Finn Iles fourth at pre-season Brioude DH Cup in France
Fine-tuning speed with two weeks to go until World Cup racing returns
Photo by:
Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
With World Cup racing just two weeks away, racers are looking for chances to hone their race speed. Several Canadians tried at the Tennessee National, only to be thwarted by a heavy snowstorm. Finn Iles had more luck in France.
Iles (Specialized)was fourth at the Brioude DH Cup, a regional French downhill event with an all-star start list. The event was won by Loris Vergier (Trek Factory Racing) and past world champion Camille Balanche (Team Dorval AM Commencal).
The Canadian national champion was 0.43 seconds back of Vergier’s winning time, showing he has solid speed going into the first World Cup of 2022. Lourdes, France will host the opening downhill round on March 26-27.
Baptiste Pierron and Benoit Coulange, both French riders on Dorval AM Commencal, squeezed into the 0.43 seconds between Vergier and Iles to fill out the podium. Rising downhill and enduro talent Antoine Vidal (Commencal LesOrres) was fifith.
Canada’s Mark Wallace (Canyon Cllctv) was 32nd, 4.45 seconds back from Vergier.
On the women’s side, 2021 World Cup overall winner Vali Höll (RockShox Trek Race Team) and Marine Cabirou (Scott) chased Balanche’s time.
Results – Brioude DH Cup 2022, France. (March 13)
Men (Top 10)
| 1. | VERGIERÂ Loris | TREK FACTORY RACING | 0:01:34.40 | ||||||
| 2. | PIERRONÂ Baptiste | TEAM DORVAL AM COMMENCAL | 0:01:34.47 | ||||||
| 3. | COULANGESÂ Benoit | TEAM DORVAL AM COMMENCAL | 0:01:34.53 | ||||||
| 4. | ILESÂ Finn | SPECIALIZED GRAVITY | 0:01:34.83 | ||||||
| 5. | VIDALÂ Antoine | COMMENCAL_LESORRES | 0:01:34.93 | ||||||
| 6. | LALYÂ Thibaut | PINKBIKE RACING TEAM | 0:01:35.21 | ||||||
| 7. | CAROLIÂ Jerome | Commencal vee | 0:01:35.55 | ||||||
| 8. | ESTAQUEÂ Thomas | COMMENCAL 100% | 0:01:35.82 | ||||||
| 9. | FRIXTALONÂ Hugo | COMMENCAL 100% | 0:01:36.06 | ||||||
| 10. | SHAWÂ Luca | CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY | 0:01:36.15 |
Women (Top 10)
| 1. | BALANCHEÂ Camille | TEAM DORVAL AM COMMENCAL | 0:01:46.07 | ||||||
| 2. | HOELLÂ Valentina | ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM | 0:01:46.95 | ||||||
| 3. | CABIROUÂ Marine | SCOTT DH FACTORY | 0:01:47.19 | ||||||
| 4. | HRASTNIKÂ Monika | TEAM DORVAL AM COMMENCAL | 0:01:49.36 | ||||||
| 5. | BERNARDÂ Mathilde | TEAM SCOTT MANIGOD | 0:01:53.37 | ||||||
| 6. | SALAZARÂ Mariana | Arc mountain bike club | 0:01:57.01 | ||||||
| 7. | PETROVSKAÂ Vanesa | NS Bikes UR Team | 0:01:58.31 | ||||||
| 8. | LASSUS Alizée | COMMENCAL LES ORRES | 0:01:59.71 | ||||||
| 9. | KENYONÂ Aimi | PINKBIKE RACING | 0:02:00.49 |