Finn Iles qualifies second at Lourdes World Cup

World Cup racing is here and Finn Iles is already on pace. The Canadian national champion qualified second on Saturday behind Specialized teammate Loic Bruni.

Elite Men

The 2022 season starts in France and French riders are ready. Five of the top six times in men’s qualifying were flying the tricolour. Specialized Gravity Racing had the top two times. Loic Bruni starts where he left off in 2022, with the #1 plate of World Cup overall winner and the top qualifying time on Saturday.

Finn Iles is the only rider to interrupt the French party. The Canadian qualified second on his stunning pink bike-jersey combo. Iles won both of his junior World Cup appearances in Lourdes, in 2016 and 2017 and clearly still feels at home on the steep French track.

RELATED: How to Watch: 2022 Lourdes World Cup DH

After Iles, it was all France. Amaury Pierron and Thibault Daprela sit third and fourth for Commencal-Muc Off. Benoit Coulange (Dorval AM) and Loris Vergier (Trek Factory Racing) fill out the top six. Danny Hard (Cube) is seventh before another French rider, Antoine Vidal (Commencal Les Orres), Reece Wilson (Trek Factory Racing) and Luca Shaw (Canyon Cllctv) take the final spots in the top 10.

Canyon’s Mark Wallace is the only other Canadian making it into finals. The Vancouver Island racer was 40th on Saturday.

Forest Riesco and Magnus Manson (Forbidden Synthesis) miss finals by a hair over a second in 68th and 69th. Lucas Cruz (Norco Factory Team) was a little further back in 74th. Henry Fitzgerald is 82nd.

Intense Factory Racing’s Seth Sherlock was on pace to qualify, sitting 49th at the final split, but crashed hard in the whoops section near the finish line. Sherlock remounted and crossed the line 93rd. Finally, Elliot Jamieson (Norco Factory Team) was 103rd.

Elite Women

On the women’s side, Valentina Höll (RockShox Trek) takes the top qualifying spot. The young Austrian won last season’s World Cup overall at the final race in Snowshoe, W.Va. SHe appears to be picking up that pace from “Go” this year.

World champion Myriam Nicole (Commencal-Muc Off) sits half a second back with Tahnée Seagrave (Canyon FMD), Camille Balanche (Dorval AM) and Eleonora Farina (MS Mondraker) rounding out the top five.

Rachel Pageau (Commencal) was 23rd in qualifying. Since only the top-15 women (and protected riders) are allowed to race finals, the lone Canadian elite woman will sit out Sunday’s racing.

Qualification: 2022 World Cup DH #1 – Lourdes, France

Elite Men

1.	n°1		BRUNI Loic SPECIALIZED GRAVITY					2:49.271
2.	n°14		ILES Finnley SPECIALIZED GRAVITY					2:50.454 +1.183
3.	n°6		PIERRON Amaury COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION					2:50.774 +1.503
4.	n°2		DAPRELA Thibaut COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION					2:50.976 +1.705
5.	n°8		COULANGES Benoit DORVAL AM COMMENCAL					2:51.090 +1.819
6.	n°3		VERGIER Loris TREK FACTORY RACING DH					2:51.607 +2.336
7.	n°9		HART Danny CUBE FACTORY RACING					2:53.303 +4.032
8.	n°64		VIDAL Antoine COMMENCAL LES ORRES					2:53.664 +4.393
9.	n°5		WILSON Reece TREK FACTORY RACING DH					2:53.954 +4.683
10.	n°17		SHAW Luca CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM					2:54.243 +4.972
11.	n°7		GREENLAND Laurie SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE					2:55.157 +5.886
12.	n°18		WALKER Matt MADISON SARACEN FACTORY TEAM					2:55.182 +5.911
13.	n°19		NORTON Dakotah INTENSE FACTORY RACING					2:55.288 +6.017
14.	n°13		TRUMMER David MS MONDRAKER TEAM					2:55.314 +6.043
15.	n°15		PIERRON Baptiste DORVAL AM COMMENCAL					2:55.904 +6.633
16.	n°11		THIRION Rémi GIANT FACTORY OFF – ROAD TEAM					2:55.997 +6.726
17.	n°121		MAES Martin					2:56.223 +6.952
18.	n°28		PALAZZARI Davide					2:56.323 +7.052
19.	n°53		MEIER-SMITH Luke PROPAIN FACTORY RACING					2:56.988 +7.717
20.	n°37		SLACK Dan SR SUNTOUR COMMENCAL BY GRAVITY SCHOOL					2:57.559 +8.288
21.	n°20		HARTENSTERN Max CUBE FACTORY RACING					2:57.569 +8.298
22.	n°10		SUAREZ ALONSO Angel COMMENCAL / 100%					2:57.577 +8.306
23.	n°43		FEARON Connor FORBIDDEN SYNTHESIS TEAM					2:57.904 +8.633
24.	n°21		KOLB Andreas CONTINENTAL ATHERTON					2:58.156 +8.885
25.	n°16		MINNAAR Greg SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE					2:58.296 +9.025
26.	n°23		HATTON Charlie CONTINENTAL ATHERTON					2:58.305 +9.034
27.	n°31		LEVESQUE Dylan SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY					2:58.572 +9.301
28.	n°34		HARRISON Charlie TREK FACTORY RACING DH					2:58.596 +9.325
29.	n°145		REVELLI Loris CANYON COLLECTIVE PIRELLI					2:58.697 +9.426
30.	n°44		EDMONDSON Jamie ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM					2:58.879 +9.608
31.	n°30		EDWARDS Kade TREK FACTORY RACING DH					2:58.994 +9.723
32.	n°50		GARCIN Johan VVRACING ACADEMY					2:59.002 +9.731
33.	n°22		KERR Bernard PIVOT FACTORY RACING					2:59.044 +9.773
34.	n°102		CHAPELET Simon					2:59.290 +10.019
35.	n°75		GWIN Aaron INTENSE FACTORY RACING					2:59.328 +10.057
36.	n°27		MACDONALD Brook MS MONDRAKER TEAM					2:59.342 +10.071
37.	n°118		CABIROU Rudy					2:59.445 +10.174
38.	n°51		ESTAQUE Thomas COMMENCAL / 100%					2:59.492 +10.221
39.	n°109		FRIXTALON Hugo COMMENCAL / 100%					2:59.679 +10.408
40.	n°12		WALLACE Mark CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM					2:59.797 +10.526
41.	n°93		VERNON Taylor SORTED RACEGEAR					2:59.854 +10.583
42.	n°24		LUCAS Dean SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY					2:59.905 +10.634
43.	n°41		SILVA Dante CANYON COLLECTIVE PIRELLI					3:00.001 +10.730
44.	n°69		MENOYO BUSQUETS Pau COMMENCAL – SCHWALBE					3:00.032 +10.761
45.	n°97		LUFFMAN Dennis CANYON COLLECTIVE FMD					3:00.091 +10.820
46.	n°54		MASTERS Edward PIVOT FACTORY RACING					3:00.328 +11.057
47.	n°39		KERR Henry PROPAIN FACTORY RACING					3:00.690 +11.419
48.	n°143		DAILLY Adrien					3:01.304 +12.033
49.	n°60		FAIRCLOUGH Brendan SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY					3:01.440 +12.169
50.	n°35		WILLIAMSON Greg COMMENCAL / 100%					3:01.555 +12.284
51.	n°40		DICKSON Jacob MS MONDRAKER TEAM					3:01.630 +12.359
52.	n°89		O CALLAGHAN Oisin YT RACING DUDES					3:01.665 +12.394
53.	n°63		BANDEIRA Gonçalo					3:01.672 +12.401
54.	n°45		DOOLEY Austin COMMENCAL NORTH AMERICA					3:01.680 +12.409
55.	n°126		READING Jack SR SUNTOUR COMMENCAL BY GRAVITY SCHOOL					3:01.704 +12.433
56.	n°71		ROGGE Antoine					3:01.710 +12.439
57.	n°55		LALY Thibault PINKBIKE RACING					3:01.714 +12.443
58.	n°92		VIEIRA Roger					3:01.763 +12.492
59.	n°62		BARANEK Rastislav					3:01.869 +12.598
60.	n°125		GIRONDE Mael					3:02.432 +13.161
61.	n°32		ZWAR Oliver UNION					3:02.756 +13.485
62.	n°108		CRAIK Ethan GT FACTORY RACING					3:02.846 +13.575
63.	n°95		INTROZZI Stefano					3:03.231 +13.960
64.	n°94		CAROLI Jérôme COMMENCAL VEE					3:03.305 +14.034
65.	n°68		ŽABJEK Jure UNIOR SINTER FACTORY RACING					3:03.346 +14.075
66.	n°122		WILLIAMSON Luke 555 RAAW GRAVITY RACING					3:03.352 +14.081
67.	n°61		MULALLY Neko FRAMEWORKS RACING					3:03.578 +14.307
68.	n°105		RIESCO Forrest					3:03.633 +14.362
69.	n°76		MANSON Magnus FORBIDDEN SYNTHESIS TEAM					3:03.692 +14.421
74.	n°73		CRUZ Lucas NORCO FACTORY TEAM					3:05.002 +15.731
82.	n°82		FITZGERALD Henry					3:06.340 +17.069
93.	n°133		SHERLOCK Seth INTENSE FACTORY RACING					3:08.639 +19.368
103.	n°91		JAMIESON Elliot NORCO FACTORY TEAM					3:10.908 +21.637

Elite Women

1.	n°1		HÖLL Valentina ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM					3:19.449
2.	n°2		NICOLE Myriam COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION					3:19.973 +0.524
3.	n°4		SEAGRAVE Tahnee CANYON COLLECTIVE FMD					3:23.911 +4.462
4.	n°3		BALANCHE Camille DORVAL AM COMMENCAL					3:24.162 +4.713
5.	n°6		FARINA Eleonora MS MONDRAKER TEAM					3:27.265 +7.816
6.	n°5		CABIROU Marine SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY					3:30.458 +11.009
7.	n°11		BERNARD Mathilde SCOTT MANIGOD SHOT					3:34.022 +14.573
8.	n°8		JOHNSET Mille COMMENCAL / 100%					3:37.352 +17.903
9.	n°12		WIDMANN Veronika MADISON SARACEN FACTORY TEAM					3:40.166 +20.717
10.	n°18		PARTON Mikayla					3:45.013 +25.564
11.	n°14		RØNNING Frida Helena UNION					3:45.466 +26.017
12.	n°29		CHAPPAZ Mélanie					3:45.590 +26.141
13.	n°13		NEWKIRK Anna BEYOND RACING					3:45.979 +26.530
14.	n°21		PIERRINI Léona OSMOS GRAVITY TEAM					3:47.895 +28.446
15.	n°19		CHAPPAZ Lauryne					3:48.049 +28.600
16.	n°7		HRASTNIK Monika DORVAL AM COMMENCAL					3:48.982 +29.533
17.	n°23		HOGIE Abigail BEYOND RACING					3:49.550 +30.101
18.	n°31		COURDURIER Isabeau					3:49.940 +30.491
19.	n°24		GIMENEZ Nastasia					3:51.000 +31.551
20.	n°9		HOFFMANN Nina SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE					3:53.439 +33.990
21.	n°32		KIENER Jolanda					3:53.766 +34.317
22.	n°16		SALAZAR Mariana LES ARCS MOUNTAINBIKE TEAM					3:54.523 +35.074
23.	n°17		PAGEAU Rachel					3:54.793 +35.344
24.	n°33		FONTAINE Adelina					3:56.084 +36.635
25.	n°28		CHARDONNIERAS Leane					4:05.550 +46.101
26.	n°22		ERICKSON Ella NW GRAVITY COLLECTIVE					4:10.651 +51.202
27.	n°20		GONZALEZ GRIMAU Aina					4:17.210 +57.761
28.	n°34		BAUMANN Lisa COMMENCAL LES ORRES					4:19.262 +59.813
29.	n°25		PI MADRENAS Mireia					5:26.208 +2:06.759