Atherton flies to victory in Val di Sole

After missing much of the past two seasons as she recovers from a shoulder injury, Rachel Atherton (GT Factory Racing) served notice that she is back with a vengeance, by dominating round two of the UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup on Sunday in Val di Sole, Italy.

Val di Sole is known for its highly technical, rough and dusty track, and this year was no different, with new sections of the course buried under soft, loamy dirt that was nearly 30 centimetres deep in places. Crashes abounded, with former junior world champion Manon Carpenter (Madison Saracen) unable to start after injuring her shoulder earlier in the week during training.

Sabrina Jonnier (Labyrinth Shimano) was the first woman to spend an extended time in the hot seat, but she was then bumped out of contention by a pair of Austrian riders - Anita Molcik (Four Elements) and Petra Bernhard (Alpine Commencal Austria) - before a trio of French riders took the top spot in quick succession, with Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Riding Addiction) the first to break the four minute barrier.

However, Nicole's reign at the top is was brief, with Atherton the next rider on course. Atherton, the world champion here in Val di Sole in 2008, was noticeably faster than than any other woman, finishing 4.485 seconds ahead of Nicole. The only rider remaining was the world champion Emmeline Ragot (MS Mondraker), who had qualified first, but she was no match for Atherton, finishing over eight seconds back in third.

"I still can't quite believe it," said Atherton. "The track here is so insane, it's so long and physical and wild. I knew that if I was going to win it I had to put everything on the line. I had a pretty good run and nearly crashed a few times, but you've just got to risk it, and I wanted to win."

Ragot takes the World Cup lead, since Atherton did not compete in the first round, with 370 points, followed by round one winner Tracey Hannah (Hutchinson United Ride) at 322, Nicole at 261 points and Atherton with 240.

Full results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Rachel Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing0:03:49.436
2Myriam Nicole (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction0:00:04.485
3Emmeline Ragot (Fra) MS Mondraker Team0:00:08.083
4Floriane Pugin (Fra) Scott110:00:15.446
5Morgane Charre (Fra) Passion Velo.Fr0:00:20.301
6Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Scott110:00:23.207
7Petra Bernhard (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria0:00:23.884
8Anita Molcik (Aut)0:00:24.333
9Tracey Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson United Ride0:00:32.308
10Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Labyrinth Shimano Racing Team0:00:33.232
11Alia Marcellini (Ita) Torpado Surfing Shop0:00:34.984
12Miranda Miller (Can)0:00:36.808
13Jill Kintner (USA) Team Norco International0:00:38.500
14Mélanie Pugin (Fra) Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie0:00:38.970
15Céline Gros (Fra) Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie0:00:39.256
16Harriet Rucknagel (Ger)0:00:39.794
17Carina Cappellari (Swi)0:00:40.893
18Jessica Stone (GBr) Unior Tools Team0:00:44.225
19Caroline Sax (Fra) Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsace0:00:45.108
20Miriam Ruchti (Swi) SC-Intense0:00:58.815
DNSManon Carpenter (GBr) Madison Saracen Downhill TeamRow 20 - Cell 2
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Teams
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1GT Factory Racing102pts
2Lapierre International71Row 1 - Cell 3
3MS Mondraker Team65Row 2 - Cell 3
4Trek World Racing54Row 3 - Cell 3
5Scott1153Row 4 - Cell 3
6Santa Cruz Syndicate52Row 5 - Cell 3
7Devinci Global Racing49Row 6 - Cell 3
8Commencal / Riding Addiction35Row 7 - Cell 3
9Labyrinth Shimano Racing Team34Row 8 - Cell 3
10Giant Factory Off-Road Team26Row 9 - Cell 3
11Monster Energy-Specialized24Row 10 - Cell 3
12Passion Velo.Fr22Row 11 - Cell 3
13Alpine Commencal Austria18Row 12 - Cell 3
14SC-Intense15Row 13 - Cell 3
15Hutchinson United Ride14Row 14 - Cell 3
16Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie13Row 15 - Cell 3
17Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof12Row 16 - Cell 3
18CK Racing Santacruz11Row 17 - Cell 3
19Torpado Surfing Shop10Row 18 - Cell 3
20Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team10Row 19 - Cell 3
21Team Norco International8Row 20 - Cell 3
22Team Are Bikepark By W-Racing6Row 21 - Cell 3
23Unior Tools Team3Row 22 - Cell 3
24Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsace3Row 23 - Cell 3
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World Cup individual standings after round 2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Ms Mondraker Team370pts
2Tracey Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson United Ride322Row 1 - Cell 3
3Myriam Nicole (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction261Row 2 - Cell 3
4Rachel Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing240Row 3 - Cell 3
5Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Scott11220Row 4 - Cell 3
6Jill Kintner (USA) Team Norco International185Row 5 - Cell 3
7Floriane Pugin (Fra) Scott11180Row 6 - Cell 3
8Manon Carpenter (GBr) Madison Saracen Downhill Team165Row 7 - Cell 3
9Anita Molcik (Aut)160Row 8 - Cell 3
10Petra Bernhard (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria154Row 9 - Cell 3
11Miriam Ruchti (Swi) SC-Intense127Row 10 - Cell 3
12Morgane Charre (Fra) Passion Velo.Fr126Row 11 - Cell 3
13Luana Maria De Souza Oliveira (Bra)84Row 12 - Cell 3
14Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Labyrinth Shimano Racing Team80Row 13 - Cell 3
15Harriet Rucknagel (Ger)65Row 14 - Cell 3
16Alia Marcellini (Ita) Torpado Surfing Shop55Row 15 - Cell 3
17Mio Suemasa (Jpn)50Row 16 - Cell 3
18Miranda Miller (Can)45Row 17 - Cell 3
19Fionn Griffiths (GBr)45Row 18 - Cell 3
20Caroline Sax (Fra) Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsace40Row 19 - Cell 3
21Mélanie Pugin (Fra) Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie35Row 20 - Cell 3
22Martina Bruehlmann (Swi)35Row 21 - Cell 3
23Céline Gros (Fra) Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie30Row 22 - Cell 3
24Gabriela Williams (Cze) Cg Racing Brigade25Row 23 - Cell 3
25Carina Cappellari (Swi)20Row 24 - Cell 3
26Zarja Cernilogar (Slo)20Row 25 - Cell 3
27Jessica Stone (GBr) Unior Tools Team15Row 26 - Cell 3
28Tamara Maria Ulrich (Aut)15Row 27 - Cell 3
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World Cup team standings after round 2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1GT Factory Racing145pts
2Trek World Racing120Row 1 - Cell 3
3Santa Cruz Syndicate118Row 2 - Cell 3
4MS Mondraker Team113Row 3 - Cell 3
5Hutchinson United Ride101Row 4 - Cell 3
6Devinci Global Racing96Row 5 - Cell 3
7Scott1184Row 6 - Cell 3
8Lapierre International76Row 7 - Cell 3
9Monster Energy-Specialized67Row 8 - Cell 3
10Commencal / Riding Addiction55Row 9 - Cell 3
11Giant Factory Off-Road Team50Row 10 - Cell 3
12Labyrinth Shimano Racing Team43Row 11 - Cell 3
13Team Norco International41Row 12 - Cell 3
14SC-Intense37Row 13 - Cell 3
15Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team36Row 14 - Cell 3
16Madison Saracen Downhill Team35Row 15 - Cell 3
17Alpine Commencal Austria32Row 16 - Cell 3
18CG Racing Brigade26Row 17 - Cell 3
19Passion Velo.Fr22Row 18 - Cell 3
20Topcycle By Trek18Row 19 - Cell 3
21Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie13Row 20 - Cell 3
22Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof12Row 21 - Cell 3
23CK Racing Santacruz11Row 22 - Cell 3
24Torpado Surfing Shop10Row 23 - Cell 3
25Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsace9Row 24 - Cell 3
26Team Are Bikepark By W-Racing9Row 25 - Cell 3
27Unior Tools Team3Row 26 - Cell 3
28Ghost Factory Racing Team2Row 27 - Cell 3
29Kona1Row 28 - Cell 3

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