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Steve Smith shreds to second in Lourdes downhill World Cup

Smith returns to the podium following two injury marred seasons. Finnley Iles won's the men's junior race.

Steve Smith (left) on the podium in Lourdes
Steve Smith (left) on the podium in Lourdes

The UCI downhill mountain bike World Cup got underway in Lourdes in the Midi-Pyrénées region in the southwest of France April 8 to 10. The three day event kicked off the season for the worlds elite downhill mountain bikers. It’s the second year the venue hosts the first round of the World Cup. Lourdes is a region of France that is home to a Roman Catholic pilgrimage site that attracts approximately 30 million visitors every year.

>> Here is a beginners guide to downhill mountain biking

Canada was represented in the elite men’s final by two Vancouver Island residents and teammates Steve Smith and Mark Wallace of Devinci Global Racing. Smith finished qualifying in fourth while Wallace moved on to the finals with a time 23.782-seconds down on Frenchman Bruni Loic who qualified with the fastest time. Three other Canadians raced the qualifying round but did not make it into the final.

Steve Smith on course in Lourdes. Photo credit: Red Bull
Steve Smith on course in Lourdes. Photo credit: Red Bull

Steve Smith was almost flawless in his final run. Following two seasons defined by injuries the 2013 DH World Cup overall winner finished 2.471 seconds down on winner Aaron Gwin (The YT Mob) of the United States. Former world champion Danny Hart rounded out the podium. Wallace finished eighth, 5.423 seconds back on Gwin’s winning time.

Last year Aaron Gwin won in Lourdes before going on to win three more World Cup rounds in Austria, the U.S. and Italy on his way to overall victory.

In the men’s junior race Canadian Finnley Iles was racing his first World Cup and qualified for the finals with a time 16.216 seconds back from the fastest qualifier. The Canadian was the fastest on the course in the finals with a time of 3:32.269 and took the victory ahead of Great Britain’s Matt Walker by a narrow 1.559 seconds.

The Word Cup heads to Australia for the second round hosted in Cairns by Smithfield Mountain Bike Park on April 23 and 24. After an 18-year absence, the World Cup returned to the venue in 2014 and once again is back for 2016.

Check out this sweet Devinci Global Racing team video: