Rachel Atherton wins Cairns downhill World Cup

British brother and sister combination of Gee and Rachel Atherton dominated the Australian leg of the UCI World Cup Series, claiming downhill victories at the Smithfield Regional Park in Cairns on Saturday.

The win was the fourth time that reigning world champion Rachel and elder brother Gee (both GT Factory Racing) have reached the top step of the podium at the same World Cup event.

"She is a dominant force at the moment and keeping up with her is a hard thing to do," said Gee, the 2008 world champion who finished second overall in the 2013 series

After a wet qualifying session held on Friday, roots and rocks began to protrude from the peanut butter like course, undoing many top players including reigning world champion Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate).

In the women's race, Rachel conquered the course and the field to collect a mammoth victory in four minutes 50.576 seconds, more than eleven seconds to her closest rival, Great Britain's Manon Carpenter (Madison Saracen Factory Team).

"That was probably the hardest race I've ever done," said Rachel. "It's a hard track to race because you have to go slow even though you know you can't push it like you do normally but you have to hold back and just be really careful which feels weird.

"The people and the crowd up there are amazing, on the tricky bits they really get behind you to make you stay on."

Myriam Nicole (Commencal / Riding Addiction) rounded out the podium with a time of five minutes, 16.422 seconds, 25 seconds off the pace.

A great ride by France's Emmeline Ragot (Lapierre Gravity Republic) saw her reach the podium despite a spectacular crash after wedging her wheel between two rocks.

Cairns native Tracey Hannah (Hutchinson UR) set the crowd alight early, stopping the clock in five minutes 20.157 seconds, to round out the podium

Atherton and Carpenter are locked on 450 points a piece in the individual UCI World Cup standings, ahead of Nicole (297 points).

Full Results

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Women
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Rachel Atherton (GBr) Gt Factory Racing0:04:50.600
2Manon Carpenter (GBr) Madison Saracen Factory Team0:00:11.655
3Myriam Nicole (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction0:00:25.846
4Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Lapierre Gravity Republic0:00:28.264
5Tracey Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson Ur0:00:29.581
6Morgane Charre (Fra) Evil Vengeance Tour0:00:32.181
7Fionn Griffiths (GBr)0:00:36.165
8Tahnee Seagrave (GBr) Fmd Racing0:00:39.261
9Micayla Gatto (Can) Pivot Factory Dh Team0:00:47.199
10Claire Buchar (Can)0:00:58.294
11Sarah Atkin (NZl)0:01:00.068
12Jill Kintner (USA)0:01:10.138
13Harriet Latchem (GBr)0:01:19.885
14Danielle Beecroft (Aus) Green To Gold Race Development0:01:20.901
15Veronique Sandler (NZl)0:01:31.484
16Casey Brown (Can) Bergamont Hayes World Team0:01:31.706
17Gabriela Williams (Cze)0:02:27.530
18Tegan ° Molloy (Aus)0:02:29.115
19Sarah Booth (Aus)0:02:31.989
20Ellie ° Wale (Aus)0:02:57.544
21Michelle Crisp (Aus)0:03:28.063
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Elite women downhill World Cup standings after two rounds
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Rachel Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing450pts
2Manon Carpenter (GBr) Madison Saracen Factory Team450Row 1 - Cell 3
3Myriam Nicole (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction297Row 2 - Cell 3
4Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Lapierre Gravity Republic295Row 3 - Cell 3
5Tracey Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson UR239Row 4 - Cell 3
6Jill Kintner (USA)222Row 5 - Cell 3
7Morgane Charre (Fra) Evil Vengeance Tour206Row 6 - Cell 3
8Tahnee Seagrave (GBr) Fmd Racing164Row 7 - Cell 3
9Fionn Griffiths (GBr)145Row 8 - Cell 3
10Micayla Gatto (Can) Pivot Factory DH Team115Row 9 - Cell 3
11Danielle Beecroft (Aus) Green To Gold Race Development85Row 10 - Cell 3
12Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Gstaad-Scott70Row 11 - Cell 3
13Claire Buchar (Can)55Row 12 - Cell 3
14Sarah Atkin (NZl)50Row 13 - Cell 3
15Tegan ° Molloy (Aus)45Row 14 - Cell 3
16Casey Brown (Can) Bergamont Hayes World Team41Row 15 - Cell 3
17Diana Marggraff (Ecu)40Row 16 - Cell 3
18Harriet Latchem (GBr)40Row 17 - Cell 3
19Steffi Marth (Ger)35Row 18 - Cell 3
20Veronique Sandler (NZl)30Row 19 - Cell 3
21Gabriela Williams (Cze)20Row 20 - Cell 3
22Sarah Booth (Aus)10Row 21 - Cell 3
23Ellie Wale° (Aus)5Row 22 - Cell 3

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