Mark Wallace hits podium in wild Les Gets World Cup downhill

Rain caused havoc in Saturday’s World Cup downhill at Les Gets. Canada’s Mark Wallace raced through the wet weather to land on the podium for the first time since 2020 world championships.

How it happened: Slip and slide in Les Gets

Les Gets marked the proper return of fans to World Cup racing. After smaller crowds in Leogang, the French were out in full force to support the dominant home country racers. The sound of chainsaws and cowbells lined the course in a welcome return to more normal racing after a year of disruption.

Unfortunately, Les Gets also brought rain. The wet weather arrived between Saturday morning’s final practice runs and the start of finals, meaning riders had little idea what to expect during their race runs.

The elite women fared somewhat better, with consistent track conditions for all riders.  The elite men had less luck. Rain really started to pour half way through finals, turning the track from slick in some sections, to completely soaked.

Mark Wallace slides onto podium

Mark Wallace (Canyon Collective) raced just as the rain was picking up. The Vancouver Island is no stranger to wet weather, something he showed at 2020 world championships in Leogang, Austria, and again in France saturday. Riding consistently, Wallace slid across roots and through ruts, landing in fifth overall.

Finn Iles, the top Canadian qualifier, was less lucky. Iles looked fast all the way down the course, riding incredibly despite rapidly deteriorating conditions. Despite the impressive show of skill in slick conditions, the Specialized rider ended up in 33rd.

RELATED: Jackson Goldstone wins at Les Gets World Cup

Henry Fitzgerald (Norco Factory Racing) rounded out the Canadian effort in 55th. Seth Sherlock (Intense Factory Racing) also qualified for finals, but could not start. The young Squamish, B.C. racer crashed on a wet root in Saturday practice, making him one of the first casualties of the changing weather.

Daprela’s incredible comeback

Many of the fastest times were set early in the day. Max Hartenstern (Cube Factory Racing) and Connor Fearon (Kona Gravity) were already in podium position before the cameras turned on for Saturday’s racing. Mark Wallace was the first to threaten the top times, slotting in to third.

Baptiste Pierron (Dorval AM) was next to come close. Brother of World Cup overall winner in 2018, Amaury Pierron, Baptiste landed between Fearon’s time and Hartenstern.

It was Thibault Daprela (Commencal Muc-Off) though, that finally pushed Hartenstern out of the hot seat. Just one week after being airlifted off a French Cup course, Daprela had limited his own practice time to easy back into racing. Still showing signs of his injury, the French rider greased the slippery Les Gets course, taking the lead to a massive roar of approval from the home crowd.

As conditions worsened, the top riders were left flailing through the mud to try match Daprela’s time.

Reece Wilson (Trek Factory Racing), who earned his world champion stripes in very similar conditions, looked like he might come close. The Scottish rider was on an absolutely incredible run, finding magic again in the mud. Until the final creek gap. Coming in hot, Wilson lost control on the take off and was catapulted over the bars and into the crowd. Somehow not seriously injured, Wilson was able to pick himself and his bike up and ride out his run, though well out of contention for the win.

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Thibault Daprela takes his first World Cup win. Hartenstern held onto second for the first German men’s World Cup podium since the late 1990s. Baptiste Pierron made sure at least one Pierron brother was on the podium in his brother’s absence, landing third. Connor Fearon takes fourth and Mark Wallace fifth.

For Daprela, teammates with an injured Amaury Pierron, the win in front of a home crowd – and after a week of uncertainty following his French Cup crash – was electric.

“It is amazing! Even yesterday I couldn’t ride most parts,” Daprela said after the finish. “Today I was on it, and just send it! I do that for MoMo,” he added, referring to Amaury’s nickname on the Commencal Muc-Off team.

Seagrave back on top

In the women’s race, Tahnée Seagrave (Canyon Cllctv) was still feeling the effects of a crash a week earlier, but didn’t seem slowed down by it at all. She rode consistently, putting down a solid run. That ended up being the winning run, her first since the start of the 2019 season. After battling injury for two seasons, Seagrave was visibly emotional about her win.

“I learned how to ride a bike on the hill on the opposite side of the valley, this is crazy,” Seagrave said after the finish. After initially saying her steady run may have cost her, the opposite turned out to be true. “On a track like this, it paid off to be clean, and consistent and safe.”

Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off) was Seagrave’s biggest threat, and came the closest to unseating her. The French woman was the last down the mountain, and ahead for the early parts of the track. Still in touch after sliding out on some wet routes, Nicole pulled back time all the way to the finish line. It was not quite enough, though. Nicole took second, finishing 0.252 seconds behind Seagrave.

World Cup leader and world champion Camille Balanche (Dorval AM) rode consistently to take third, 4.914 seconds back. Atherton Racing’s Mille Johnset takes fourth, the young Norwegian rider’s first elite women’s podium. Balanche’s Dorval AM teammate, Monika Hrastnik claimed the last podium spot in fifth.

One of the more dramatic women’s runs, though was that of promising young Austrian, Valentina Höll. The Trek RockShox Racing rider was threatening Seagrave’s time for much of the course, until the last corner. Höll slid out on the final berm, so close to the finish line that it was faster to run across than re-mount. For Höll, the devastating crash is her second last-corner mishap in two races. In Leogang, the Austrian was leading until the final corner where she, and Brook MacDonald, both crashed in sight of the finish line.

Results: Elite Women – 2021 World Cup DH #2, Les Gets, France

1.	n°5		SEAGRAVE Tahnee CANYON COLLECTIVE FMD					4:10.566
2.	n°7		NICOLE Myriam COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION					4:10.818 +0.252
3.	n°1		BALANCHE Camille DORVAL AM COMMENCAL					4:15.480 +4.914
4.	n°14		JOHNSET Mille CONTINENTAL ATHERTON					4:16.102 +5.536
5.	n°3		HRASTNIK Monika DORVAL AM COMMENCAL					4:17.097 +6.531
6.	n°6		FARINA Eleonora MS MONDRAKER TEAM					4:17.147 +6.581
7.	n°2		HOLL Valentina ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM					4:22.302 +11.736
8.	n°12		BERNARD Mathilde					4:26.551 +15.985
9.	n°18		SALAZAR Mariana DORVAL AM COMMENCAL					4:32.721 +22.155
10.	n°17		DELEST Agnes					4:32.787 +22.221
11.	n°8		SIEGENTHALER Emilie PIVOT FACTORY RACING					4:40.386 +29.820
12.	n°13		RONNING Frida Helena					4:41.684 +31.118
13.	n°20		KOREM Noga GT FACTORY RACING					4:52.950 +42.384
14.	n°16		CHAPPAZ Lauryne					4:54.916 +44.350

Results: Elite Men – 2021 World Cup DH #2, Les Gets, France

1.	n°2		DAPRELA Thibaut COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION					3:33.424
2.	n°31		HARTENSTERN Max CUBE FACTORY RACING					3:35.840 +2.416
3.	n°18		PIERRON Baptiste DORVAL AM COMMENCAL					3:35.944 +2.520
4.	n°83		FEARON Connor KONA FACTORY TEAM					3:36.014 +2.590
5.	n°19		WALLACE Mark CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM					3:36.205 +2.781
6.	n°125		LUCAS Dean SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY					3:36.854 +3.430
7.	n°12		MINNAAR Greg SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE					3:36.921 +3.497
8.	n°36		BRANNIGAN George PROPAIN FACTORY RACING					3:36.942 +3.518
9.	n°23		EDWARDS Kade TREK FACTORY RACING DH					3:37.059 +3.635
10.	n°30		BREEDEN Joe NS BIKES UR					3:37.307 +3.883
11.	n°75		JONES Michael					3:37.659 +4.235
12.	n°24		ATWILL Philip					3:37.792 +4.368
13.	n°26		WALKER Matt MADISON SARACEN FACTORY TEAM					3:38.700 +5.276
14.	n°45		FAIRCLOUGH Brendan SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY					3:38.807 +5.383
15.	n°81		BLENKINSOP Samuel NORCO FACTORY TEAM DH					3:39.037 +5.613
16.	n°17		KERR Bernard PIVOT FACTORY RACING					3:39.459 +6.035
17.	n°29		DUNNE Ronan CONTINENTAL – NUKEPROOF RACING					3:39.487 +6.063
18.	n°67		PALAZZARI Davide ROGUE RACING – AFTER SKULL TEAM					3:39.744 +6.320
19.	n°95		MEIER-SMITH Luke PROPAIN FACTORY RACING					3:39.860 +6.436
20.	n°46		LEVESQUE Dylan					3:39.863 +6.439
21.	n°102		VERNON Taylor					3:40.510 +7.086
22.	n°49		ZWAR KVIST Benjamin THE UNION					3:40.586 +7.162
23.	n°74		ERLANGSEN Theo					3:40.613 +7.189
24.	n°59		LALY Thibault MS MONDRAKER TEAM					3:41.790 +8.366
25.	n°61		VERGIER Loris TREK FACTORY RACING DH					3:41.856 +8.432
26.	n°9		GREENLAND Laurie MS MONDRAKER TEAM					3:42.286 +8.862
27.	n°55		BAECHLER Yannick					3:42.321 +8.897
28.	n°6		COULANGES Benoit DORVAL AM COMMENCAL					3:42.673 +9.249
29.	n°33		A’HERN Kye CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM					3:43.027 +9.603
30.	n°44		PIERRON Antoine COMMENCAL NOBL					3:43.083 +9.659
31.	n°37		HANNAH Michael NS BIKES UR					3:43.239 +9.815
32.	n°16		WILLIAMSON Greg COMMENCAL / 100%					3:43.883 +10.459
33.	n°13		ILES Finn SPECIALIZED GRAVITY					3:44.416 +10.992
34.	n°107		BOTTERAM Tristan					3:44.874 +11.450
35.	n°152		LEIVSSON Isak					3:45.465 +12.041
36.	n°22		GWIN Aaron INTENSE FACTORY RACING					3:46.181 +12.757
37.	n°63		BANDEIRA Goncalo					3:46.501 +13.077
38.	n°64		FISCHBACH Johannes					3:46.660 +13.236
39.	n°39		MACDONALD Brook MS MONDRAKER TEAM					3:46.931 +13.507
40.	n°8		THIRION Remi GIANT FACTORY OFF – ROAD TEAM					3:47.257 +13.833
41.	n°1		BROSNAN Troy CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM					3:47.777 +14.353
42.	n°21		DICKSON Jacob GIANT FACTORY OFF – ROAD TEAM					3:48.350 +14.926
43.	n°50		FRIXTALON Hugo COMMENCAL / 100%					3:48.501 +15.077
44.	n°7		NORTON Dakotah THE YT MOB					3:48.710 +15.286
45.	n°56		GARCIN Johan					3:49.329 +15.905
46.	n°35		ZWAR Oliver THE UNION					3:49.525 +16.101
47.	n°126		VALLON Elliot					3:50.399 +16.975
48.	n°25		ZABJEK Jure UNIOR – SINTER					3:50.468 +17.044
49.	n°32		MARIN Alex THE BRIGADE / SR SUNTOUR					3:51.546 +18.122
50.	n°11		BRUNI Loic SPECIALIZED GRAVITY					3:52.148 +18.724
51.	n°41		INIGUEZ Matteo COMMENCAL NOBL					3:52.675 +19.251
52.	n°27		SHAW Luca SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE					3:53.202 +19.778
53.	n°85		RUFFIN Thibaut COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION					3:53.825 +20.401
54.	n°15		TRUMMER David THE YT MOB					3:54.786 +21.362
55.	n°108		FITZGERALD Henry NORCO FACTORY TEAM DH					3:55.007 +21.583
56.	n°100		CHATANAY Valentin					4:01.708 +28.284
57.	n°5		HART Danny CUBE FACTORY RACING					4:08.229 +34.805
58.	n°4		WILSON Reece TREK FACTORY RACING DH					4:10.400 +36.976
59.	n°10		MASTERS Edward PIVOT FACTORY RACING					4:14.102 +40.678
60.	n°20		SUAREZ ALONSO Angel COMMENCAL 21					4:20.530 +47.106
61.	n°28		KOLB Andreas CONTINENTAL ATHERTON					4:25.806 +52.382
62.	n°40		VIGE Gaetan FRF RACE COMPANY					6:44.660 +3:11.236