172Row 1 - Cell 3
3Trek World Racing160Row 2 - Cell 3
4MS Mondraker Team153Row 3 - Cell 3
5Hutchinson United Ride137Row 4 - Cell 3
6Lapierre International131Row 5 - Cell 3
7Devinci Global Racing131Row 6 - Cell 3
8Scott11121Row 7 - Cell 3
9Giant Factory Off-Road Team103Row 8 - Cell 3
10Monster Energy-Specialized97Row 9 - Cell 3
11Commencal / Riding Addiction85Row 10 - Cell 3
12Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof66Row 11 - Cell 3
13Team Norco International64Row 12 - Cell 3
14Labyrinth Shimano Racing Team63Row 13 - Cell 3
15Passion Velo.Fr40Row 14 - Cell 3
16SC-Intense37Row 15 - Cell 3
17Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team36Row 16 - Cell 3
18Madison Saracen Downhill Team35Row 17 - Cell 3
19Alpine Commencal Austria34Row 18 - Cell 3
20Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie27Row 19 - Cell 3
21CG Racing Brigade26Row 20 - Cell 3
22Topcycle By Trek18Row 21 - Cell 3
23Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsace12Row 22 - Cell 3
24CK Racing Santacruz11Row 23 - Cell 3
25Torpado Surfing Shop10Row 24 - Cell 3
26Team Are Bikepark By W-Racing9Row 25 - Cell 3
27Kona8Row 26 - Cell 3
28Unior Tools Team7Row 27 - Cell 3
29Dirt Norco Race Team4Row 28 - Cell 3
30Ghost Factory Racing Team3Row 29 - Cell 3

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