Tracey Hannah Takes The Win At Pietermaritzburg

"After qualifying the fastest, Tracey Hannah (Hutchinson United Ride) won the Downhill World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa on March 18, 2012 just ahead of Junior World champion Manon Carpenter (Madison Saracen) and 2.81 seconds ahead of World champion Emmeline Ragot (MS Mondraker). Former 4X World champion Jill Kintner (Norco Inernational) was fourth, while Swiss Miriam Ruchti (SC Intense) rounded out the top five.

After a long hiatus from downhill racing, Tracey Hannah opened her season with a win in Pietermaritzburg. “Motivation and determination is what kept pushing me forward. On a track like this you can train as much as you want, but in order to win you have to figure out how you will come down and what lines you will take. Compared to the tracks in Australia, this here is very fast, in Australia you have to pedal a lot.”

Setting a good split time in qualification, it was clear that Mannon Carpenter was also the rider to watch in the finals and with no Rachel Atherton, Sabrina Jonnier, Tracy Moseley or Floriane Pugin at the start, the opportunity arrived for a career best result. Racing her first downhill World Cup as a senior, Carpenter occupied the second podium spot of the day behind Hannah. World champion Emmeline Ragot was good in the upper part, but she lost momentum in the lower quarter of the course and had to settle for third.

Floriane Pugin (Scott 11) and Sabrina Jonnier (Labyrinth Shimano) crashed during training and dropped out. Rachel Atherton didn't take part in the race due to an injury and its aftermath, while last year's winner Tracy Moseley (TMO) will only compete in two Downhill World Cup races this season."

Elite Women

1 HANNAH Tracey AUS HUTCHINSON UNITED RIDE 4:33.806
2 CARPENTER Manon° GBR MADISON SARACEN DOWNHILL TEAM +0.949
3 RAGOT Emmeline FRA MS MONDRAKER TEAM +2.810
4 KINTNER Jill USA TEAM NORCO INTERNATIONAL +8.492
5 RUCHTI Miriam SUI SC-INTENSE +10.896
6 SIEGENTHALER Emilie SUI SCOTT11 +11.402
7 MOLCIK Anita AUT +12.123
8 de SOUZA OLIVEIRA Luana Maria° BRA +14.385
9 BERNHARD Petra AUT ALPINE COMMENCAL AUSTRIA +15.112
10 NICOLE Myriam° FRA COMMENCAL / RIDING ADDICTION +17.275