Rachel Atherton wins Hafjell World Cup round

Rachel Atherton (GT Factory Racing) took her first World Cup title since 2008 on Saturday, after winning the final round of the downhill mountain bike World Cup in Hafjell, Norway.

The Hafjell track is new to the World Cup, but has already drawn strong praise from riders for its varied and technical terrain. After rain earlier in the week, the course dried considerably for a sunny and windy race day.

American Jacqueline Harmony, 10th fastest in qualifying, set the first sub-4:25 time for the women, a time that proved to be strong enough for fifth, and her first podium appearance. Harmony held the hot seat for two riders before Canadian national champion Casey Brown knocked over 10.5 seconds off to take the lead. Brown held the lead for four riders until the newly crowned world champion, Morgane Charre (Passionvelo.fr), bumped her by nearly two seconds.

However, everyone was waiting for the final three riders to come down, which included the two who have been battling for the World Cup title all season: Atherton and Emmeline Ragot (MS Mondraker). Ragot qualified third fastest, and came through the speed trap significantly faster than anyone else, the first to beat Atherton's qualifying time with 4:03.828. Manon Carpenter (Madison Saracen) was the second fastest qualifier, but crashed hard in the middle of her run, leaving it up to Atherton.

Atherton had finished a disappointing fifth at the world championships, struggling with back problems and, at the first split Ragot was ahead by three-tenths of a second. But the British rider put in a brilliant lower half to her run, to win by 2.283 seconds, and take her first World Cup overall title since 2008.

"I am so happy the race is done," Atherton said. "The track was really hard, really challenging and really physical. I was probably the most scared I have been all year. I am really tired, I pushed all the way. It is an awesome track. I am really happy."

"It is cool [because] I haven't won the overall title since 2008, with all the injuries I've had. It is cool to finally be back at the top. I missed out at the world championships last week with an injury. It is just an amazing feeling, it hasn't quite sunk in yet."

Atherton won the 2012 title with 1450 points, despite missing the first round, with Ragot 140 points back, followed by the absent and injured Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Riding Addiction) with 892 points.

Race note

- Many top women were not competing due to injury.  Among them were Tracey Hannah, Myriam Nicole and Floriane Pugin

- Former four cross world champion Anita Molcik was in her final World Cup race prior to retirement.

Full Results

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Elite women
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Rachel Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing0:04:01.545
2Emmeline Ragot (Fra) MS Mondraker Team0:00:02.283
3Morgane Charre (Fra) Passion Velo.Fr0:00:08.853
4Casey Brown (Can)0:00:10.692
5Jacqueline Harmony (USA)0:00:22.271
6Petra Bernhard (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria0:00:25.399
7Anita Molcik (Aut)0:00:25.893
8Anita Ager-Wick (Nor)0:00:26.848
9Tahnee Seagrave° (GBr)0:00:28.079
10Jessica Stone (GBr) Unior Tools Team0:00:28.740
11Marianne Ruud° (Nor)0:00:30.787
12Caroline Sax (Fra) Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsace0:00:31.074
13Céline Gros (Fra) Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie0:00:32.934
14Manon Carpenter (GBr) Madison Saracen Downhill Team0:00:35.138
15Harriet Rucknagel (Ger)0:00:36.454
16Sophiemarie Bethell (NZl)0:00:37.833
17Mélanie Pugin (Fra) Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie0:00:38.787
18Lina Skoglund (Swe)0:00:50.154
19Veronique Sandler (NZl)0:00:51.283
20Gabriela Williams (Cze)0:01:02.377
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Teams
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Devinci Global Racing103pts
2MS Mondraker Team74Row 1 - Cell 3
3GT Factory Racing72Row 2 - Cell 3
4Santa Cruz Syndicate55Row 3 - Cell 3
5Lapierre International36Row 4 - Cell 3
6Passion Velo.Fr30Row 5 - Cell 3
7Monster Energy-Specialized24Row 6 - Cell 3
8Scott1121Row 7 - Cell 3
9Alpine Commencal Austria20Row 8 - Cell 3
10Hutchinson United Ride20Row 9 - Cell 3
11Giant Factory Off-Road Team18Row 10 - Cell 3
12Commencal / Riding Addiction15Row 11 - Cell 3
13Team Are Bikepark By W-Racing14Row 12 - Cell 3
14Unior Tools Team12Row 13 - Cell 3
15Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie12Row 14 - Cell 3
16Trek World Racing12Row 15 - Cell 3
17Madison Saracen Downhill Team11Row 16 - Cell 3
18Team Norco International11Row 17 - Cell 3
19Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsace9Row 18 - Cell 3
20SC-Intense9Row 19 - Cell 3
21Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof7Row 20 - Cell 3
22Pila-Black Arrows-MTB Herin School Asd3Row 21 - Cell 3
23CG Racing Brigade1Row 22 - Cell 3
24Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team1Row 23 - Cell 3
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Elite women individual final World Cup standings
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Rachel Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing1450pts
2Emmeline Ragot (Fra) MS Mondraker Team1310Row 1 - Cell 3
3Myriam Nicole (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction892Row 2 - Cell 3
4Tracey Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson United Ride732Row 3 - Cell 3
5Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Scott11705Row 4 - Cell 3
6Morgane Charre (Fra) Passion Velo.Fr546Row 5 - Cell 3
7Petra Bernhard (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria511Row 6 - Cell 3
8Floriane Pugin (Fra) Scott11500Row 7 - Cell 3
9Manon Carpenter (GBr) Madison Saracen Downhill Team500Row 8 - Cell 3
10Anita Molcik (Aut)480Row 9 - Cell 3
11Jill Kintner (USA) Team Norco International363Row 10 - Cell 3
12Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) France239Row 11 - Cell 3
13Casey Brown (Can)232Row 12 - Cell 3
14Miriam Ruchti (Swi) SC-Intense232Row 13 - Cell 3
15Mio Suemasa (Jpn) Japan230Row 14 - Cell 3
16Micayla Gatto (Can) Canada221Row 15 - Cell 3
17Jacqueline Harmony (USA)180Row 16 - Cell 3
18Tahnee Seagrave° (GBr)166Row 17 - Cell 3
19Miranda Miller (Can) Canada140Row 18 - Cell 3
20Céline Gros (Fra) Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie130Row 19 - Cell 3
21Tracy Moseley (GBr) Great Britain124Row 20 - Cell 3
22Caroline Sax (Fra) Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsace120Row 21 - Cell 3
23Fionn Griffiths (GBr)115Row 22 - Cell 3
24Jessica Stone (GBr) Unior Tools Team105Row 23 - Cell 3
25Harriet Rucknagel (Ger)105Row 24 - Cell 3
26Mélanie Pugin (Fra) Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie95Row 25 - Cell 3
27Luana Maria De Souza Oliveira (Bra) Brazil84Row 26 - Cell 3
28Anita Ager-Wick (Nor)80Row 27 - Cell 3
29Zarja Cernilogar (Slo) Slovenia70Row 28 - Cell 3
30Claire Buchar (Can) Canada57Row 29 - Cell 3
31Alia Marcellini (Ita) Torpado Surfing Shop55Row 30 - Cell 3
32Marianne Ruud° (Nor)50Row 31 - Cell 3
33Chloe Gallean° (Fra) France45Row 32 - Cell 3
34Martina Bruehlmann (Swi)35Row 33 - Cell 3
35Sarah Newman (GBr)30Row 34 - Cell 3
36Gabriela Williams (Cze) Cg Racing Brigade30Row 35 - Cell 3
37Sophiemarie Bethell (NZl)25Row 36 - Cell 3
38Fiona Ourdouillie° (Fra) France25Row 37 - Cell 3
39Carina Cappellari (Swi)20Row 38 - Cell 3
40Lauren Rosser (Can) Canada20Row 39 - Cell 3
41Lina Skoglund (Swe)15Row 40 - Cell 3
42Elke Rabeder (Aut)15Row 41 - Cell 3
43Tamara Maria Ulrich (Aut)15Row 42 - Cell 3
44Veronique Sandler (NZl)10Row 43 - Cell 3
45Jana Bartova (Cze) Czech Republic10Row 44 - Cell 3
46Jaime Hill (Can)10Row 45 - Cell 3
47Jaime Rees (USA) United States Of America5Row 46 - Cell 3
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Team final World Cup standings
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1GT Factory Racing535pts
2MS Mondraker Team420Row 1 - Cell 3
3Santa Cruz Syndicate402Row 2 - Cell 3
4Devinci Global Racing379Row 3 - Cell 3
5Lapierre International316Row 4 - Cell 3
6Trek World Racing301Row 5 - Cell 3
7Hutchinson United Ride275Row 6 - Cell 3
8Scott11259Row 7 - Cell 3
9Giant Factory Off-Road Team249Row 8 - Cell 3
10Commencal / Riding Addiction216Row 9 - Cell 3
11Monster Energy-Specialized203Row 10 - Cell 3
12Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof134Row 11 - Cell 3
13Labyrinth Shimano Racing Team133Row 12 - Cell 3
14Passion Velo.Fr104Row 13 - Cell 3
15Alpine Commencal Austria98Row 14 - Cell 3
16SC-Intense95Row 15 - Cell 3
17Madison Saracen Downhill Team94Row 16 - Cell 3
18Team Norco International93Row 17 - Cell 3
19Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team68Row 18 - Cell 3
20Team Morzine - Avoriaz / Haute - Savoie47Row 19 - Cell 3
21Kona45Row 20 - Cell 3
22CG Racing Brigade38Row 21 - Cell 3
23Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsace37Row 22 - Cell 3
24Topcycle By Trek32Row 23 - Cell 3
25Team Are Bikepark By W-Racing23Row 24 - Cell 3
26Unior Tools Team23Row 25 - Cell 3
27Pila-Black Arrows-Mtb Herin School Asd23Row 26 - Cell 3
28CK Racing Santacruz17Row 27 - Cell 3
29Torpado Surfing Shop10Row 28 - Cell 3
30Dagg - Racing9Row 29 - Cell 3
31Dirt Norco Race Team4Row 30 - Cell 3
32Ghost Factory Racing Team3Row 31 - Cell 3

 

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