Lucas Cruz podiums at World Cup finals in West Virginia

Snowshoe junior downhill results and series overall winners crowned in Snowshoe

Terry McKall September 7, 2019

Lucas Cruz ended his World Cup season on a high note Saturday in West Virginia. The Pemberton, B.C. rider was third at the new Showshoe venue, just one week after missing the podium by 0.01 seconds at world championships in Mont-Sainte-Anne.

Joining Cruz (SRAM TLD) inside the top ten were Elliot Jamieson (Norco Factory Team) and Patrick Laffey (Devinici). Jamieson was sixth at the final World Cup. Laffey landed 10th on the rocky West Virginia course.

Seth Sherlock, likely still feeling the effects of a heavy crash in practice last week in Quebec, finished out his World Cup season in 19th.

The race was won by Commencal-Vallnord’s Thibaut Daprela, part of the dominant French squad that has owned the World Cup series this year. Luke Meier-Smith was second, just 0.828 seconds ahead of Cruz in third.

With his third place, at Snowshoe, Cruz takes third place in the junior World Cup overall. Daprela takes the tile, and A’Hern second – after not starting Saturday’s race. For Canadian fans, there’s more to be excited about than Cruz’s third. Seth Sherlock ends his season fourth overall and Patrick Laffey fifth. Elliot Jamieson adds an 11th overall, capping off an impressive year for Canadian juniors. After only competing in the early rounds, Ethan Shandro (Trek Factory Racing) places 19th in the 2019 standings.

Höll wins final race as a junior

The junior women’s race was won by Cruz’s SRAM-TLD teammate, the dominant Austrian Valentina Höll. The two-time junior world champion, and two time World Cup series winner came stomped her authority on the final race of her junior career. Anna Newkirk (SRAM Young Guns) finished second for the American home crowd, and Mille Johnset (Atherton Racing) third. All three riders graduate to the elite ranks next season.

Junior Men’s Results – 2019 World Cup finals, Snowshoes, West Virginia

1.	n°1	DAPRELA Thibaut COMMENCAL / VALLNORD	3:11.898
2.	n°11	MEIER-SMITH Luke	3:17.991 +6.093
3.	n°4	CRUZ Lucas SRAM TLD RACING	3:18.819 +6.921
4.	n°19	STERLING Matthew	3:19.762 +7.864
5.	n°8	KLAUS Janosch TEAMPROJECT.CH	3:20.109 +8.211
6.	n°15	JAMIESON Elliot NORCO FACTORY TEAM	3:20.554 +8.656
7.	n°22	FORESTA Joseph GT FACTORY RACING	3:20.883 +8.985
8.	n°25	SILVA Dante	3:21.228 +9.330
9.	n°9	EDMONDSON Jamie TRANSITION BIKES / MUC – OFF FACTORY RACING	3:21.446 +9.548
10.	n°5	LAFFEY Patrick	3:21.798 +9.900
11.	n°13	ROSS Blake SUBWAY NZ MTB HUB	3:21.931 +10.033
12.	n°10	GOMILSCEK Zak	3:22.101 +10.203
13.	n°12	BANDEIRA Goncalo MIRANDA FACTORY TEAM	3:22.134 +10.236
14.	n°6	INIGUEZ Matteo	3:22.807 +10.909
15.	n°17	GALE Sam SUBWAY NZ MTB HUB	3:23.476 +11.578
16.	n°32	GAREIS Zach	3:24.368 +12.470
17.	n°28	DOOLEY Austin	3:26.205 +14.307
18.	n°20	WILLIAMSON Luke PROPAIN FACTORY RACING	3:28.609 +16.711
19.	n°3	SHERLOCK Seth	3:41.022 +29.124
	n°2	A’HERN Kye CANYON FACTORY DOWNHILL TEAM	DNS