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Finn Iles caps 2017 World Cup overall title with win at Val di Sole

Six World Cup wins in 2017 for 18-year-old Whistler native

Finn Isles, the junior world cup leader eyes up the Steve Smith drop.

Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) of Whistler, B.C. won the final round of the downhill World Cup in Val di Sole, Italy. The 18-year-old won his sixth round of the World Cup this season as the series came to it’s conclusion after seven rounds.

Finn Isles, the junior world cup leader eyes up the Steve Smith drop.
Photo: Matt Stetson

Iles effectively sealed his World Cup overall victory with his win in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, the fifth round of the World Cup, on July 8. He also won the men’s junior race on home soil at Monte-Sainte-Anne on August 5.

The junior downhill world champion and now two-time men’s junior World Cup champion will now set his sights on defending his rainbow stripes. The world championships take place in Cairns, Australia from September 5 to 10.

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In the elite men’s category, Mark Wallace finished seventh in Val di Sole. It was his fourth top-10 result of the season. 2017 has beena career season for the Canyon Factory Racing rider who ended the season in eight overall in the overall standings.

Despite the abismal conditions American Aaron Gwin managed to put down an amazing run and take the win.
Photo: Matt Stetson

Greg Minnaar and Aaron Gwin have been locked in a season long battle for the overall World Cup classification and it came down to the final round in Val di Sol to decide the 2017 series winner. They qualified with the two fastest times setting up a nail bitting finale. Unfortuantley, on his final run Minaar’s chances were dashed with a flat tir. Gwin, the last rider out of the start gate posted the fastest time taking his 19th career round of the World Cup and tying him with Nicolas Vouilloz with five World Cup downhill overall titles.

Miranda Miller put in a good final run, but missed the podium coming in seventh.
Photo: Matt Stetson

Canadian champion Miranda Miller (Specialized Gravity), also had a strong showing in the final round. She missed two rounds of the World Cup due to a knee injury in 2017 but her seventh place finish in Val di Sole was sufficient to clinch ninth overall.