MTB World Cup Downhill #3 - Fort William 2012: Elite men downhill Results

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Men's podium: Sam Hillm Danny Hart, Aaron Gwin, Gee Atherton, Josh Bryceland (Image credit: Canadian Cyclist)

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Sam Hill's bike will be auctioned on ebay for cancer research (Image credit: Canadian Cyclist)

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Aaron Gwin (Trek World Racing) on his way to World Cup win in Fort William (Image credit: Trek World Racing)

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Aaron Gwin (Trek World Racing) on the top step of the podium (Image credit: Trek World Racing)

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Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate) (Image credit: Canadian Cyclist)

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Marc Beaumont (GT Factory Racing) had the best qualifying run (Image credit: Canadian Cyclist)

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World Champion Danny Hart (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) (Image credit: Canadian Cyclist)

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Batttling the famous Fort William midges (Image credit: Canadian Cyclist)

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World Cup leader Aaron Gwin (Trek World Racing) (Image credit: Canadian Cyclist)

Aaron Gwin (Trek World Racing) took his second consecutive UCI Downhill World Cup win of the season on Sunday in Fort William, Scotland, solidifying his lead atop the men's standings after three rounds. However, unlike last weekend at Val di Sole, Italy, his victory margin was measured in tenths of a second rather than multiple seconds.

Video: Gwin rebounds after poor qualifier to win Fort William World Cup

The men struggled with the wet and slippery conditions, and also had to contend with mist on the open slopes of the upper section of the course, at times so thick that it became almost impossible to see more than 10 meters ahead. It wasn't until there were less than 30 riders remaining that the five minute barrier was broken by young British rider Greg Williamson, at 4:57.864 . Williamson held onto the lead through seven more riders before Gwin obliterated it, knocking 9.654 seconds off the leading time - a time still nearly six seconds slower than Marc Beaumont's (GT Factory) top qualifying time a day earlier in much drier conditions.

As the race counted down to the final ten riders, they began chipping away at Gwin's lead, but it wasn't enough. Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate), the winner of round one, was five seconds back after dropping his chain, a resurgent Sam Hill (Monster Energy-Specialized) at three and a half seconds, and Gee Atherton (GT Factory) a second closer. Only world champion Danny Hart (Giant) could get within a second, after leading at the first split, but he was 0.834 seconds back at the finish, giving Gwin his second consecutive victory of the season.

"I was coming down thinking it was going well, and it was a good run," said Hart. "But it's hard work, the new bottom section, when it's rain like it has. I just wish I could have gone eight-tenths faster."

"I didn't know if it would be enough," said Gwin, who had crashed in qualifying, resulting in an early start time. "That was a hard run, I didn't have much left at the bottom. It wasn't the best weekend for me, but I managed to pull it together. I can't believe it really."

Gwin now leads the World Cup standings with 650 points to Minnaar's 565, with Atherton at 495.

Full Results

#	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
1	Aaron Gwin (USA) Trek World Racing	0:04:48.210
2	Danny Hart (GBr) Giant Factory Off-Road Team	0:00:00.834
3	Gee Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing	0:00:02.516
4	Samuel Hill (Aus) Monster Energy-Specialized	0:00:03.532
5	Josh Bryceland (GBr) Santa Cruz Syndicate	0:00:05.056
6	Greg Minnaar (RSA) Santa Cruz Syndicate	0:00:05.123
7	Joseph Smith (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof	0:00:06.938
8	Sam Dale (GBr)	0:00:07.142
9	Matthew Simmonds (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof	0:00:07.382
10	Cameron Cole (NZl) Lapierre International	0:00:07.564
11	Rémi Thirion (Fra) Labyrinth Shimano Racing Team	0:00:07.711
12	Samuel Blenkinsop (NZl) Lapierre International	0:00:08.035
13	Andrew Neethling (RSA) Giant Factory Off-Road Team	0:00:08.127
14	Luke Strobel (USA)	0:00:08.958
15	Michael Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson United Ride	0:00:09.274
16	Loic Bruni° (Fra) Lapierre International	0:00:09.615
17	Greg Williamson (GBr)	0:00:09.654
18	Nick Beer (Swi) Devinci Global Racing	0:00:11.145
19	Steve Smith (Can) Devinci Global Racing	0:00:11.185
20	Bryn Atkinson (Aus) Team Norco International	0:00:13.832
21	George Brannigan (NZl) Devinci Global Racing	0:00:14.132
22	Patrick Thome (Fra) Lapierre International	0:00:14.197
23	Lewis Buchanan (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof	0:00:14.864
24	Mitchell Delfs (Aus) Kona	0:00:14.999
25	Richard Thomas (GBr)	0:00:15.129
26	Filip Polc (Svk)	0:00:15.280
27	Ben Reid (Irl) Dirt Norco Race Team	0:00:15.366
28	Pierre Charles Georges (Fra) Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsace	0:00:15.757
29	Brendan Fairclough (GBr) Scott11	0:00:15.992
30	Johannes Fischbach (Ger) Ghost Factory Racing Team	0:00:16.157
31	Alexander Kangas (Swe)	0:00:16.225
32	Justin Leov (NZl) Trek World Racing	0:00:16.341
33	Richard Rude Jr° (USA) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team	0:00:16.574
34	Mickael Pascal (Fra) CK Racing Santacruz	0:00:16.753
35	Fraser Mcglone° (GBr)	0:00:17.238
36	Dan Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing	0:00:17.305
37	Matti Lehikoinen (Fin) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof	0:00:18.138
38	Connor Fearon° (Aus) Kona	0:00:18.418
39	Jack Reading (GBr)	0:00:18.790
40	Marcelo Gutierrez Villegas (Col) Cg Racing Brigade	0:00:19.258
41	Duncan Riffle (USA) Dirt Norco Race Team	0:00:19.514
42	Damien Spagnolo (Fra) MS Mondraker Team	0:00:19.902
43	Nico Vink (Bel) Rose Vaujany Gravity MTB Team	0:00:20.093
44	Ivan Oulego Moreno (Spa)	0:00:20.194
45	Aurélien Giordanengo (Fra) Topcycle By Trek	0:00:20.361
46	Lars Vatnebryn Sandviken (Nor)	0:00:21.033
47	Julien Camellini (Fra)	0:00:21.322
48	Joshua Button (Aus) SC-Intense	0:00:21.821
49	Thomas Braithwaite (GBr)	0:00:22.498
50	Nejc Rutar (Slo) Unior Tools Team	0:00:22.642
51	Ralph Jones (GBr)	0:00:22.788
52	Joe Barnes (GBr)	0:00:22.817
53	Ziga Pandur (Slo) Unior Tools Team	0:00:22.976
54	Boris Tetzlaff (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria	0:00:22.978
55	Oliver Burton (GBr)	0:00:23.316
56	Mark Scott (GBr)	0:00:25.894
57	Fabien Cousinie (Fra) Hutchinson United Ride	0:00:25.940
58	Cyrille Kurtz (Fra) CK Racing Santacruz	0:00:26.056
59	Scott Mears (GBr)	0:00:26.641
60	Oscar Harnstrom (Swe) Pila-BlaCK Arrows-MTB Herin School Asd	0:00:27.821
61	Florent Payet (Fra) SC-Intense	0:00:28.339
62	Francisco Pardal (Por)	0:00:28.968
63	Thomas Jeandin (Swi)	0:00:30.740
64	Phil Atwill° (GBr) Madison Saracen Downhill Team	0:00:31.026
65	Robin Wallner (Swe) Team Are Bikepark By W-Racing	0:00:31.106
66	Marc Beaumont (GBr) GT Factory Racing	0:00:32.479
67	Niklas Wallner (Swe) Team Are Bikepark By W-Racing	0:00:33.437
68	Mathieu Gallean (Fra) Dagg - Racing	0:00:37.229
69	Brook Macdonald (NZl) MS Mondraker Team	0:00:39.184
70	Edgar Carballo Gonzalez (Spa)	0:00:39.312
71	Matthew Beer (Can)	0:00:41.505
72	Alex Bond (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof	0:00:42.252
73	Gaetan Ruffin (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction	0:00:52.026
74	Bernat Guardia Pascual (Spa)	0:00:53.101
75	Harry Heath (GBr) Unior Tools Team	0:00:55.882
76	Jared Graves (Aus) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team	0:00:57.744
77	Steve Peat (GBr) Santa Cruz Syndicate	0:03:19.320
DNF	Ruaridh Cunningham (GBr)
DNF	Lorenzo Suding (Ita) Pila-BlaCK Arrows-MTB Herin School Asd
DNF	George Gannicott° (GBr)
DNF	Andreas Sieber (Ger)

Teams
#	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
1	GT Factory Racing	67	pts
2	Lapierre International	55
3	Santa Cruz Syndicate	54
4	Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof	54
5	Giant Factory Off-Road Team	53
6	Trek World Racing	40
7	MS Mondraker Team	40
8	Scott11	37
9	Hutchinson United Ride	36
10	Devinci Global Racing	35
11	Commencal / Riding Addiction	30
12	Monster Energy-Specialized	30
13	Team Norco International	23
14	Labyrinth Shimano Racing Team	20
15	Passion Velo.Fr	18
16	Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie	14
17	Kona	7
18	Unior Tools Team	4
19	Dirt Norco Race Team	4
20	Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsace	3
21	Alpine Commencal Austria	2
22	Ghost Factory Racing Team	1

World Cup individual standings after round 3
#	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
1	Aaron Gwin (USA) Trek World Racing	650	pts
2	Greg Minnaar (RSA) Santa Cruz Syndicate	565
3	Gee Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing	495
4	Danny Hart (GBr) Giant Factory Off-Road Team	355
5	Samuel Hill (Aus) Monster Energy-Specialized	334
6	Steve Smith (Can) Devinci Global Racing	302
7	Marc Beaumont (GBr) GT Factory Racing	293
8	Michael Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson United Ride	288
9	Josh Bryceland (GBr) Santa Cruz Syndicate	257
10	Rémi Thirion (Fra) Labyrinth Shimano Racing Team	237
11	Cameron Cole (NZl) Lapierre International	217
12	Samuel Blenkinsop (NZl) Lapierre International	214
13	Nick Beer (Swi) Devinci Global Racing	207
14	Justin Leov (NZl) Trek World Racing	204
15	Andrew Neethling (RSA) Giant Factory Off-Road Team	199
16	Loic Bruni° (Fra) Lapierre International	199
17	Matthew Simmonds (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof	189
18	George Brannigan (NZl) Devinci Global Racing	189
19	Joseph Smith (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof	185
20	Damien Spagnolo (Fra) Ms Mondraker Team	182
21	Richard Rude Jr° (USA) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team	172
22	Brendan Fairclough (GBr) Scott11	170
23	Julien Camellini (Fra)	167
24	Brook Macdonald (NZl) Ms Mondraker Team	166
25	Aurélien Giordanengo (Fra) Topcycle By Trek	157
26	Steve Peat (GBr) Santa Cruz Syndicate	156
27	Luke Strobel (USA)	153
28	Pierre Charles Georges (Fra) Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsace	153
29	Mickael Pascal (Fra) Ck Racing Santacruz	144
30	Jared Graves (Aus) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team	142
31	Patrick Thome (Fra) Lapierre International	137
32	Johannes Fischbach (Ger) Ghost Factory Racing Team	137
33	Sam Dale (GBr)	135
34	Bryn Atkinson (Aus) Team Norco International	133
35	Robin Wallner (Swe) Team Are Bikepark By W-Racing	125
36	Bernard Kerr (GBr)	115
37	Richard Thomas (GBr)	112
38	Mitchell Delfs (Aus) Kona	110
39	Troy Brosnan (Aus) Monster Energy-Specialized	107
40	Greg Williamson (GBr)	106
41	Connor Fearon° (Aus) Kona	102
42	Joshua Button (Aus) Sc-Intense	100
43	Fabien Cousinie (Fra) Hutchinson United Ride	95
44	Cédric Gracia (Fra) Cg Racing Brigade	93
45	Thibaut Ruffin (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction	91
46	Marcus Klausmann (Ger) Ghost Factory Racing Team	88
47	Marcelo Gutierrez Villegas (Col) Cg Racing Brigade	88
48	Duncan Riffle (USA) Dirt Norco Race Team	85
49	Oliver Burton (GBr)	80
50	Lewis Buchanan (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof	78
51	Alexander Kangas (Swe)	78
52	Florent Payet (Fra) Sc-Intense	75
53	Harry Molloy (GBr) Madison Saracen Downhill Team	74
54	Fraser Mcglone° (GBr)	73
55	Oscar Harnstrom (Swe) Pila-Black Arrows-Mtb Herin School Asd	71
56	Jack Reading (GBr)	70
57	Eliot Jackson (USA) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team	69
58	Neko Mulally (USA) Trek World Racing	67
59	Matti Lehikoinen (Fin) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof	67
60	Ziga Pandur (Slo) Unior Tools Team	66
61	Matthew Beer (Can)	64
62	Ruaridh Cunningham (GBr)	58
63	Thomas Braithwaite (GBr)	57
64	Francisco Pardal (Por)	56
65	Filip Polc (Svk)	55
66	Lorenzo Suding (Ita) Pila-Black Arrows-Mtb Herin School Asd	55
67	Ben Reid (Irl) Dirt Norco Race Team	54
68	Markus Pekoll (Aut) Ms Mondraker Team	51
69	Marco Milivinti (Ita) Torpado Surfing Shop	48
70	Johann Potgieter (RSA)	48
71	Nejc Rutar (Slo) Unior Tools Team	48
72	Dan Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing	45
73	Isak Leivsson (Nor)	44
74	Yoann Barelli (Fra)	42
75	Bernat Guardia Pascual (Spa)	41
76	Kyle Sangers (Can)	38
77	Curtis Keene (USA) Specialized Racing - Usa Gravity	38
78	Nico Vink (Bel) Rose Vaujany Gravity Mtb Team	38
79	Mitch Ropelato (USA) Specialized Racing - Usa Gravity	37
80	Ivan Oulego Moreno (Spa)	37
81	Alex Bond (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof	37
82	Lars Vatnebryn Sandviken (Nor)	35
83	Mathieu Gallean (Fra) Dagg - Racing	35
84	Timothy Bentley (RSA) Hutchinson United Ride	33
85	Miran Vauh (Slo)	33
86	Faustin Figaret (Fra) Sc-Intense	32
87	Jonty Neethling (RSA)	32
88	Benny Strasser (Ger)	31
89	Niklas Wallner (Swe) Team Are Bikepark By W-Racing	31
90	Gianluca Vernassa° (Ita) Devinci Global Racing	30
91	Ralph Jones (GBr)	30
92	Mark Scott (GBr)	30
93	Joe Barnes (GBr)	29
94	Emanuel Pombo (Por)	28
95	Stefan Garlicki (RSA)	27
96	Boris Tetzlaff (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria	27
97	Harry Heath (GBr) Unior Tools Team	26
98	Cyrille Kurtz (Fra) Ck Racing Santacruz	23
99	Lars Peyer (Swi) Sc-Intense	22
100	Scott Mears (GBr)	22
101	Logan Binggeli (USA)	18
102	Thomas Jeandin (Swi)	18
103	Carlo Caire° (Ita) Argentina Bike Gravity Team	17
104	Phil Atwill° (GBr) Madison Saracen Downhill Team	17
105	Charly Di Pasquale (Fra) Xcytt Racing	16
106	Fergus Lamb (GBr)	16
107	Arthur Parret (Fra) Passion Velo.Fr	14
108	Manuel Gruber (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria	13
109	Ludovic May (Swi)	13
110	Emyr Davies (GBr)	12
111	Edgar Carballo Gonzalez (Spa)	11
112	Dan Stanbridge (GBr) Dirt Norco Race Team	11
113	Tommy Herrmann (Ger)	11
114	Matthias Stonig (Aut)	10
115	Guillaume Cauvin° (Fra) Hutchinson United Ride	10
116	Gaetan Ruffin (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction	8
117	Lutz Weber (Swi)	8
118	Mathias Haas (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria	7
119	Tiaan Odendaal° (RSA)	7
120	Benjamin Torrano (Fra)	7
121	Jonathan Jones° (GBr)	6
122	Kevin Aiello (USA)	4
123	Dan Sheridan° (Irl)	3
124	Kristoffer Haugland (Nor)	2

World Cup team standings after round 3
#	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
1	GT Factory Racing	212	pts
2	Santa Cruz Syndicate	172
3	Trek World Racing	160
4	MS Mondraker Team	153
5	Hutchinson United Ride	137
6	Lapierre International	131
7	Devinci Global Racing	131
8	Scott11	121
9	Giant Factory Off-Road Team	103
10	Monster Energy-Specialized	97
11	Commencal / Riding Addiction	85
12	Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof	66
13	Team Norco International	64
14	Labyrinth Shimano Racing Team	63
15	Passion Velo.Fr	40
16	SC-Intense	37
17	Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team	36
18	Madison Saracen Downhill Team	35
19	Alpine Commencal Austria	34
20	Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie	27
21	CG Racing Brigade	26
22	Topcycle By Trek	18
23	Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsace	12
24	CK Racing Santacruz	11
25	Torpado Surfing Shop	10
26	Team Are Bikepark By W-Racing	9
27	Kona	8
28	Unior Tools Team	7
29	Dirt Norco Race Team	4
30	Ghost Factory Racing Team	3