Rachel Atherton wins Hafjell downhill World Cup

Rachel Atherton (GT Factory Racing) raced to victory in the Hafjell, Norway round of the UCI World Cup downhill on Sunday, with a time of 4:09.900. Her nearest competition was 7.631 seconds back: Manon Carpenter (Madison Saracen Downhill Team). Myriam Nicole (Commencal / Riding Addiction), Morgane Charre (MS Mondraker Team) and Emmeline Ragot (Lapierre Gravity Republic) completed the podium.

Eventual second place finisher Carpenter set a time that looked like it might hold up, but fastest qualifier Atherton, a fellow Brit, blew past it. French woman Nicole put up a good run, but could not beat Carpenter.

Ragot blazed the top part of the course, but made a mistake up top and would end up fifth.

Atherton set the tone for her run by being six seconds up after the first split. She increased her margin by a bit by the end.

"I was so nervous before the race. We had two runs before the race and it was wet," said Atherton. "It rained, and it was lethal - so slippery. I had a few wild moments and thought I was going down. I didn't know how fast I could and I just held on."

"I was struggling with the place the other girls crashed, even in the dry. I didn't slow down enough and had a massive slide, but I held it upright. The crowd went crazy and I thought maybe I was doing well."

Atherton leads the World Cup with one round remaining. Her nearest rival, Ragot, could still overtake her.

"Emmeline is right behind me and she gets faster and faster as the year goes on," said Atherton. "It's amazing. The girls are all pushing so hard. I don't know if I've gotten it sewn up. The last round, everyone wants to win and it's going to be fast."

Race note

Floriane Pugin (Gstaad-Scott) did not compete after crashing in training and separating her A-C joint in her shoulder.

Full Results

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Elite women downhill
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Rachel Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing0:04:09.900
2Manon Carpenter (GBr) Madison Saracen Downhill Team0:00:07.631
3Myriam Nicole (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction0:00:08.081
4Morgane Charre (Fra) Ms Mondraker Team0:00:08.436
5Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Lapierre Gravity Republic0:00:09.778
6Anita Ager-Wick (Nor)0:00:17.473
7Tracey Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson UR0:00:19.584
8Casey Brown (Can) Dirt Norco Race Team0:00:21.451
9Miranda Miller (Can)0:00:22.542
10Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Gstaad-Scott0:00:22.887
11Zarja Cernilogar (Slo) Blackthorn GT0:00:32.500
12Tahnee Seagrave° (GBr) Fmd Racing / Intense Cycles0:00:36.047
13Claire Buchar (Can)0:00:39.768
14Alanna Columb (NZl)0:00:44.150
15Martina Bruehlmann (Swi)0:00:49.867
16Fiona Ourdouillie° (Fra) US Cagnes VTT0:00:50.459
17Miriam Ruchti (Swi) SC Intense0:00:51.003
18Josefine Björkman (Swe)0:00:54.368
DNFJill Kintner (USA) Team Norco InternationalRow 18 - Cell 2
DNSVaea Verbeeck (Can)Row 19 - Cell 2
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Teams
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Giant Factory Off-Road Team91pts
2GT Factory Racing72Row 1 - Cell 3
3Santa Cruz Syndicate71Row 2 - Cell 3
4Devinci Global Racing58Row 3 - Cell 3
5Lapierre Gravity Republic52Row 4 - Cell 3
6Madison Saracen Downhill Team40Row 5 - Cell 3
7Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof39Row 6 - Cell 3
8Commencal / Riding Addiction38Row 7 - Cell 3
9Specialized Racing DH33Row 8 - Cell 3
10Gstaad-Scott32Row 9 - Cell 3
11MS Mondraker Team26Row 10 - Cell 3
12Pivot Factory Team22Row 11 - Cell 3
13Team W-Racing22Row 12 - Cell 3
14Hutchinson UR21Row 13 - Cell 3
15Trek World Racing20Row 14 - Cell 3
16Dirt Norco Race Team16Row 15 - Cell 3
17RRP Ghost14Row 16 - Cell 3
18Evil Vengeance Tour14Row 17 - Cell 3
19Blackthorn GT10Row 18 - Cell 3
20Fmd Racing / Intense Cycles9Row 19 - Cell 3
21Unior Tools Team6Row 20 - Cell 3
22US Cagnes VTT5Row 21 - Cell 3
23SC Intense4Row 22 - Cell 3
24Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team2Row 23 - Cell 3
25Evil Ck Racing Evian1Row 24 - Cell 3
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Elite women downhill World Cup standings with one round remaining
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Rachel Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing1085pts
2Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Lapierre Gravity Republic925Row 1 - Cell 3
3Manon Carpenter (GBr) Madison Saracen Downhill Team880Row 2 - Cell 3
4Myriam Nicole (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction683Row 3 - Cell 3
5Morgane Charre (Fra) Ms Mondraker Team636Row 4 - Cell 3
6Floriane Pugin (Fra) Gstaad-Scott580Row 5 - Cell 3
7Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Gstaad-Scott451Row 6 - Cell 3
8Tahnee Seagrave° (GBr) Fmd Racing / Intense Cycles291Row 7 - Cell 3
9Jill Kintner (USA) Team Norco International241Row 8 - Cell 3
10Tracey Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson UR236Row 9 - Cell 3
11Fionn Griffiths (GBr)205Row 10 - Cell 3
12Anita Ager-Wick (Nor)195Row 11 - Cell 3
13Zarja Cernilogar (Slo) Blackthorn GT195Row 12 - Cell 3
14Casey Brown (Can) Dirt Norco Race Team175Row 13 - Cell 3
15Micayla Gatto (Can)175Row 14 - Cell 3
16Jessica Stone (GBr) Unior Tools Team100Row 15 - Cell 3
17Alanna Columb (NZl)85Row 16 - Cell 3
18Miriam Ruchti (Swi) SC Intense85Row 17 - Cell 3
19Vaea Verbeeck (Can)75Row 18 - Cell 3
20Mélanie Pugin (Fra) Team Morzine-Avoriaz/Haute-Savoie75Row 19 - Cell 3
21Miranda Miller (Can)70Row 20 - Cell 3
22Mio Suemasa (Jpn) Japan60Row 21 - Cell 3
23Alia Marcellini* (Ita) Italy55Row 22 - Cell 3
24Fiona Ourdouillie° (Fra) US Cagnes VTT55Row 23 - Cell 3
25Claire Buchar (Can)52Row 24 - Cell 3
26Petra Bernhard (Aut) Rrp Ghost50Row 25 - Cell 3
27Jana Bartova (Cze) Czech Republic35Row 26 - Cell 3
28Martina Bruehlmann (Swi)35Row 27 - Cell 3
29Jaime Hill (Can)30Row 28 - Cell 3
30Kristen Courtney (Can)25Row 29 - Cell 3
31Rebecca Gardner (USA)20Row 30 - Cell 3
32Alison Zimmer (USA)15Row 31 - Cell 3
33Jacqueline Harmony (USA)15Row 32 - Cell 3
34Marianne Ruud° (Nor)15Row 33 - Cell 3
35Josefine Björkman (Swe)15Row 34 - Cell 3
36Rachael Walker (GBr)10Row 35 - Cell 3
37Severine Cigana (Fra) US Cagnes VTT10Row 36 - Cell 3
38Taylor Allison° (USA)5Row 37 - Cell 3
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Teams World Cup standings with one round remaining
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1GT Factory Racing408pts
2Lapierre Gravity Republic335Row 1 - Cell 3
3Giant Factory Off-Road Team270Row 2 - Cell 3
4Santa Cruz Syndicate261Row 3 - Cell 3
5Gstaad-Scott255Row 4 - Cell 3
6Commencal / Riding Addiction222Row 5 - Cell 3
7Devinci Global Racing218Row 6 - Cell 3
8Specialized Racing DH214Row 7 - Cell 3
9Madison Saracen Downhill Team195Row 8 - Cell 3
10Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof184Row 9 - Cell 3
11MS Mondraker Team162Row 10 - Cell 3
12Trek World Racing135Row 11 - Cell 3
13Hutchinson UR115Row 12 - Cell 3
14Evil Vengeance Tour81Row 13 - Cell 3
15Fmd Racing / Intense Cycles55Row 14 - Cell 3
16Team Norco International54Row 15 - Cell 3
17Pivot Factory Team51Row 16 - Cell 3
18Evil Ck Racing Evian46Row 17 - Cell 3
19GT / 360 Degrees40Row 18 - Cell 3
20RRP Ghost39Row 19 - Cell 3
21Blackthorn GT39Row 20 - Cell 3
22Dirt Norco Race Team36Row 21 - Cell 3
23Topcycle By Trek34Row 22 - Cell 3
24SC Intense29Row 23 - Cell 3
25Unior Tools Team27Row 24 - Cell 3
26Team W-Racing22Row 25 - Cell 3
27Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team21Row 26 - Cell 3
28Team Morzine-Avoriaz/Haute-Savoie15Row 27 - Cell 3
29US Cagnes VTT13Row 28 - Cell 3
30Torpado Surfing Shop11Row 29 - Cell 3
31Kona10Row 30 - Cell 3
32Team Bulls - DH9Row 31 - Cell 3

Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews.  She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.

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