FINAL RESULTS: Mont Sainte Anne World Cup Downhill

Mont Sainte Anne is always special, and 2016 would certainly not prove any different. With a few changes to the legendary track the organizers served up a fresh helping of east coast gnar with a sprinkling of PMB-like speeds - Aaron Gwin clocked in at over 75 km/h in his qualifying run. And, to add to the excitement, MSA is the 6th round of the 2016 World Cup, which means that we were getting to the sharp end of the battles for the overall titles.

In the men's race, George Brannigan crossed the line with a flat but 2 seconds up on Brendan Fairclough to take the hot seat as we got close to the top 20. As Loic Bruni set off we were eager to find out how his speed would stack up after a few months off the bike due to injury, and find out we did. Nearly 5 seconds up at the splits, he got oh so close to the 4-minute barrier, and more importantly, he looked amazing on the bike. With a time that would have placed him 2nd in qualifying, how would his run hold up on race day? By the time we got into the top-10, Bruni's lead was still over 4 seconds and nobody had gotten close.

Luca Shaw put together a smooth and fast run to get to within 2.5 seconds, while Vergier showed that team mate Bruni's time was within reach, going fastest at the first split before seeing a flat put an end to his challenge. 5 to go! Atherton put together a smooth run, but it was not quick enough on the day and he would end up in 11th place. Minnaar was down on the splits from the start, but he would hold it together for 3rd as he crossed the line. 3rd fastest qualifier Troy Brosnan was right on Minnaar's splits, squeaking into 2nd by a tenth or so - he would ultimately end up 4th. Still 2.6 off Bruni though! What a return to racing by the Frenchman. 2 to go, and LOOK AT THE TIME! Danny Hart with the green light at the top splits...and green at the finish! 1 second up on Bruni - what would Gwin have for the Redcar Rocket? He got close, but ultimately, he couldn't get it back under 4 minutes, and would have to settle for 2nd on the day. WIth that result, the race for the overall title is still open heading into the last round of the year in Andorra, which should make for some very exciting racing. And of course, after Andorra, we still have the small matter of the rainbow stripes to attend to in Val di Sole...and we're stoked to see the top riders all getting healthy again as the showdown approaches!

Danny Hart looked fast here all week - photo by Sven Martin

In the women's, Rachel Atherton signalled her intentions with a 12-second qualifying win. With Tahnee Seagrave riding hurt, it really was Rachel's race to lose, and she wouldn't falter. Visibly superior to the rest of the field, Rachel crossed the line 11 seconds up on second place and in doing so, secured the 2016 overall World Cup title (and kept her record-breaking win streak alive with number 12 on the trot)! What a performance. Behind Rachel, Tracey Hannah's loose and fast run was good enough for second on the day, with Seagrave, Carpenter, and Miller rounding out the podium.

Rachel Atherton in a class of her own - photo Sven Martin

In the juniors, Gaetan Vige and Finn Iles continued their battle, with the young Frenchman getting the better of Finn this time around - by a mere 0.31 seconds.

Gaetan Vige - photo Duncan Philpott