FINAL RESULTS: Leogang World Cup Downhill 10

No room for error today at one of the most exciting races of 2018 so far.

The smallest fractions of a second determined winners at the UCI World Cup downhill in Leogang, Austria today. Once criticized for being track with too many tame bike park sections, the 2018 Leogang course had fresh, natural sections in place of groomed corners and lines, much to the joy of racers and fans alike. Despite the threatening forecasts, thankfully the weather was not a factor at the race today and the track was fairly dry and running fast.

As expected this season, Vali Höll made quick work of the Junior Women's class with a 15-second victory.

Kye A'hern, 2nd place qualifier, and Thibault Daprela, 1st place qualifier, had a nail-biting battle in the Junior Men's class with Kye nabbing the win by just .05 seconds.

The Elite Women's class was full of drama and close racing with Rachel Atherton back on top. She bested Myriam Nicole by just .638 seconds with Tracey Hannah in 3rd. The news of the day was fastest qualifier, Tahnee Seagrave with a DSQ. Tahnee rode off track and did not re-enter resulting in no points toward the overall after a victory in Fort William last week.

Elite Men's action was incredibly close. It took nailing every section of the course to make a winning run. Many riders would excel on the technical portions and not the long, pumpy motorway, while others would pull time on the motorway while losing it in the tech.

Aaron Gwin, fighting injury, did not let any pain get in his way. Dropping in 11th from last (considerably earlier than we're used to), he was 2 seconds up on the competition at the first split during his run. He lost .5 seconds on the motorway section but pulled it back through the lower portion of the track, but his lower portion was not without small mistakes. "I was really happy how I rode, considering my grip," Aaron said, but was unsure if his time would hold up. Gwin waited as riders challenged but did not overcome until, by the slimmest of margins, Gwin's time fell as Amaury Pierron put together a flawless top-to-bottom run, free of any mistakes that would survive the likes of Brook MacDonald and fastest qualifier, Luca Shaw. Luca was on pace to challenge for the win and came off the bike with only a small portion of the course remaining. Hopes dashed. Amaury Pierron wins his second World Cup downhill race.

 

Elite Men's Final Results

Elite Men's Ranking After Leogang

Elite Women's Final Results

Junior Men's Final Results

Junior Women's Final Results


Rachel Atherton's Winning Bike - Trek Session

Amaury Pierron's Winning Bike - Commencal Supreme DH 29

Vali Höll's Winning Bike - YT TUES

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