Five Canadian juniors through qualifying at Les Gets World Cup
Jake Polito and Jon Mozell lead Canuck contingent on Thursday
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Jake Polito racing at home in Canada
Juniors kicked off the downhill racing at Les Gets World Cup on Thursday with five Canadians making it through to Friday’s finals racing.
Two U.S. racers had the fastest junior men’s times on Thursday in Les Gets, though. New World Cup leader Ryan Pinkerton (GT-Continental) led Evan Medcalf (Evolve Racing) by 2.981 seconds. Israel’s Roee Ostfeld pulled out a big result to qualify third.
Jake Polito (Outlaw United) led the Canadian effort on Thursday, qualifying 12th. Jon Mozell (Forbidden Synthesis) placed o.o27 seconds behind in 13th. Jack Macleod (Outlaw United) followed in 15th, Dane Jewett (Pivot Factory Racing) 20th and Dylan Marino 24th making it four Outlaw United racers in the final (Caden Gray of the U.S.A. qualified 19th for the team).
Just missing out on finals in 29th, 30th, 31st and 36th (of 91 starters), are national champ Brock Hawes, Henry Sherry, Ryan Griffith and Zac Stratton. Wyatt Harrington was 42nd, Ethan Donohoe 44th and Max Halchuck 47th for Canada in Les Gets.
Bodhi Kuhn (Trek Factory Racing), currently ranked second overall in the junior men’s field, did not start in Les Gets due to the lingering effects of a crash last week in Loudenvielle.
On the women’s side, two French riders led two Kiwi Sachas in qualifying. Lais Bonnaure had the fastest time with World Cup leader Lisa Bouladou qualifying second. Sacha Earnst and Sacha Mills followed in third and fourth.
Junior world champion Erice van Leuven had a big crash in practice, leaving the mountain via helicopter. Her Commencal Les Orres team has since confirmed the champ is OK.
