Bruni finds success in Snowshoe again
West Virginia is more than almost heaven for French rider.
Photo by:
Bartek Wolinksi / Red Bull Content Pool
West Virginia has delivered wild racing all week but, once again, Loic Bruni rose above the chaos. The Specialized Gravity racer earned his second World Cup overall title on Saturday and, like the first, it came in Snowshoe, W.Va.
For the Canadians, Mark Wallace and Kirk McDowall delivered impressive results. Finn Iles looked poised to make a splash in Snowshoe, only for a fast run to come unraveled in the rock gardens.
Canadians in Snowshoe
Finn Iles qualified second for Saturday’s final. After his fourth in Snowshoe on Wednesday, the Canadian looked poised to deliver a big result. Instead, it was Mark Wallace (Canyon Cllctv) taking home the honours of top Canadian. Not far behind, Kirk McDowall (Dunbar Cycles) posted a huge result. The two-time Canadian national champion finished 20th in World Cup finals.
With a collision with a tree, Finn Iles still finished 39th. Lucas Cruz (Norco Factory Team) followed in 41st. Henry Fitzgerald (Norco Factory Team) finished 46th, Forrest Riesco (Commencal Canada) 47th, Gabriel Neron (Dunbar Cycles) 52nd and, rounding out the Canadian results, Elliot Jamieson (Norco Factory Team) 55th.
Almost Heaven, almost Angel
Angel Alonso Suarez (Commencal 21) set a fast time early on. The Spanish rider has been close to big results for years. Suarez spent much of Saturday in the hot seat after posting a 3:14.010 time.
Reece Wilson (Trek Factory Racing) started fast, looking to build on Wednesday’s West Virginia win. His run cam unchained when his chain came off his chainring through Snowshoe’s rock gardens. Amaury Pierron (Commencal Muc-Off) also looked fast, building speed in his return from injury. That almost came undone with a funny bounce through the rocks. Pierron managed to make an impressive save, but slotted in just over a tenth of a second behind Suarez.
Vergier starts in virtual overall lead
Loris Vergier (Trek Factory Racing) rolled into Saturday – after Daprela’s injury – in the virtual lead. Vergier, much like in Lousa in 2020, found himself in the World Cup lead going into a final double header weekend. The pressure, again, seemed to get to Vergier. The Trek rider’s run fell apart from the top and only seemed to unravel from there. After going off course, nearly missing a bridge, Vergier hit a tree. The French rider managed to stay upright, but crossed the line well back of the lead. Visibly devastated, Vergier didn’t even get to sit in the hot seat to watch his title opportunity disappear from between his fingers.
One rider later, the narrative inverted. Troy Brosnan (Canyon Cllctv) came down in a chaotic, but fast run. The Australian somehow avoided disaster all the way to the finish line, bouncing into the finish area and ahead of Suarez into the lead.
Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) was next up. The second last man on the mountain, Iles was within three tenths of the lead. Until the awkward flat drop. Iles bounced awkwardly, slammed into a tree and then the ground. Iles remounted, continued his run and even threw a no-hander for Mick Hannah, but crossed the finish line well back.
Bruni back on top in West Virginia
Only Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity) remained. With Vergier’s implosion, Bruni had the overall in his grasp. All he had to do was make it to the bottom intact.
Instead, Bruni attacked from start to finish. It was a wild run, but the French rider held on. Bruni crossed the line in the green, 0.421 seconds ahead of Brosnan, taking the win at the final World Cup.
Bruni takes the win, and with it the World Cup overall. Unlike Snowshoe in 2019, where Danny Hart’s win earned Bruni the win, this time Bruni seized his own victory in West Virginia.
Troy Brosnan lands second, Angel Suarez third, Amaury Pierron fourth and Luca Shaw, racing at home in America, rounds out the podium in fifth.
“I felt like it was doable, even though it was a long shot. Everything can happen. I’m so happy, I’ve been so close this year and now – on the last one – I take the win,” Bruni said in the finish area. “We never stopped working and believing, and now I’m going to go party.”
Results: 2021 Elite Men’s Downhill World Cup – Snowshoe, W.Va.
| 1. |  |
BRUNI Loic SPECIALIZED GRAVITY |
3:13.379 |
|
| 2. |  |
BROSNAN Troy CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM |
3:13.800 +0.421 |
|
| 3. |  |
SUAREZ ALONSO Angel COMMENCAL 21 |
3:14.010 +0.631 |
|
| 4. | |
PIERRON Amaury COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION |
3:14.154 +0.775 |
|
| 5. |  |
SHAW Luca SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE |
3:14.707 +1.328 |
|
| 6. |  |
HART Danny CUBE FACTORY RACING |
3:15.319 +1.940 |
|
| 7. | |
WILSON Reece TREK FACTORY RACING DH |
3:15.434 +2.055 |
|
| 8. | |
THIRION Remi GIANT FACTORY OFF – ROAD TEAM |
3:15.748 +2.369 |
|
| 9. | |
COULANGES Benoit DORVAL AM COMMENCAL |
3:16.084 +2.705 |
|
| 10. |  |
TRUMMER David THE YT MOB |
3:16.383 +3.004 |
|
| 11. | |
KOLB Andreas CONTINENTAL ATHERTON |
3:16.456 +3.077 |
|
| 12. |  |
WALLACE Mark CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM |
3:16.783 +3.404 |
|
| 13. | |
SILVA Dante |
3:17.006 +3.627 |
|
| 14. | |
GREENLAND Laurie MS MONDRAKER TEAM |
3:17.533 +4.154 |
|
| 15. | |
HATTON Charlie CONTINENTAL ATHERTON |
3:17.892 +4.513 |
|
| 16. |  |
PENE Tuhoto-Ariki THE UNION |
3:17.975 +4.596 |
|
| 17. |  |
ZWAR Oliver THE UNION |
3:18.162 +4.783 |
|
| 18. | |
ESTAQUE Thomas COMMENCAL / 100% |
3:18.827 +5.448 |
|
| 19. | |
A’HERN Kye CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM |
3:18.947 +5.568 |
|
| 20. | |
MCDOWALL Kirk |
3:19.038 +5.659 |
|
| 21. |  |
PALAZZARI Davide ROGUE RACING – AFTER SKULL TEAM |
3:19.323 +5.944 |
|
| 22. | |
DOOLEY Austin |
3:19.786 +6.407 |
|
| 23. | |
LEVESQUE Dylan |
3:19.887 +6.508 |
|
| 24. | |
EDMONDSON Jamie ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM |
3:19.947 +6.568 |
|
| 25. | |
BRAYTON Adam |
3:20.088 +6.709 |
|
| 26. |  |
KERR Henry PROPAIN FACTORY RACING |
3:20.135 +6.756 |
|
| 27. | |
PIERRON Antoine COMMENCAL NOBL |
3:20.429 +7.050 |
|
| 28. | |
HANNAH Michael NS BIKES UR |
3:20.445 +7.066 |
|
| 29. | |
GALE Sam PIVOT FACTORY RACING |
3:20.723 +7.344 |
|
| 30. | |
BLENKINSOP Samuel NORCO FACTORY TEAM DH |
3:20.781 +7.402 |
|
| 31. | |
PAYET Florent SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY |
3:21.293 +7.914 |
|
| 32. | |
BRANNIGAN George PROPAIN FACTORY RACING |
3:21.607 +8.228 |
|
| 33. | |
MULALLY Neko INTENSE FACTORY RACING |
3:21.964 +8.585 |
|
| 34. | |
SLACK Dan |
3:21.994 +8.615 |
|
| 35. | |
INIGUEZ Matteo COMMENCAL NOBL |
3:22.003 +8.624 |
|
| 36. | |
ATWILL Philip |
3:22.904 +9.525 |
|
| 37. | |
ERVIN Tyler |
3:23.007 +9.628 |
|
| 38. | |
EDWARDS Kade TREK FACTORY RACING DH |
3:23.115 +9.736 |
|
| 39. | |
ILES Finn SPECIALIZED GRAVITY |
3:23.163 +9.784 |
|
| 40. | |
GARCIN Johan THE BRIGADE / SR SUNTOUR |
3:23.272 +9.893 |
|
| 41. | |
CRUZ Lucas NORCO FACTORY TEAM DH |
3:23.326 +9.947 |
|
| 42. | |
KERR Bernard PIVOT FACTORY RACING |
3:23.341 +9.962 |
|
| 43. | |
CABIROU Rudy THE BRIGADE / SR SUNTOUR |
3:23.689 +10.310 |
|
| 44. | |
CATHRO Ben |
3:24.571 +11.192 |
|
| 45. |  |
HARTENSTERN Max CUBE FACTORY RACING |
3:24.890 +11.511 |
|
| 46. | |
FITZGERALD Henry NORCO FACTORY TEAM DH |
3:25.345 +11.966 |
|
| 47. | |
RIESCO Forrest |
3:25.749 +12.370 |
|
| 48. | |
STERLING Matthew GIANT FACTORY OFF – ROAD TEAM |
3:25.974 +12.595 |
|
| 49. | |
SEAGRAVE Kaos CANYON COLLECTIVE FMD |
3:26.266 +12.887 |
|
| 50. | |
DICKSON Jacob GIANT FACTORY OFF – ROAD TEAM |
3:26.948 +13.569 |
|
| 51. | |
NESTOROFF Nikolas |
3:28.496 +15.117 |
|
| 52. | |
NERON Gabriel |
3:28.723 +15.344 |
|
| 53. | |
MASTERS Wyn GT FACTORY RACING |
3:28.945 +15.566 |
|
| 54. | |
VERGIER Loris TREK FACTORY RACING DH |
3:29.714 +16.335 |
|
| 55. | |
JAMIESON Elliot NORCO FACTORY TEAM DH |
3:30.556 +17.177 |
|
| 56. | |
READING Jack |
3:30.691 +17.312 |
|
| 57. | |
DUNNE Ronan CONTINENTAL – NUKEPROOF RACING |
3:34.450 +21.071 |
|
| 58. | |
NORTON Dakotah THE YT MOB |
3:39.098 +25.719 |
|
| 59. | |
MONRO Jim |
3:47.270 +33.891 |
|
| 60. | |
MACDONALD Brook MS MONDRAKER TEAM |
3:50.125 +36.746 |
|
| 61. | |
WILLIAMSON Greg COMMENCAL / 100% |
3:54.047 +40.668 |
|
| 62. | |
WALKER Matt MADISON SARACEN FACTORY TEAM |
3:55.881 +42.502 |
