2013 UCI World Championships Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Downhill (also referred to as DHI) is a race against the clock in which the rider negotiates a succession of fast and technical passages. The participant must demonstrate courage as well as sharp technical and piloting skills in order to affront tree roots, banked sections, bumps, jumps and other natural obstacles along the way. Speeds reach around 80km/h in the men’s races and 70km/h for women.

SECTOR ONE
This sector forms the steepest and most technical portion of the track. The start rock garden has been extended, creating a stair-step section down to the Eye
Boggler rock drop. From Cloud 9 the track follows a ridgeline through an off-camber single track to the Haibo road gap, then through the corkscrew and over the Doctor Evil gap jump. From here, speeds increase to almost 80km/h before the riders hit the N3 tabletops.
SECTOR TWO
The riders have to change their riding style into the second sector, for the pedal section – a 40-second sprint. This sector tests the riders’ endurance until they hit the left turn into the Bombhole and the gradient increases once again into the final sector.
SECTOR THREE
At the Air-odrome bridge drop riders need to adjust their style once again, as the track changes from a flat-out sprinting surface to a massive supercross track.
Speeds again reach in excess of 60km/h, as riders are catapulted through an endless rollercoaster of berms and jumps. The final sprint to the finish includes the Moneymaker hip, a 15-metre step-down hip that wows the crowds. From there it’s a massive power to the finish.

Italy and Switzerland became the first nations to win two world titles, when Gerhard Kerschbaumer took the Under-23 Men's cross-country title and Jolanda Neff the Under-23 Women cross-country.  In the Junior Downhill, Tahnee Seagrave won the women's title for Great Britain, while Richard Rude Jr took gold for the United States in the men.  The Trials also awarded their first titles, with Tatiana Janickova of Slovakia winning the Elite women's category and Spain taking the Trials Team title.

2013 MTB World Champs

The day began with the Downhill, and both Seagrave and Rude dominated their divisions.  Tegan Molloy of Australia took the women's Hot Seat first, but was quickly displaced by her countrywoman Danielle Beecroft, who recorded the first sub-5 minute time for the Junior women.  However, Seagrave, the top Junior woman on the World Cup circuit, came down next, obliterating Beecroft's time by over seven seconds to win her first rainbow jersey.

"I knew that I could win after my timed run [the day before]," explained Seagrave, "so I was cautious, because I was afraid of crashing.  I just concentrated on pedaling in every section that I could.  This [title] means everything to me, I've waited a long time for this."

Ben Hill of Australia was the first to crack the four minute and 30 second barrier, and he held the lead until team mate Aiden Varley bumped him by three seconds, with 30 riders to go.  From that point the leading time dropped steadily by small increments, as riders struggled with strong gusting winds.  Luca Shaw (USA) took the lead below 4:20, but the fastest riders were just getting started.

In the end, it was the three fastest riders from the seeding run who took the medal spots, with Michael Jones (Great Britain) starting third from last and taking bronze, and then Rude roaring in at a blazing fast 4:06, the only rider to go under 4:10.  Loris Vergier (France), the fastest qualifier, managed to beat Jones by two seconds, but was still nearly six seconds behind Rude.

"I think the pedaling sections at the bottom of the course really worked for me," said Rude.  "I just knew that when I got to the middle of the course I had to give it my all for the rest of the way."

2013 MTB World Champs Pietermaritzburg Timed Training Results Junior Women

1	SEAGRAVE Tahnee	GBR19950615	GREAT BRITAIN	4:51.377
2	BEECROFT Danielle	AUS19950327	AUSTRALIA	+11.372
3	OURDOUILLIE Fiona	FRA19950726	FRANCE	+26.558
4	MOLLOY Tegan	AUS19960118	AUSTRALIA	+30.094
5	NAKAGAWA Ayako	JPN19951003	JAPAN	+1:20.175

2013 MTB World Champs Pietermaritzburg Timed Training Results Junior Men

1	VERGIER Loris	FRA19960507	FRANCE	4:13.873
2	RUDE JR Richard	USA19950101	UNITED STATES OF AMERICA	+00.754
3	JONES Michael	GBR19950222	GREAT BRITAIN	+04.145
4	LUCAS Dean	AUS19950502	AUSTRALIA	+05.681
5	ATWILL Phil	GBR19950111	GREAT BRITAIN	+07.350
6	VEZINA Mckay	CAN19951022	CANADA	+07.995
7	CRIMMINS Thomas	AUS19950624	AUSTRALIA	+08.707
8	GRAHAM Innes	GBR19960703	GREAT BRITAIN	+08.802
9	VERNASSA Gianluca	ITA19950904	ITALY	+08.829
10	NIEDERBERGER Noel	SUI19950821	SWITZERLAND	+09.958
11	ALGARRA NAVARRO Daniel	ESP19950314	SPAIN	+10.306
12	WALLACE Mark	CAN19950601	CANADA	+10.752
13	PICCHIOTTINO Cole	USA19951002	UNITED STATES OF AMERICA	+11.091
14	FAYOLLE Alexandre	FRA19950720	FRANCE	+11.532
15	SHAW Luca	USA19961225	UNITED STATES OF AMERICA	+12.992
16	BROWN Gregg	RSA19961227	SOUTH AFRICA	+13.646
17	COMETTI Luca	USA19951208	UNITED STATES OF AMERICA	+13.938
18	FESPERMAN Jay	USA19960709	UNITED STATES OF AMERICA	+14.022
19	GANNICOTT George	GBR19950311	GREAT BRITAIN	+14.355
20	ALVES DE BORBA Lucas Eduardo	BRA19950224	BRAZIL	+14.705

2013 MTB World Champs Pietermaritzburg Timed Training Results Women

1	ATHERTON Rachel	GBR19871206	GREAT BRITAIN	4:35.013
2	HANNAH Tracey	AUS19880613	AUSTRALIA	+16.802
3	CHARRE Morgane	FRA19900609	FRANCE	+18.536
4	BUCHANAN Caroline	AUS19901024	AUSTRALIA	+21.398
5	CARPENTER Manon	GBR19930311	GREAT BRITAIN	+21.892
6	PUGIN Floriane	FRA19890417	FRANCE	+23.402
7	BROWN Casey	CAN19901027	CANADA	+23.783
8	GATTO Micayla	CAN19880821	CANADA	+27.408
9	CERNILOGAR Zarja	SLO19891218	SLOVENIA	+33.026
10	NICOLE Myriam	FRA19900208	FRANCE	+34.010
11	ROSSER Lauren	CAN19931004	CANADA	+37.510
12	BARTOVA Jana	CZE19900217	CZECH REPUBLIC	+47.431
13	MARCELLINI Alia	ITA19910711	ITALY	+54.589
14	KINTNER Jill	USA19811024	UNITED STATES OF AMERICA	+7:18.160

2013 MTB World Champs Pietermaritzburg Timed Training Results Men

1	SMITH Steve	CAN19891125	CANADA	4:03.021
2	ROPELATO Mitch	USA19920303	UNITED STATES OF AMERICA	+02.208
3	ATHERTON Gee	GBR19850226	GREAT BRITAIN	+02.513
4	HANNAH Michael	AUS19831121	AUSTRALIA	+02.759
5	MINNAAR Greg	RSA19811113	SOUTH AFRICA	+03.968
6	BLENKINSOP Samuel	NZL19881028	NEW-ZEALAND	+04.181
7	GRAVES Jared	AUS19821216	AUSTRALIA	+05.072
8	BEER Nick	SUI19870917	SWITZERLAND	+06.240
9	GUTIERREZ VILLEGAS Marcelo	COL19900509	COLOMBIA	+07.134
10	PEKOLL Markus	AUT19871013	AUSTRIA	+08.355
11	HART Danny	GBR19910920	GREAT BRITAIN	+08.852
12	BRANNIGAN George	NZL19920409	NEW-ZEALAND	+09.444
13	MASTERS Wyn	NZL19870418	NEW-ZEALAND	+10.441
14	FISCHBACH Johannes	GER19880304	GERMANY	+11.289
15	PEAT Steve	GBR19740617	GREAT BRITAIN	+12.081
16	BROSNAN Troy	AUS19930713	AUSTRALIA	+12.442
17	MULALLY Neko	USA19930219	UNITED STATES OF AMERICA	+12.815
18	THOME Patrick	FRA19911020	FRANCE	+13.247
19	SIMMONDS Matthew	GBR19870520	GREAT BRITAIN	+13.250
20	BRUNI Loic	FRA19940513	FRANCE	+13.502

2013 MTB World Champs Pietermaritzburg Final Results Junior Women

1	SEAGRAVE Tahnee	GBR19950615	GREAT BRITAIN	4:52.001
2	BEECROFT Danielle	AUS19950327	AUSTRALIA	+07.512
3	MOLLOY Tegan	AUS19960118	AUSTRALIA	+19.448
4	OURDOUILLIE Fiona	FRA19950726	FRANCE	+21.731
5	NAKAGAWA Ayako	JPN19951003	JAPAN	+1:13.791

2013 MTB World Champs Pietermaritzburg Final Results Junior Men

1	RUDE JR Richard	USA19950101	UNITED STATES OF AMERICA	4:06.640
2	VERGIER Loris	FRA19960507	FRANCE	+05.727
3	JONES Michael	GBR19950222	GREAT BRITAIN	+07.403
4	NIEDERBERGER Noel	SUI19950821	SWITZERLAND	+07.784
5	LUCAS Dean	AUS19950502	AUSTRALIA	+08.908
6	SHAW Luca	USA19961225	UNITED STATES OF AMERICA	+12.985
7	VEZINA Mckay	CAN19951022	CANADA	+13.944
8	CRIMMINS Thomas	AUS19950624	AUSTRALIA	+14.101
9	WALLACE Mark	CAN19950601	CANADA	+14.938
10	VERNASSA Gianluca	ITA19950904	ITALY	+15.674
11	ATWILL Phil	GBR19950111	GREAT BRITAIN	+15.753
12	FESPERMAN Jay	USA19960709	UNITED STATES OF AMERICA	+16.822
13	GRAHAM Innes	GBR19960703	GREAT BRITAIN	+17.774
14	GANNICOTT George	GBR19950311	GREAT BRITAIN	+18.192
15	COLOMBO Francesco	ITA19951209	ITALY	+18.267
16	VARLEY Aiden	AUS19960816	AUSTRALIA	+18.488
17	KNOTT Peter	AUS19950616	AUSTRALIA	+18.869
18	FAYOLLE Alexandre	FRA19950720	FRANCE	+19.127
19	DU PLESSIS J P	RSA19950703	SOUTH AFRICA	+19.482
20	COMETTI Luca	USA19951208	UNITED STATES OF AMERICA	+19.547

2013 MTB World Champs Pietermaritzburg Final Results Women

1	ATHERTON Rachel	GBR19871206	GREAT BRITAIN	4:28.043
2	RAGOT Emmeline	FRA19860527	FRANCE	+08.632
3	HANNAH Tracey	AUS19880613	AUSTRALIA	+12.395
4	KINTNER Jill	USA19811024	UNITED STATES OF AMERICA	+13.425
5	BUCHANAN Caroline	AUS19901024	AUSTRALIA	+13.612
6	CHARRE Morgane	FRA19900609	FRANCE	+15.637
7	SIEGENTHALER Emilie	SUI19860919	SWITZERLAND	+18.269
8	BROWN Casey	CAN19901027	CANADA	+18.525
9	PUGIN Floriane	FRA19890417	FRANCE	+20.769
10	GATTO Micayla	CAN19880821	CANADA	+20.906
11	NICOLE Myriam	FRA19900208	FRANCE	+27.532
12	GRIFFITHS Fionn	GBR19820827	GREAT BRITAIN	+30.378
13	ROSSER Lauren	CAN19931004	CANADA	+38.035
14	BARTOVA Jana	CZE19900217	CZECH REPUBLIC	+38.998
15	MARCELLINI Alia	ITA19910711	ITALY	+42.913

2013 MTB World Champs Pietermaritzburg Final Results Men

1	MINNAAR Greg	RSA19811113	SOUTH AFRICA	3:58.058
2	HANNAH Michael	AUS19831121	AUSTRALIA	+00.396
3	GRAVES Jared	AUS19821216	AUSTRALIA	+03.333
4	BLENKINSOP Samuel	NZL19881028	NEW-ZEALAND	+03.746
5	SIMMONDS Matthew	GBR19870520	GREAT BRITAIN	+03.939
6	BEER Nick	SUI19870917	SWITZERLAND	+04.041
7	ATHERTON Gee	GBR19850226	GREAT BRITAIN	+04.303
8	GUTIERREZ VILLEGAS Marcelo	COL19900509	COLOMBIA	+04.423
9	FISCHBACH Johannes	GER19880304	GERMANY	+04.759
10	BROSNAN Troy	AUS19930713	AUSTRALIA	+06.582
11	BRUNI Loic	FRA19940513	FRANCE	+06.922
12	PEKOLL Markus	AUT19871013	AUSTRIA	+07.019
13	BRANNIGAN George	NZL19920409	NEW-ZEALAND	+07.927
14	MULALLY Neko	USA19930219	UNITED STATES OF AMERICA	+08.878
15	PEAT Steve	GBR19740617	GREAT BRITAIN	+09.204
16	NEETHLING Andrew	RSA19840805	SOUTH AFRICA	+09.709
17	MASTERS Wyn	NZL19870418	NEW-ZEALAND	+11.317
18	PAYET Florent	FRA19861121	FRANCE	+12.766
19	BRYCELAND Josh	GBR19900323	GREAT BRITAIN	+13.042
20	THOME Patrick	FRA19911020	FRANCE	+13.181