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Lucas Cruz leads Canadian elites through final World Cup of 2022

Iles sidelined in Italy but still finishes season ranked third overall

September 4, 2022
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The 2022 World Cup downhill season wrapped up with a phenomenal race in Val di Sole, Italy on Saturday. French riders landed wins in elite men and women’s races. Canada has a new top finisher, with Lucas Cruz putting in a career-best ride.

Finn Iles missed two World Cup rounds and still finished third overall. A sign of speed to come? Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool

Canadians in Italy

Lucas Cruz (Norco Factory Team) leads the Canadians with a huge 13th-place finish in Val di Sole. It’s the Pemberton, B.C. racer’s best elite World Cup finish to date, and a big step up on one of the hardest courses of the year.

Jakob Jewett (Canyon Cllctv) and Kirk McDowall (Norco) finished in 40th and 41st. Elliot Jamieson (Norco Factory Team) followed close behind in 46th and Mark Wallace (Canyon Cllctv) 49th. Seth Sherlock (Intense Factory Racing) rounds out the Canadian results in 55th.

Iles finishes third overall, even after missing two World Cup rounds. It’s a huge result for the Canadian and an even bigger indication of what could be coming in 2023.

Loris Vergier finds the top step again. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool

Myriam Nicole was back to her dominant pace in Italy. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool

The Val di Sole elite women's World Cup podium. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool

Two U.S. riders on the World Cup podium for the first time in a while, but still a French rider on top. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool

Amaury Pierron walked away with the World Cup overall in 2022. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull COntent Pool

Myriam Nicole celebrates in the best way possible. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool

Valentina Holl performs at UCI DH World Cup in Val di Sole, Italy on September 03, 2022 // Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202209030742 // Usage for editorial use only //

Another weekend for the French

It was Loris Vergier taking the win in Val di Sole, though. The Trek Factory Racing rider put in an incredible 3.008-second win over Andreas Kolb (Continental Atherton) and an Intense Factory Racing U.S. duo of Dakota Norton and Aaron Gwin in third and fourth. Bernard Kerr (Pivot Factory Racing) rounds out the podium in fifth.

Vergier’s win moves him into second overall in the World Cup standings. He moves ahead of Finn Iles in third, but can’t catch fellow French rider, Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off0. With an incredible four wins in 2022, Amaury Pierron is the 2022 elite men’s World Cup overall winner.

On the women’s side, Myriam Nicole finishes her season on a high note. The Commencal/Muc-Off rider soared to a solid win in Val di Sole. Nina Hoffman (Syndicate) followed in second and new world champion Vali Höll in third.

That narrowly gives Camille Balanche (Dorval AM Commencal) the points to maintain her World Cup overall lead. The Swiss rider battled back from injury to finish fifth on a recently broken collarbone, preserving her lead ahead of Höll in the series standings.

Results: 2022 World Cup DH #8  – Val di Sole, Italy

Elite Women

1.
NICOLE Myriam
COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION		 4:21.804
2.
HOFFMANN Nina
SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE		 4:25.873
+4.069
3.
HÖLL Valentina
ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM		 4:28.039
+6.235
4.
BLEWITT Jess
GT FACTORY RACING		 4:28.643
+6.839
5.
BALANCHE Camille
DORVAL AM COMMENCAL		 4:32.441
+10.637
6.
HRASTNIK Monika
DORVAL AM COMMENCAL		 4:34.254
+12.450
7.
WIDMANN Veronika
MADISON SARACEN FACTORY TEAM		 4:38.982
+17.178
8.
CHAPPAZ Mélanie
 4:43.270
+21.466
9.
FARINA Eleonora
MS MONDRAKER TEAM		 4:45.921
+24.117
10.
NEWKIRK Anna
BEYOND RACING		 4:47.168
+25.364
11.
FERGUSON Louise-Anna
 4:48.457
+26.653
12.
VAN DER VELDEN Siel
COMMENCAL VEE		 4:50.027
+28.223
13.
JOHNSET Mille
COMMENCAL / 100%		 4:50.086
+28.282
14.
BAUMANN Lisa
COMMENCAL LES ORRES		 4:50.588
+28.784
15.
FISHER Stacey
 4:52.872
+31.068
16.
BERNARD Mathilde
SCOTT MANIGOD SHOT		 4:56.054
+34.250
17.
PIERRINI Léona
OSMOS GRAVITY TEAM		 4:57.824
+36.020

Elite Men

1. n°3
VERGIER Loris
TREK FACTORY RACING DH		 3:39.774
2. n°5
KOLB Andreas
CONTINENTAL ATHERTON		 3:42.782
+3.008
3. n°21
NORTON Dakotah
INTENSE FACTORY RACING		 3:42.903
+3.129
4. n°12
GWIN Aaron
INTENSE FACTORY RACING		 3:44.265
+4.491
5. n°7
KERR Bernard
PIVOT FACTORY RACING		 3:44.806
+5.032
6. n°9
COULANGES Benoit
DORVAL AM COMMENCAL		 3:45.086
+5.312
7. n°13
HATTON Charlie
CONTINENTAL ATHERTON		 3:47.022
+7.248
8. n°15
BRUNI Loic
SPECIALIZED GRAVITY		 3:48.510
+8.736
9. n°32
THIRION Rémi
GIANT FACTORY OFF – ROAD TEAM		 3:50.227
+10.453
10. n°27
ZWAR Oliver
UNION		 3:50.513
+10.739
11. n°11
DAPRELA Thibaut
COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION		 3:50.745
+10.971
12. n°16
LEVESQUE Dylan
SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY		 3:50.795
+11.021
13. n°65
CRUZ Lucas
NORCO FACTORY TEAM		 3:51.300
+11.526
14. n°47
INIGUEZ Matteo
COMMENCAL VEE		 3:51.937
+12.163
15. n°39
LUCAS Dean
SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY		 3:52.797
+13.023
16. n°33
ROGGE Antoine
 3:53.466
+13.692
17. n°19
BROSNAN Troy
CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM		 3:54.188
+14.414
18. n°28
SHAW Luca
CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM		 3:54.578
+14.804
19. n°160
WALKER Matthew
PIVOT FACTORY RACING		 3:54.695
+14.921
20. n°41
DICKSON Jacob
MS MONDRAKER TEAM		 3:55.381
+15.607
21. n°86
FINNIS Connor
 3:55.839
+16.065
22. n°115
MAPLES Dylan
COMMENCAL NORTH AMERICA		 3:56.055
+16.281
23. n°44
VIEIRA Roger
 3:56.227
+16.453
24. n°143
MOLLOY Harry
MADISON SARACEN FACTORY TEAM		 3:56.720
+16.946
25. n°66
FISCHBACH Johannes
 3:57.084
+17.310
26. n°158
REIS Nuno
 3:57.383
+17.609
27. n°70
INTROZZI Stefano
 3:57.466
+17.692
28. n°81
GARCIN Johan
VVRACING ACADEMY		 3:57.776
+18.002
29. n°6
HART Danny
CUBE FACTORY RACING		 3:57.863
+18.089
30. n°54
LALY Thibault
PINKBIKE RACING		 3:58.593
+18.819
31. n°62
MULALLY Neko
FRAMEWORKS RACING		 3:58.865
+19.091
32. n°60
KERR Henry
PROPAIN FACTORY RACING		 3:58.927
+19.153
33. n°17
TRUMMER David
MS MONDRAKER TEAM		 3:59.059
+19.285
34. n°104
LEHMANN Lino
GAMUX FACTORY RACING		 3:59.112
+19.338
35. n°119
LEHMANN Janis
 3:59.350
+19.576
36. n°129
RILAT Emile
SCOTT MANIGOD SHOT		 3:59.896
+20.122
37. n°61
FREW Jackson
 4:00.266
+20.492
38. n°74
PAYET Florent
SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY		 4:01.325
+21.551
39. n°64
BRANNIGAN George
NS BIKES UR		 4:01.916
+22.142
40. n°80
JEWETT Jakob
CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM		 4:02.500
+22.726
41. n°59
MCDOWALL Kirk
 4:02.805
+23.031
42. n°126
BAECHLER Yannick
VVRACING ACADEMY		 4:03.379
+23.605
43. n°79
SMESTAD Simen
 4:04.226
+24.452
44. n°57
MENOYO BUSQUETS Pau
COMMENCAL – SCHWALBE		 4:05.156
+25.382
45. n°46
ATWILL Philip
PROPAIN POSITIVE SUPPORTED BY VEE		 4:06.044
+26.270
46. n°157
JAMIESON Elliot
NORCO FACTORY TEAM		 4:06.211
+26.437
47. n°43
WILSON Reece
TREK FACTORY RACING DH		 4:08.568
+28.794
48. n°34
FRIXTALON Hugo
COMMENCAL / 100%		 4:15.617
+35.843
49. n°20
WALLACE Mark
CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM		 4:15.980
+36.206
50. n°50
ZWAR KVIST Benjamin
UNION		 4:26.593
+46.819
51. n°136
MACDERMID James
YD RACING		 4:28.259
+48.485
52. n°4
GREENLAND Laurie
SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE		 4:31.031
+51.257
53. n°1
PIERRON Amaury
COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION		 4:34.189
+54.415
54. n°49
VERNON Taylor
SORTED RACEGEAR		 7:18.791
+3:39.017
55. n°109
SHERLOCK Seth
INTENSE FACTORY RACING		 7:33.495
+3:53.721
n°18
MEIER-SMITH Luke
PROPAIN FACTORY RACING		 DNF
n°30
ESTAQUE Thomas
COMMENCAL / 100%		 DNF
n°38
SILVA Dante
CANYON COLLECTIVE PIRELLI		 DNF
n°63
CHATANAY Valentin
SCOTT MANIGOD SHOT		 DNF