Iles slides into top 10 in Snowshoe World Cup
Wet and wild racing in West Virginia
Photo by:
Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Finn Iles led the Canadian effort as the World Cup downhill series returned to North America this year. The Canadian held on to a top 10 finish in unpredictable conditions, with deep mud and slick rocks making the West Virginia more than a little chaotic.
Amaury Pierron proved tougher than even West Virginia's rocks. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool.
Bernard Kerr pulls out a huge second-place finish in U.S.A. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Ronan Dunne makes the trip across the pond worth it, becoming the first elite Irish man on a World Cup downhill podium after his third in West Virginia.
Amaury Pierron celebrates another World Cup win. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Snowshoe fans are something else. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool.
Elite Men
Two men, Amaury Pierron and Greg Minnaar, showed that no matter what the course looked like, they’d find a way to perform.
Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off) continued his stellar 2022 season with another win. The French rider was a bit of a question mark going into the weekend, having hit a tree hard in practice two weeks ago in practice for the Andorra World Cup. Pierron just squeezed ahead of Bernard Kerr (Pivot Factory Racing) by 0.414 seconds.
RELATED: Juniors lead trio of Canadian podiums in U.S.A. World Cup DH
Andreas Kolb (Continental Atherton) and Ronan Dunne (Continental Nukeproof) took advantage of the adverse conditions to take big podium finishes in third and fourth. Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate) put the rainbow stripes on the podium in fifth.
Canadians in Snowshoe
Finn Iles (Specialized) led the Canadian effort in the elite races, finishing ninth. The top-10 finish keeps Iles in touch for the overall, but he now sits third behind Loris Vergier (Trek Factory Racing)with 746 points to the French rider’s 758. Pierron holds a commanding lead, now, with 1180.
Mark Wallace (Canyon Cllctv) kept his consistent season going with a 17th in Snowshoe. Jakob Jewett, Wallace’s young teammate on Canyon Cllctv, had a big result in the mud in 27th. Kirk McDowall (Dunbar) returned to World Cup racing in 35th.
On the women’s side, Rachel Pageau was prepared for her first elite final of the year. A heavy crash in practice prevented the Commencal rider from taking to Saturday’s start.
Camille Balanche turns the timing board green in Snowshoe. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red bull Content POol
Balanche with a big celebration. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red bull Content Pool
Myriam Nicole slides into second in Snowshoe. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Elite women's World Cup podium in Snowshoe. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
U.S. crowds are absolutely wild. Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
Elite Women
Camille Balanche (Commencal Dorval) proved she could handle and course conditions, taking the win in the U.S.A. by 4.145 seconds. World champion Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off) settled for second. The win, Balanche’s third World Cup win this year, propels her further ahead of her rival in the overall standings. She now holds 1335 points to Nicole’s 1105.
Nina Hoffmann (Syndicate), hot off winning the German national title, takes third with Vali Höll (RockShox Trek) in fourth. Monika Hrastnik puts two Dorval AM riders on the podium in fifth.
Results: 2022 World Cup Downhill #6 – Snowshoe, W.Va
Elite Women
| 1. |  |
BALANCHE Camille DORVAL AM COMMENCAL |
4:28.585 |
|
| 2. |  |
NICOLE Myriam COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION |
4:32.730 +4.145 |
|
| 3. |  |
HOFFMANN Nina SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE |
4:34.692 +6.107 |
|
| 4. |  |
HÖLL Valentina ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM |
4:44.489 +15.904 |
|
| 5. |  |
HRASTNIK Monika DORVAL AM COMMENCAL |
4:45.362 +16.777 |
|
| 6. |  |
FARINA Eleonora MS MONDRAKER TEAM |
4:48.870 +20.285 |
|
| 7. |  |
JOHNSET Mille COMMENCAL / 100% |
4:55.371 +26.786 |
|
| 8. | |
WIDMANN Veronika MADISON SARACEN FACTORY TEAM |
5:01.835 +33.250 |
|
| 9. |  |
NEWKIRK Anna BEYOND RACING |
5:04.054 +35.469 |
|
| 10. |  |
BLEWITT Jess GT FACTORY RACING |
5:36.222 +1:07.637 |
|
| 11. |  |
PARTON Mikayla |
5:43.884 +1:15.299 |
|
| 12. | |
HOGIE Abigail BEYOND RACING |
5:46.190 +1:17.605 |
|
| 13. |  |
VAN DER VELDEN Siel COMMENCAL VEE |
5:47.494 +1:18.909 |
|
| 14. | |
CHAPPAZ Mélanie |
5:50.072 +1:21.487 |
|
 |
PAGEAU Rachel |
DNS |
Elite Men
| 1. | |
PIERRON Amaury COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION |
3:34.442 |
|
| 2. | |
KERR Bernard PIVOT FACTORY RACING |
3:34.856 +0.414 |
|
| 3. | |
KOLB Andreas CONTINENTAL ATHERTON |
3:36.250 +1.808 |
|
| 4. |  |
DUNNE Ronan CONTINENTAL NUKEPROOF FACTORY RACING |
3:37.013 +2.571 |
|
| 5. |  |
MINNAAR Greg SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE |
3:37.962 +3.520 |
|
| 6. | |
HART Danny CUBE FACTORY RACING |
3:38.314 +3.872 |
|
| 7. | |
GREENLAND Laurie SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE |
3:39.603 +5.161 |
|
| 8. | |
VERGIER Loris TREK FACTORY RACING DH |
3:39.960 +5.518 |
|
| 9. | |
ILES Finn SPECIALIZED GRAVITY |
3:40.090 +5.648 |
|
| 10. | |
TRUMMER David MS MONDRAKER TEAM |
3:42.913 +8.471 |
|
| 11. | |
LEVESQUE Dylan SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY |
3:42.919 +8.477 |
|
| 12. | |
CRAIK Ethan GT FACTORY RACING |
3:43.543 +9.101 |
|
| 13. | |
INIGUEZ Matteo COMMENCAL VEE |
3:44.384 +9.942 |
|
| 14. | |
GWIN Aaron INTENSE FACTORY RACING |
3:44.961 +10.519 |
|
| 15. |  |
BROSNAN Troy CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM |
3:45.145 +10.703 |
|
| 16. | |
COULANGES Benoit DORVAL AM COMMENCAL |
3:45.475 +11.033 |
|
| 17. | |
WALLACE Mark CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM |
3:45.493 +11.051 |
|
| 18. | |
DAPRELA Thibaut COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION |
3:45.934 +11.492 |
|
| 19. | |
SILVA Dante CANYON COLLECTIVE PIRELLI |
3:46.543 +12.101 |
|
| 20. | |
DOOLEY Austin COMMENCAL NORTH AMERICA |
3:48.564 +14.122 |
|
| 21. | |
MASTERS Wyn GT FACTORY RACING |
3:48.870 +14.428 |
|
| 22. | |
THIRION R̩mi GIANT FACTORY OFF РROAD TEAM |
3:48.896 +14.454 |
|
| 23. | |
EDMONDSON Jamie ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM |
3:50.695 +16.253 |
|
| 24. | |
FEARON Connor FORBIDDEN SYNTHESIS TEAM |
3:51.811 +17.369 |
|
| 25. | |
HATTON Charlie CONTINENTAL ATHERTON |
3:51.889 +17.447 |
|
| 26. |  |
ZWAR Oliver UNION |
3:52.244 +17.802 |
|
| 27. | |
JEWETT Jakob CANYON COLLECTIVE FACTORY TEAM |
3:52.503 +18.061 |
|
| 28. | |
CHAPELET Simon |
3:52.594 +18.152 |
|
| 29. | |
BRAYTON Adam |
3:52.943 +18.501 |
|
| 30. | |
BLENKINSOP Samuel NORCO FACTORY TEAM |
3:53.699 +19.257 |
|
| 31. | |
ROGGE Antoine |
3:54.065 +19.623 |
|
| 32. | |
ESTAQUE Thomas COMMENCAL / 100% |
3:54.849 +20.407 |
|
| 33. | |
REVELLI Loris CANYON COLLECTIVE PIRELLI |
3:55.325 +20.883 |
|
| 34. | |
VIGE Gaëtan |
3:55.467 +21.025 |
|
| 35. | |
MCDOWALL Kirk |
3:55.663 +21.221 |
|
| 36. | |
MEIER-SMITH Luke PROPAIN FACTORY RACING |
3:55.678 +21.236 |
|
| 37. | |
HARTENSTERN Max CUBE FACTORY RACING |
3:56.176 +21.734 |
|
| 38. | |
MULALLY Neko FRAMEWORKS RACING |
3:57.607 +23.165 |
|
| 39. | |
WILLIAMSON Greg COMMENCAL / 100% |
3:57.992 +23.550 |
|
| 40. | |
MACDONALD Brook MS MONDRAKER TEAM |
3:58.035 +23.593 |
