Tennessee National DH cancelled due to wild snowstorm and high winds

Cancellation puts Canadians on podium via strong quali results

Photo by: Commencal Muc-Off

Terry McKall March 12, 2022

Canadians were looking fast in qualification runs at the Tennessee National, the first stop in the U.S.A. National DH Series. With unseasonable snow forecast, it was looking like a potentially big weekend for the northern racers.

Unfortunately, more snow arrived than expected and, in combination with high winds, Windrock Bike Park was forced to cancel finals.

That leaves several Canadians in a good position, even if they’re short a finals race.

Tristan Lemire (Commencal Muc-Off) snowshoes away with a win in the junior men’s race, with a winning qualifying time of 2:39.38.

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In the elite men’s event, Seth Sherlock led the Canadians. The Intense Factory Racing rider from Squamish, B.C. was fourth behind race winner and his teammate Dakotah Norton. Lucas Crus finished seventh and Elliot Jamieson ninth, both for Norco Factory Team. Austin Dooley (Commencal N.A.) and Nikolas Nestoroff (KHS) round out the podium with Aaron Gwin, 12th after seeding with a flat tire, likely the rider most frustrated with the uncooperative weather.

Gracey Hemstreet lands her first podium of the year at the Tennessee National. The recently-signed Norco Factory Team junior raced up into elite women where she finished third. Kailey Skelton (KHS) takes the win ahead of Frida Ronning (Union). Despite dropping a chain early in her quali(final) run, Rachel Pageau (Commencal USA/Jukebox) of Chicoutimi, Que. coasted to fourth.