RESULTS: Les Gets Downhill World Cup Elite Finals 5

Epic racing on an epic track!

iceman2058

9/9/2023 4:34am

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We barely had time to catch our breath after the semi-finals before it was time to rack 'em and stack 'em at the top of the hill in Les Gets for the finals. In the women's elite category, we were reminded that the outcome is never a given, with semi-final winner Vali Höll loosing the front in one of the very first turns of the track. Just like that, her day was done, leaving Marine Cabirou to sign her first win of the season with an attacking run that was faster than Vali's time from the semis. Would it have been enough? We'll never know, but it was good to see Marine attacking and riding so well, and taking a win on home soil is always special.

As the elite men got underway, Luca Shaw too the early hot seat with a good run. Bruni went 2.6 seconds faster and his 3mn20 saw him comfortably into the lead, but he said he thought a 3:18 would win today. Would that turn out to be true? Minnaar got it to within 2.5 seconds, enough to edge ahead of Shaw for 2nd place at the line. Kolb went green at the 2nd split, and 1.4 up at the third! Riding loose and taking all the risks! 0.4 up at the line, and Kolb could be on for his second win of the season! 3:19, would Bruni’s prophecy come true? Jackson was down by 1.8 after 2 splits, but just like in the semis, he pulled almost all of it back to go second at the line - he was brilliant through the steep woods. Brosnan had a clean and fast run, 0.9 back and 4th at the line (at this point, the 5 top riders were within 1 second). Dak set out to change all that, but he caught an inside and washed out the front, going down in a cloud of dust - huge disappointment for the American who has been on a roll these past few weeks. Vergier on track, 0.6 back at split 2, 1.4 at split 3, but he got it back to just 0.2 at the line with a fantastic effort at the very bottom of the track. Coulanges then, last man down, in touch at the top splits! 0.2 down at split 3, but green at split 4! The French crowd went wild as Benoit wins his first ever World Cup by 0.16 Seconds, CONGRATS!