Goldstone and Cruz lead 11 Canadians into Snowshoe DH finals
Pierron and Balanche lead into Sunday's downhill World Cup
Photo by:
Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
It was a wet and wild day of World Cup downhill qualifying in Snowshoe, W.Va on Friday. Thick mud and wet rocks were a potent combination, causing some favourites to falter and unexpected names to shine.
11 Canadians are through to qualifying across junior men and women, elite men and, for the first time this year, elite women.
Elite Men: Wallace stays smooth
After struggling through Snowshoe in 2021, Commencal/Muc-Off appear to be off on the right, muddy, foot in West Virginia this year. Amaury Pierron, bouncing back from a major crash in Andorra, qualifies fastest. He’s followed closely by teammate Thibault Daprela. Bernard Kerr (Pivot) appears to be loving the muck, using the slippery Snowshoe course to qualify third ahead of Loic Bruni (Specialized). Ireland’s Ronan Dunne (Continental Nukeproof) also launches himself up the start list with a surprising fifth in qualifying.
Canada’s men had a less successful day on track. The remarkably consistent Mark Wallace (Canyon Cllctv) was the only Canuck who appeared to be on good pace with his 14th in qualifying. Finn Iles (Specialized) was next best in 33rd. He’ll have to turn that around to hold onto second in the overall standings behind Pierron. Kirk McDowall (Dunbar) is bacak at World Cups and onto finals with a 49th on Friday. Jakob Jewett (Canyon Cllctv) squeezes into finals in 55th.
That leaves Lucas Cruz and Henry Fitzgerald of Norco Factory Team just on the wrong side of the 60-rider cut-off in 62nd and 64th. Seth Sherlock (Intense Factory Racing) was close behind them in 69th. James Frost keeps Ontario DH on the results board with a 79th.
Elite Women: Pageau’s hard work pays off
Rachel Pageau (Commencal) is the first Canadian woman to make an elite World Cup final this year. Pageau, who has battled long-lost bikes by airlines, forcing her to race loaners and rental bikes in Europe, and injury on her way to this final, squeezes in in 14th.
The battle for the win appears to, once again, be between Camille Balanche (Dorval AM) and world champion Myriam Nicole (Commencal Muc-Off). Balanche put in a solid six-second gap in seeding, but Nicole was faster at the top half of the course. Anything could happen on Sunday in finals. Last year’s winner in Snowshoe, Vali Höll (RockShox Trek) lurks dangerously in third, ready to take advantage of any slip-up by the top-two.
Juniors: Canada on the move in West Virginia
Jackson Goldstone qualifies first by just shy of 12 seconds, a huge margin over Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Union). Tegan Cruz (RockShox Trek) qualifies third, pushing Stevens-McNab’s time. Bodhi Kuhn of Rossland, B.C. is also in touch, in sixth. Tristan Lemire (Commencal Muc-Off) is a little further back, in 12th. Wei Tien Ho of Whistler also squeezes into the final in 21st.
Max Halchuck was riding in qualifying position but, like many, didn’t finish with a clean run down the course and just misses qualifying.
Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Factory Team) seeds fourth in junior women behind rival Pheobe Gale (Canyon FMD), junior world champion Izabela Yankova and Aimi Kenyon (Pinkbike Racing). Hemstreet, recently crowned junior national champion, has turned around seeding deficits already this year, so look for her to have a faster run in finals.
Qualifying results: 2022 World Cup DH #6 (Snowshoe, W.Va)
Junior Men
| 1. |  |
GOLDSTONE Jackson SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE |
3:51.371 |
|
| 2. |  |
STEVENS-MCNAB Lachlan UNION |
4:03.292 +11.921 |
|
| 3. | |
CRUZ Tegan ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM |
4:04.749 +13.378 |
|
| 4. |  |
FRANCOZ Alix DORVAL AM COMMENCAL |
4:06.775 +15.404 |
|
| 5. |  |
WILLIAMS Jordan MADISON SARACEN FACTORY TEAM |
4:07.160 +15.789 |
|
| 6. | |
KUHN Bodhi |
4:08.781 +17.410 |
|
| 7. |  |
MEIER-SMITH Remy PROPAIN FACTORY RACING |
4:10.617 +19.246 |
|
| 8. |  |
CAPPELLO Davide ROGUE RACING – AFTER SKULL TEAM |
4:11.583 +20.212 |
|
| 9. | |
VIARDOT Kimi |
4:16.031 +24.660 |
|
| 10. |  |
HOLGUIN VILLA Sebastian IJ RACING-CHIGÜIRO EXTREMO TEAM |
4:16.127 +24.756 |
|
| 11. |  |
MEDCALF Evan EVOLVE RACING |
4:16.265 +24.894 |
|
| 12. | |
LEMIRE Tristan COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION |
4:17.203 +25.832 |
|
| 13. | |
PINKERTON Ryan GT FACTORY RACING |
4:17.374 +26.003 |
|
| 14. | |
MARINI Hugo COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION |
4:19.019 +27.648 |
|
| 15. | |
DAVIS Oliver UNION |
4:19.238 +27.867 |
|
| 16. | |
BECK Cameron YD RACING |
4:19.809 +28.438 |
|
| 17. | |
ZENONI Tyler |
4:20.738 +29.367 |
|
| 18. | |
ABELLA Léo COMMENCAL VEE |
4:22.341 +30.970 |
|
| 19. | |
PIERCY Jack COMMENCAL LES ORRES |
4:22.434 +31.063 |
|
| 20. | |
CONNELLY Jackson PINKBIKE RACING |
4:24.054 +32.683 |
|
| 21. | |
HO Wei Tien |
4:24.484 +33.113 |
|
| 22. | |
GOODWILL Douglas 555 RAAW GRAVITY RACING |
4:26.451 +35.080 |
|
| 23. | |
THURLOW Luca |
4:28.159 +36.788 |
|
| 24. |  |
CASTELLANOS LIBERAL Daniel |
4:28.752 +37.381 |
|
| 25. | |
ARNOLD Nico YD RACING |
4:30.514 +39.143 |
|
| 34. | |
HALCHUK Max |
5:06.490 +1:15.119 |
Junior Women
| 1. | |
GALE Phoebe CANYON COLLECTIVE FMD |
5:26.370 |
|
| 2. |  |
YANKOVA Izabela GEN-S |
5:45.171 +18.801 |
|
| 3. | |
KENYON Aimi PINKBIKE RACING |
5:50.959 +24.589 |
|
| 4. | |
HEMSTREET Gracey NORCO FACTORY TEAM |
6:16.072 +49.702 |
|
| 5. | |
ROA SANCHEZ Valentina PROBUILDS RACING |
6:25.327 +58.957 |
|
| 6. |  |
PETROVSKÁ Vanesa NS BIKES UR |
6:28.816 +1:02.446 |
|
| 7. | |
FLAVELL Caitlin |
7:16.629 +1:50.259 |
|
| 8. | |
MIELKE Connor |
11:22.320 +5:55.950 |
|
|
EMPEY Elise COLLAB RACING |
DNF |
||
|
HASTINGS Jenna PIVOT FACTORY RACING |
DNF |
Elite Women
| 1. |  |
BALANCHE Camille DORVAL AM COMMENCAL |
4:38.691 |
|
| 2. | |
NICOLE Myriam COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION |
4:45.549 +6.858 |
|
| 3. |  |
HÖLL Valentina ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM |
4:50.105 +11.414 |
|
| 4. | |
FARINA Eleonora MS MONDRAKER TEAM |
4:57.946 +19.255 |
|
| 5. |  |
HOFFMANN Nina SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE |
5:02.304 +23.613 |
|
| 6. |  |
HRASTNIK Monika DORVAL AM COMMENCAL |
5:12.307 +33.616 |
|
| 7. | |
WIDMANN Veronika MADISON SARACEN FACTORY TEAM |
5:14.696 +36.005 |
|
| 8. | |
BLEWITT Jess GT FACTORY RACING |
5:25.698 +47.007 |
|
| 9. | |
NEWKIRK Anna BEYOND RACING |
5:28.160 +49.469 |
|
| 10. |  |
VAN DER VELDEN Siel COMMENCAL VEE |
5:28.340 +49.649 |
|
| 11. |  |
JOHNSET Mille COMMENCAL / 100% |
5:30.285 +51.594 |
|
| 12. | |
PARTON Mikayla |
5:40.733 +1:02.042 |
|
| 13. | |
HOGIE Abigail BEYOND RACING |
5:43.257 +1:04.566 |
|
| 14. | |
PAGEAU Rachel |
5:52.384 +1:13.693 |
|
| 15. | |
CHAPPAZ Mélanie |
6:20.726 +1:42.035 |
Elite Men
| 1. | |
PIERRON Amaury COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION |
3:51.056 |
|
| 2. | |
DAPRELA Thibaut COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION |
3:51.914 +0.858 |
|
| 3. | |
KERR Bernard PIVOT FACTORY RACING |
3:51.966 +0.910 |
|
| 4. | |
BRUNI Loic SPECIALIZED GRAVITY |
3:52.240 +1.184 |
|
| 5. |  |
DUNNE Ronan CONTINENTAL NUKEPROOF FACTORY RACING |
3:55.290 +4.234 |
|
| 6. | |
KOLB Andreas CONTINENTAL ATHERTON |
3:55.378 +4.322 |
|
| 7. | |
VERGIER Loris TREK FACTORY RACING DH |
3:55.918 +4.862 |
|
| 8. |  |
MINNAAR Greg SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE |
3:55.998 +4.942 |
|
| 9. | |
BROSNAN Troy CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM |
3:56.200 +5.144 |
|
| 10. | |
EDMONDSON Jamie ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM |
3:57.047 +5.991 |
|
| 11. | |
HART Danny CUBE FACTORY RACING |
3:57.826 +6.770 |
|
| 12. | |
INIGUEZ Matteo COMMENCAL VEE |
3:59.202 +8.146 |
|
| 13. | |
TRUMMER David MS MONDRAKER TEAM |
3:59.342 +8.286 |
|
| 14. | |
WALLACE Mark CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM |
3:59.490 +8.434 |
|
| 15. | |
COULANGES Benoit DORVAL AM COMMENCAL |
3:59.716 +8.660 |
|
| 16. | |
CRAIK Ethan GT FACTORY RACING |
4:00.128 +9.072 |
|
| 17. | |
HARTENSTERN Max CUBE FACTORY RACING |
4:00.496 +9.440 |
|
| 18. | |
THIRION Rémi GIANT FACTORY OFF – ROAD TEAM |
4:00.649 +9.593 |
|
| 19. | |
LEVESQUE Dylan SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY |
4:00.739 +9.683 |
|
| 20. | |
DOOLEY Austin COMMENCAL NORTH AMERICA |
4:00.807 +9.751 |
|
| 21. | |
GREENLAND Laurie SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE |
4:01.074 +10.018 |
|
| 22. | |
GWIN Aaron INTENSE FACTORY RACING |
4:01.855 +10.799 |
|
| 23. | |
NORTON Dakotah INTENSE FACTORY RACING |
4:02.048 +10.992 |
|
| 24. | |
ESTAQUE Thomas COMMENCAL / 100% |
4:02.365 +11.309 |
|
| 25. | |
REVELLI Loris CANYON COLLECTIVE PIRELLI |
4:02.758 +11.702 |
|
| 26. | |
MULALLY Neko FRAMEWORKS RACING |
4:03.573 +12.517 |
|
| 27. | |
BLENKINSOP Samuel NORCO FACTORY TEAM |
4:03.750 +12.694 |
|
| 28. | |
PENE Tuhoto-Ariki MS MONDRAKER TEAM |
4:04.137 +13.081 |
|
| 29. | |
SILVA Dante CANYON COLLECTIVE PIRELLI |
4:05.075 +14.019 |
|
| 30. | |
MENOYO BUSQUETS Pau COMMENCAL – SCHWALBE |
4:05.545 +14.489 |
|
| 31. |  |
ZWAR Oliver UNION |
4:06.082 +15.026 |
|
| 32. | |
PAYET Florent SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY |
4:06.461 +15.405 |
|
| 33. | |
ILES Finn SPECIALIZED GRAVITY |
4:06.999 +15.943 |
|
| 34. | |
CATHRO Ben PINKBIKE RACING |
4:07.410 +16.354 |
|
| 35. | |
MASTERS Wyn GT FACTORY RACING |
4:08.552 +17.496 |
|
| 36. | |
ROGGE Antoine |
4:08.891 +17.835 |
|
| 37. | |
A’HERN Kye NS BIKES UR |
4:08.961 +17.905 |
|
| 38. | |
LUCAS Dean SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY |
4:09.111 +18.055 |
|
| 39. | |
FEARON Connor FORBIDDEN SYNTHESIS TEAM |
4:09.281 +18.225 |
|
| 49. | |
MCDOWALL Kirk |
4:13.518 +22.462 |
|
| 55. | |
JEWETT Jakob CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM |
4:15.565 +24.509 |
|
| 62. | |
CRUZ Lucas NORCO FACTORY TEAM |
4:19.936 +28.880 |
|
| 64. | |
FITZGERALD Henry NORCO FACTORY TEAM |
4:23.482 +32.426 |
|
| 69. | |
SHERLOCK Seth INTENSE FACTORY RACING |
4:27.385 +36.329 |
|
| 79. | |
FROST James |
5:10.324 +1:19.268 |
