Thirion triumphs in men's downhill World Cup at Vallnord
By Cycling News
Runner-up Gee Atherton remains World Cup leader
Rémi Thirion (Commencal / Riding Addiction) won the first downhill World Cup of his career on Sunday in Vallnord, Andorra. Gee Atherton (GT Factory Racing) and Sam Hill (Chain Reaction Cycles / Nukeproof) rounded out the top three.
Among the 80 riders to compete in the finals, there were no initial surprises. Once the favorites got their turn, Aaron Gwin (Specialized DH) set the fastest time, but he did not get to enjoy the hot seat for long.
Steve Smith (Devinci Global Racing) took it over and held it until Thirion crossed the line. The eventual winner had been fifth in qualifying and bettered Smith's time in the final run by two seconds.
"Incredible. First podium for me and first win," said Thirion. "I was hoping to be in the top 10."
Atherton was among the favorites, and he had the fastest first intermediate split, but a few mistakes in the final part cost him the race, and he finished second. However, the result helped him strengthen his spot in the World Cup overall.
Hill looked at one point like he might get his first World Cup win since 2009, but he, too, lost time in the final section. Racers were clearly tired at this point.
The podium was completed by Smith, who is second in the World Cup overall standings, and Troy Brosnan.
With the World Cup completed, Vallnord, Andorra officially announced that it was putting in a bid to host the 2015 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships.
Racer Cédric Gracia announced his retirement at the event.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Rémi Thirion (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction | 0:04:13.666 |
2 | Gee Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing | 0:00:01.350 |
3 | Samuel Hill (Aus) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof | 0:00:01.756 |
4 | Steve Smith (Can) Devinci Global Racing | 0:00:02.273 |
5 | Troy Brosnan (Aus) Specialized Racing DH | 0:00:02.476 |
6 | Greg Minnaar (RSA) Santa Cruz Syndicate | 0:00:02.549 |
7 | Danny Hart (GBr) Giant Factory Off-Road Team | 0:00:02.975 |
8 | Loic Bruni (Fra) Lapierre Gravity Republic | 0:00:03.548 |
9 | Marcelo Gutierrez Villegas (Col) Giant Factory Off-Road Team | 0:00:03.979 |
10 | Aaron Gwin (USA) Specialized Racing DH | 0:00:04.376 |
11 | Steve Peat (GBr) Santa Cruz Syndicate | 0:00:05.171 |
12 | Samuel Blenkinsop (NZl) Lapierre Gravity Republic | 0:00:05.214 |
13 | Brendan Fairclough (GBr) Gstaad-Scott | 0:00:05.844 |
14 | Faustin Figaret (Fra) Topcycle By Trek | 0:00:06.543 |
15 | Marc Beaumont (GBr) GT Factory Racing | 0:00:06.836 |
16 | Neko Mulally (USA) Trek World Racing | 0:00:07.078 |
17 | Andrew Neethling (RSA) Giant Factory Off-Road Team | 0:00:07.335 |
18 | Francisco Pardal (Por) Evil Vengeance Tour | 0:00:07.377 |
19 | Bernat Guardia Pascual (Spa) | 0:00:07.526 |
20 | Patrick Thome (Fra) Gstaad-Scott | 0:00:07.748 |
21 | Sam Dale (GBr) Madison Saracen Downhill Team | 0:00:08.208 |
22 | Nick Beer (Swi) Devinci Global Racing | 0:00:08.536 |
23 | Lorenzo Suding (Ita) GT / 360 Degrees | 0:00:08.587 |
24 | Bernard Kerr (GBr) Pivot Factory Team | 0:00:09.173 |
25 | Antonio Ferreiro Pajuelo (Spa) Evil Vengeance Tour | 0:00:09.364 |
26 | Michael Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson UR | 0:00:09.567 |
27 | Guillaume Cauvin (Fra) Hutchinson UR | 0:00:10.330 |
28 | Matthew Simmonds (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof | 0:00:10.669 |
29 | George Brannigan (NZl) Trek World Racing | 0:00:10.711 |
30 | Adam Brayton (GBr) | 0:00:11.597 |
31 | Markus Pekoll (Aut) Ms Mondraker Team | 0:00:11.822 |
32 | Luke Strobel (USA) Evil Vengeance Tour | 0:00:11.841 |
33 | Greg Williamson (GBr) Trek World Racing | 0:00:12.739 |
34 | Connor Fearon (Aus) Kona | 0:00:12.937 |
35 | Ivan Oulego Moreno (Spa) | 0:00:13.174 |
36 | Harry Heath (GBr) | 0:00:13.317 |
37 | Mitch Ropelato (USA) Specialized Racing DH | 0:00:13.589 |
38 | Jack Reading (GBr) | 0:00:13.616 |
39 | Matthew Walker (NZl) | 0:00:13.785 |
40 | Florent Payet (Fra) Evil CK Racing Evian | 0:00:13.956 |
41 | Harry Molloy (GBr) Madison Saracen Downhill Team | 0:00:13.969 |
42 | Mitchell Delfs (Aus) Evil Vengeance Tour | 0:00:14.517 |
43 | Joe Connell (GBr) SC Intense | 0:00:15.610 |
44 | Robin Wallner (Swe) Team W-Racing | 0:00:15.672 |
45 | Ben Reid (Irl) Dirt Norco Race Team | 0:00:15.918 |
46 | Wyn Masters (NZl) Team Bulls - DH | 0:00:16.330 |
47 | Richard° Rude Jr (USA) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team | 0:00:16.396 |
48 | Ziga Pandur (Slo) Unior Tools Team | 0:00:16.724 |
49 | Filip Polc (Svk) Evil Vengeance Tour | 0:00:17.339 |
50 | Remi Gauvin (Can) | 0:00:17.557 |
51 | Jack Moir (Aus) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team | 0:00:18.248 |
52 | Iago Garay Tamayo (Spa) | 0:00:18.882 |
53 | Josh Bryceland (GBr) Santa Cruz Syndicate | 0:00:19.637 |
54 | Christopher Mcglinchey (Irl) | 0:00:19.988 |
55 | Benoit Coulanges (Fra) Roc VTT Oz En Oisans | 0:00:20.612 |
56 | Mickael Pascal (Fra) Evil CK Racing Evian | 0:00:21.082 |
57 | Florian Arthus (Fra) | 0:00:21.150 |
58 | David Mcmillan (Aus) | 0:00:21.205 |
59 | Brook Macdonald (NZl) Trek World Racing | 0:00:21.441 |
60 | Alexis Pujol (Fra) | 0:00:21.530 |
61 | Guy Gibbs (Nor) | 0:00:21.764 |
62 | Joseph Smith (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof | 0:00:22.540 |
63 | Terje Nylende (Nor) | 0:00:23.151 |
64 | Guillem Jorba Prats (Spa) | 0:00:24.066 |
65 | Melvin Pons (Fra) US Cagnes VTT | 0:00:24.361 |
66 | Johannes Fischbach (Ger) RRP Ghost | 0:00:24.548 |
67 | James Swinden (GBr) | 0:00:26.455 |
68 | Cédric Gracia (Fra) Cg Racing Brigade | 0:00:26.762 |
69 | Peter Williams (GBr) | 0:00:28.194 |
70 | Baptiste Pierron (Fra) | 0:00:28.521 |
71 | Carlo Caire (Ita) | 0:00:30.079 |
72 | Ludovic Oget (Fra) | 0:00:33.206 |
73 | David Trummer (Aut) RRP Ghost | 0:00:40.946 |
74 | Bryn Dickerson (NZl) | 0:00:41.521 |
75 | Romain Paulhan (Fra) | 0:00:44.564 |
76 | Boris Tetzlaff (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria | 0:01:08.320 |
77 | Mathew Stuttard (GBr) | 0:01:10.064 |
78 | Kyle Sangers (Can) | 0:02:29.741 |
79 | Cyrille Kurtz (Fra) Evil CK Racing Evian | 0:02:40.266 |
DNF | Alexander Kangas (Swe) | |
DNF | Cameron Cole (NZl) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | GT Factory Racing | 91 | pts |
2 | Commencal / Riding Addiction | 70 | |
3 | Lapierre Gravity Republic | 68 | |
4 | Giant Factory Off-Road Team | 60 | |
5 | Gstaad-Scott | 52 | |
6 | Specialized Racing DH | 49 | |
7 | Santa Cruz Syndicate | 46 | |
8 | Madison Saracen Downhill Team | 45 | |
9 | Devinci Global Racing | 39 | |
10 | Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof | 35 | |
11 | MS Mondraker Team | 20 | |
12 | Evil Vengeance Tour | 19 | |
13 | FMD Racing / Intense Cycles | 18 | |
14 | Topcycle By Trek | 17 | |
15 | Trek World Racing | 17 | |
16 | Team Norco International | 16 | |
17 | RRP Ghost | 10 | |
18 | Unior Tools Team | 9 | |
19 | Hutchinson UR | 9 | |
20 | GT / 360 Degrees | 8 | |
21 | Pivot Factory Team | 7 | |
22 | Team Morzine-Avoriaz/Haute-Savoie | 6 | |
23 | US Cagnes VTT | 6 | |
24 | Torpado Surfing Shop | 5 | |
25 | Blackthorn GT | 3 | |
26 | SC Intense | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Gee Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing | 680 | pts |
2 | Steve Smith (Can) Devinci Global Racing | 477 | |
3 | Greg Minnaar (RSA) Santa Cruz Syndicate | 391 | |
4 | Rémi Thirion (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction | 368 | |
5 | Samuel Hill (Aus) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof | 349 | |
6 | Loic Bruni (Fra) Lapierre Gravity Republic | 325 | |
7 | Troy Brosnan (Aus) Specialized Racing DH | 315 | |
8 | Samuel Blenkinsop (NZl) Lapierre Gravity Republic | 301 | |
9 | Michael Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson UR | 297 | |
10 | Brook Macdonald (NZl) Trek World Racing | 284 | |
11 | Aaron Gwin (USA) Specialized Racing DH | 282 | |
12 | Danny Hart (GBr) Giant Factory Off-Road Team | 273 | |
13 | Marcelo Gutierrez Villegas (Col) Giant Factory Off-Road Team | 219 | |
14 | Josh Bryceland (GBr) Santa Cruz Syndicate | 216 | |
15 | Neko Mulally (USA) Trek World Racing | 215 | |
16 | Lorenzo Suding (Ita) GT / 360 Degrees | 200 | |
17 | Florent Payet (Fra) Evil CK Racing Evian | 198 | |
18 | Markus Pekoll (Aut) Ms Mondraker Team | 192 | |
19 | Antonio Ferreiro Pajuelo (Spa) Evil Vengeance Tour | 186 | |
20 | Brendan Fairclough (GBr) Gstaad-Scott | 185 | |
21 | Steve Peat (GBr) Santa Cruz Syndicate | 181 | |
22 | Sam Dale (GBr) Madison Saracen Downhill Team | 180 | |
23 | Guillaume Cauvin (Fra) Hutchinson UR | 164 | |
24 | Faustin Figaret (Fra) Topcycle By Trek | 162 | |
25 | Andrew Neethling (RSA) Giant Factory Off-Road Team | 161 | |
26 | Marc Beaumont (GBr) GT Factory Racing | 160 | |
27 | Connor Fearon (Aus) Kona | 157 | |
28 | Greg Williamson (GBr) Trek World Racing | 153 | |
29 | Joseph Smith (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof | 149 | |
30 | Harry Heath (GBr) | 136 | |
31 | Matthew Simmonds (GBr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof | 135 | |
32 | Bernard Kerr (GBr) Pivot Factory Team | 135 | |
33 | Francisco Pardal (Por) Evil Vengeance Tour | 128 | |
34 | Bernat Guardia Pascual (Spa) | 127 | |
35 | Johannes Fischbach (Ger) RRP Ghost | 121 | |
36 | Patrick Thome (Fra) Gstaad-Scott | 121 | |
37 | Joe Connell (GBr) SC Intense | 121 | |
38 | George Brannigan (NZl) Trek World Racing | 120 | |
39 | Cameron Cole (NZl) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team | 119 | |
40 | Ben Reid (Irl) Dirt Norco Race Team | 112 | |
41 | Mitchell Delfs (Aus) Evil Vengeance Tour | 108 | |
42 | Luke Strobel (USA) Evil Vengeance Tour | 108 | |
43 | Austin Warren (USA) Pivot Factory Team | 100 | |
44 | Robin Wallner (Swe) Team W-Racing | 98 | |
45 | Harry Molloy (GBr) Madison Saracen Downhill Team | 96 | |
46 | Edward Masters (NZl) | 95 | |
47 | Wyn Masters (NZl) Team Bulls - DH | 94 | |
48 | Richard° Rude Jr (USA) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team | 92 | |
49 | Aurélien Giordanengo (Fra) Topcycle By Trek | 87 | |
50 | Ziga Pandur (Slo) Unior Tools Team | 77 | |
51 | Jack Moir (Aus) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team | 76 | |
52 | Christopher Mcglinchey (Irl) | 73 | |
53 | Remi Gauvin (Can) | 71 | |
54 | Nick Beer (Swi) Devinci Global Racing | 70 | |
55 | Lewis Buchanan (GBr) SC Intense | 69 | |
56 | Mickael Pascal (Fra) Evil CK Racing Evian | 68 | |
57 | Mathew Stuttard (GBr) | 66 | |
58 | Filip Polc (Svk) Evil Vengeance Tour | 64 | |
59 | Matthew Walker (NZl) | 63 | |
60 | Fraser Mcglone (GBr) | 63 | |
61 | David Trummer (Aut) RRP Ghost | 59 | |
62 | Jack Reading (GBr) | 54 | |
63 | Oscar Harnstrom (Swe) GT / 360 Degrees | 54 | |
64 | Boris Tetzlaff (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria | 54 | |
65 | Adam Brayton (GBr) | 51 | |
66 | Cyrille Kurtz (Fra) Evil CK Racing Evian | 51 | |
67 | Melvin Pons (Fra) US Cagnes VTT | 50 | |
68 | Isak Leivsson (Nor) | 48 | |
69 | Ivan Oulego Moreno (Spa) | 46 | |
70 | Thibaut Ruffin (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction | 46 | |
71 | Bryn Atkinson (Aus) Team Norco International | 45 | |
72 | Terje Nylende (Nor) | 45 | |
73 | Jared Graves (Aus) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team | 44 | |
74 | Mitch Ropelato (USA) Specialized Racing DH | 44 | |
75 | Ben Cathro (GBr) | 38 | |
76 | Julien Piccolo (Fra) | 37 | |
77 | Oliwer Kangas (Swe) | 33 | |
78 | Zakarias Blom Johansen (Nor) | 32 | |
79 | Marco Milivinti (Ita) Torpado Surfing Shop | 31 | |
80 | Reece Potter (NZl) | 31 | |
81 | Iago Garay Tamayo (Spa) | 29 | |
82 | Cédric Gracia (Fra) Cg Racing Brigade | 29 | |
83 | Alexander Kangas (Swe) | 28 | |
84 | Rudy Cabirou (Fra) | 28 | |
85 | Kyle Sangers (Can) | 27 | |
86 | Benoit Coulanges (Fra) Roc VTT Oz En Oisans | 26 | |
87 | Scott Mears (GBr) | 25 | |
88 | Florian Arthus (Fra) | 24 | |
89 | Lars Vatnebryn Sandviken (Nor) | 23 | |
90 | David Mcmillan (Aus) | 23 | |
91 | Niklas Wallner (Swe) Team W-Racing | 22 | |
92 | Gaetan Ruffin (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction | 22 | |
93 | Alexis Pujol (Fra) | 21 | |
94 | Martin Knapec (Svk) | 21 | |
95 | Richard Thomas (GBr) | 20 | |
96 | Guy Gibbs (Nor) | 20 | |
97 | Benny Strasser (Ger) | 20 | |
98 | Johann Potgieter (RSA) RRP Ghost | 19 | |
99 | Marcus Klausmann (Ger) Ghost Factory Racing Team | 18 | |
100 | Guillem Jorba Prats (Spa) | 17 | |
101 | Arthur Parret (Fra) | 17 | |
102 | Matej Charvat (Cze) | 16 | |
103 | Bryn Dickerson (NZl) | 16 | |
104 | James Swinden (GBr) | 14 | |
105 | Gareth Brewin (GBr) | 14 | |
106 | Fabien Cousinie (Fra) Hutchinson UR | 14 | |
107 | Kevin Aiello (USA) | 13 | |
108 | Peter Williams (GBr) | 12 | |
109 | Logan Binggeli (USA) | 12 | |
110 | Baptiste Pierron (Fra) | 11 | |
111 | Carlo Caire (Ita) | 10 | |
112 | Ludovic Oget (Fra) | 9 | |
113 | Rhys Atkinson (Aus) | 8 | |
114 | Romain Paulhan (Fra) | 6 | |
115 | Pierre Charles Georges (Fra) Lac Blanc/Scott | 6 | |
116 | Charly Di Pasquale (Fra) | 4 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | GT Factory Racing | 271 | pts |
2 | Lapierre Gravity Republic | 208 | |
3 | Santa Cruz Syndicate | 160 | |
4 | Commencal / Riding Addiction | 150 | |
5 | Gstaad-Scott | 143 | |
6 | Specialized Racing DH | 133 | |
7 | Madison Saracen Downhill Team | 117 | |
8 | Giant Factory Off-Road Team | 112 | |
9 | MS Mondraker Team | 106 | |
10 | Devinci Global Racing | 106 | |
11 | Trek World Racing | 102 | |
12 | Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof | 96 | |
13 | Hutchinson UR | 94 | |
14 | Evil Vengeance Tour | 53 | |
15 | Team Norco International | 41 | |
16 | Topcycle By Trek | 29 | |
17 | Blackthorn GT | 29 | |
18 | FMD Racing / Intense Cycles | 28 | |
19 | Pivot Factory Team | 27 | |
20 | RRP Ghost | 25 | |
21 | GT / 360 Degrees | 25 | |
22 | Evil CK Racing Evian | 23 | |
23 | Dirt Norco Race Team | 20 | |
24 | Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team | 18 | |
25 | SC Intense | 18 | |
26 | Team Morzine-Avoriaz/Haute-Savoie | 15 | |
27 | Torpado Surfing Shop | 11 | |
28 | Kona | 10 | |
29 | Unior Tools Team | 9 | |
30 | Team Bulls - DH | 9 | |
31 | US Cagnes VTT | 8 |
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