Minnaar makes history! Results from World Cup #3 – Lousã, Portugal

In a historic day in Lousã, Greg Minnaar sets a new record for the most World Cup wins at 22. With his win in Portugal, the South African pushes farther ahead of Aaron Gwin’s total of 20.

Minnaar sealed the victory before the last man was down the mountain. His teammate, Loris Vergier was fastest in qualifying but had to roll out the last half of his run on a flat front tire.

“Its one of those bittersweet wins where one of your biggest rivals, who is also your teammate, is leading the World Cup then punctures on the way down,” Minnaar said at the finish line, referring to Vergier. “But, yeah, I can’t believe it. I’m speechless really.”

At 39 years old, Minnaar is by far the oldest ever World Cup winner. Asked how he stays fast, and where he found the motivation to put one second into his rivals on the flat pedalling section, Minnaar responded that “You push yourself when you’re racing into another mindset, another level. I think that’s what the addiction of racing is.”

Minnaar’s 80th World Cup podium comes at the end of a hard year for everyone. But it is all the more impressive after going through a strict lockdown in South Africa that prevented him from training outside his house.

Canadians in Lousã

Seth Sherlock (Intense Factory Racing) leads the Canadian results with sixth in the junior men’s race. In the elite men’s race Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) was leading at the first split. Not long later, he washed out a front wheel, going over the bars hard. Iles remounted to finish 50th. Mark Wallace (Canyon Factory Racing) rides out World Cup round 3 in 27th.

Elite Men – G.O.A.T. rides again

Greg Minnaar’s (Santa Cruz Syndicate) win is the story of the day in the elite men’s race, but not the only significant result. Matt Walker (Madison Saracen) continues his breakout season with second place. Finishing just 1.833 back of the South African, and with Vergier’s mechanical, Walker is now a threat to the World Cup overall. Loic Bruni (Specialized) takes third with Aaron Gwin (Intense Factory Racing) returning to form with a fourth place. Dakotah Norton (Unior Devinci) takes the final podium spot, putting two American’s on the podium.

Elite Women – Nicole back on top

Myriam Nicole (Commencal Muc Off) set a blistering fast time to win the elite women’s race. Marine Cabirou (Scott Factory) finished 4.397 seconds back in second place.

Behind the two French riders, Tahnée Seagrave (Canyon Collective) made her first return to form in 2020, finishing third. Tracey Hannah (Polygon UR) is fourth in her second last World Cup while last week’s winner in Maribor, Nina Hoffmann (Nina Hoffman Racing) rounds out the podium in fifth.

Results: World Cup #3 – Lousã, Portugal

Elite Men

1.	n°7		MINNAAR Greg SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE					3:55.239
2.	n°2		WALKER Matt MADISON SARACEN FACTORY TEAM					3:57.072 +1.833
3.	n°4		BRUNI Loic SPECIALIZED GRAVITY					3:57.199 +1.960
4.	n°12		GWIN Aaron INTENSE FACTORY RACING					3:58.301 +3.062
5.	n°16		NORTON Dakotah UNIOR DEVINCI FACTORY RACING					3:58.312 +3.073
6.	n°3		DAPRELA Thibaut COMMENCAL / MUC – OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION					3:58.743 +3.504
7.	n°20		COULANGES Benoit DORVAL AM PRO RACE TEAM					3:59.303 +4.064
8.	n°53		WILLIAMSON Greg COMMENCAL / 100%					3:59.859 +4.620
9.	n°5		BROSNAN Troy CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM					3:59.867 +4.628
10.	n°25		EDMONDSON Jamie					3:59.924 +4.685
11.	n°33		REVELLI Loris					4:00.060 +4.821
12.	n°9		SUAREZ ALONSO Angel THE YT MOB					4:00.261 +5.022
13.	n°17		MAES Martin GT FACTORY RACING					4:00.330 +5.091
14.	n°26		ATWILL Philip CUBE GLOBAL SQUAD PROTECTED BY BLISS					4:00.347 +5.108
15.	n°6		THIRION Remi COMMENCAL / MUC – OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION					4:00.355 +5.116
16.	n°27		JONES Michael MS MONDRAKER TEAM					4:01.062 +5.823
17.	n°21		KOLB Andreas GAMUX FACTORY RACING					4:01.495 +6.256
18.	n°47		EDWARDS Kade TREK FACTORY RACING DH					4:01.520 +6.281
19.	n°10		SHAW Luca SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE					4:01.686 +6.447
20.	n°67		LEVESQUE Dylan					4:01.697 +6.458
21.	n°15		TRUMMER David THE YT MOB					4:02.279 +7.040
22.	n°28		KERR Bernard PIVOT FACTORY RACING					4:02.635 +7.396
23.	n°14		PIERRON Baptiste DORVAL AM PRO RACE TEAM					4:03.357 +8.118
24.	n°13		HART Danny MADISON SARACEN FACTORY TEAM					4:03.386 +8.147
25.	n°49		FISCHBACH Johannes					4:03.742 +8.503
26.	n°18		HATTON Charlie CONTINENTAL ATHERTON					4:03.798 +8.559
27.	n°23		WALLACE Mark CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM					4:04.145 +8.906
28.	n°69		FAIRCLOUGH Brendan SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY					4:04.336 +9.097
29.	n°22		HANNAH Michael POLYGON UR					4:04.929 +9.690
30.	n°32		MULALLY Neko INTENSE FACTORY RACING					4:05.255 +10.016
31.	n°29		BREEDEN Joe POLYGON UR					4:05.403 +10.164
32.	n°72		CABIROU Rudy					4:05.484 +10.245
33.	n°19		ZABJEK Jure UNIOR DEVINCI FACTORY RACING					4:05.486 +10.247
34.	n°40		SEHNAL Stanislav KELLYS FACTORY TEAM					4:05.697 +10.458
35.	n°31		VIGE Gaetan CUBE GLOBAL SQUAD PROTECTED BY BLISS					4:06.095 +10.856
36.	n°60		VERNON Taylor					4:07.539 +12.300
37.	n°65		ATHERTON Gee CONTINENTAL ATHERTON					4:07.553 +12.314
38.	n°56		ZWAR KVIST Benjamin LUSTY HYPERFORMANCE RACING					4:07.842 +12.603
39.	n°44		RUFFIN Thibaut COMMENCAL / MUC – OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION					4:08.025 +12.786
40.	n°55		ZWAR Oliver LUSTY HYPERFORMANCE RACING					4:08.112 +12.873
41.	n°35		READING Jack					4:08.472 +13.233
42.	n°51		MASTERS Wyn GT FACTORY RACING					4:08.613 +13.374
43.	n°58		INIGUEZ Matteo TC CONCEPT					4:08.736 +13.497
44.	n°82		KRAL Antonin KELLYS FACTORY TEAM					4:08.817 +13.578
45.	n°95		LALY Thibault MS MONDRAKER TEAM					4:09.033 +13.794
46.	n°52		MOLLOY Harry FS RACING					4:09.081 +13.842
47.	n°68		GUTIERREZ VILLEGAS Rafael IJ RACING					4:09.860 +14.621
48.	n°78		VIEIRA Roger					4:10.438 +15.199
49.	n°70		POMBO Emanuel MIRANDA FACTORY TEAM					4:10.821 +15.582
50.	n°8		ILES Finn SPECIALIZED GRAVITY					4:10.905 +15.666

Elite Women

1.	n°2		NICOLE Myriam COMMENCAL / MUC – OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION					4:26.325
2.	n°1		CABIROU Marine SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY					4:30.722 +4.397
3.	n°7		SEAGRAVE Tahnee CANYON COLLECTIVE FMD					4:31.400 +5.075
4.	n°5		HANNAH Tracey POLYGON UR					4:34.615 +8.290
5.	n°3		HOFFMANN Nina NINA HOFFMANN RACING – STIF					4:35.589 +9.264
6.	n°8		BALANCHE Camille DORVAL AM PRO RACE TEAM					4:36.813 +10.488
7.	n°6		HRASTNIK Monika DORVAL AM PRO RACE TEAM					4:37.210 +10.885
8.	n°4		FARINA Eleonora MS MONDRAKER TEAM					4:38.853 +12.528
9.	n°12		JOHNSET Mille CONTINENTAL ATHERTON					4:41.061 +14.736
10.	n°21		BANDEIRA Margarida					5:16.525 +50.200

Junior Men

1.	n°4		CRAIK Ethan GT FACTORY RACING					4:07.602
2.	n°43		MENOYO BUSQUETS Pau					4:10.313 +2.711
3.	n°5		GRICE Christopher SPECIALIZED GRAVITY					4:11.195 +3.593
4.	n°3		SLACK Dan					4:11.335 +3.733
5.	n°2		REIS Nuno MIRANDA FACTORY TEAM					4:11.702 +4.100
6.	n°10		GARCIN Johan					4:12.730 +5.128
7.	n°19		ROGGE Antoine					4:13.481 +5.879
8.	n°12		SHERLOCK Seth INTENSE FACTORY RACING					4:14.750 +7.148
9.	n°45		WILLIAMS Preston					4:15.334 +7.732
10.	n°8		WILLIAMSON Luke PROPAIN FACTORY RACING					4:17.162 +9.560
11.	n°28		DOOLEY Austin					4:17.245 +9.643
12.	n°18		MUMFORD Luke					4:17.372 +9.770
13.	n°15		GONZALEZ GRIMAU Adrian IJ RACING					4:17.645 +10.043
14.	n°20		CHAPELET Simon RACE COMPANY					4:17.661 +10.059
15.	n°9		JOHNSTON Guy THE YT MOB					4:19.103

Junior Women

1.	n°1		PIERRINI Leona					4:59.667
2.	n°4		CHAPPAZ Lauryne DORVAL AM PRO RACE TEAM					5:03.619 +3.952
3.	n°8		GONZALEZ GRIMAU Aina IJ RACING					5:04.541 +4.874
4.	n°3		ERICKSON Ella					5:14.368 +14.701
5.	n°2		VAN DER VELDEN Siel					5:31.325 +31.65