2013 UCI World Cup Round 6 Leogang
Saturday, September 21, 2013 at 6:44AM "The 2013 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano concludes on Sunday with the final round of the Downhill competition, in Leogang, Austria, site of the 2012 world championships.
The 2600 metre Downhill run will favour riders with fitness and endurance. The very fast course has a 'Bike Park' feel to it, and requires riders to pedal hard to maintain speed all the way down, especially on the opening half of the run. The weather forecast is for near perfect conditions - with sunny periods and temperatures in the mid-teens (Celcius).
Downhill Women: Atherton in line for title
Last weekend, at the penultimate fifth round in Hafjell, Norway, women's World Cup leader and world champion Rachel Atherton (GT Factory) extended her lead in the overall standings to 160 points over second placed rival Emmeline Ragot (Lapierre Gravity Republic), virtually assuring her of the title.
Ragot is the only rider to have beaten Atherton this season on the World Cup circuit, in round four at Mont Ste Anne, Canada, and will certainly be looking for a win to finish off the season. Other women to watch include third placed overall rider Manon Carpenter (Madison Saracen), who is looking for her first World Cup victory, and Morgane Charre (MS Mondraker), who won the world title in Leogang a year ago.
Downhill Men: competition tight
On the men's side, the competition tightened dramatically after round five, with Steve Smith (Devinci Global Racing) closing to within a mere 17 points of World Cup leader Gee Atherton (GT Factory) with his win in Hafjell. Smith has been closing the gap steadily, with wins in the last two rounds of the series, and the course at Leogang suits him, as evidenced by his bronze medal at the world championships last year.
Having said that, Gee Atherton also rides well in Leogang, finishing in the silver medal spot ahead of Smith at the world championships. Atherton has been extremely consistent all season, with two wins and two second places in five races this year, only finishing off the podium in Hafjell after crashing.
While the race for the overall World Cup title is down to these two riders, there is one other rider who could easily take the victory at Leogang - world champion Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate), who beat both Atherton and Smith last year to win the world title.
In the Junior men's competition there are still four riders in the hunt for the title - World Cup leader Michael Jones (FMD Racing/Intense Cycles), Loris Vergier (Lapierre Gravity Republic), Dean Lucas (Australia National) and Noel Niederberger (Gstaad-Scott).
The action begins on Saturday with the Qualifying runs, and the World Cup concludes on Sunday with the Downhill Final.
Four-cross Men: Who will succeed Rinderchknect?
Member of Switzerland’s Olympic BMX selection (of which he is now coach), Roger Rinderknecht got his hands on the title that he had been missing: that of World Champion. Last year he announced his retirement shortly after his success in Leogang.
For the second consecutive year, the Four-cross World Championships return to the Austrian slopes, and there are a number of athletes in with a chance of claiming the rainbow jersey. Among them, the Czech Michael Mechura (20 years old), second last year and recent winner of an international event on this very Leogang track. His fellow countryman Thomas Slavik, third last year, is again among the favourites. But don’t rule out Michal Prokop, triple World Champion in search of a record.
Four-cross Women: Buchanan dreams of an exploit
BMX World Champion, the Australian Caroline Buchanan is looking for another world medal this year. Although she did not succeed her mission in the downhill at Pietermaritzburg (5th), she will set off in Leogang as one of the favourites. Already World Champion twice (2009-2010) in this discipline, she has proved that she has not lost her touch, dominating Anneke Beerten last weekend in the Leogang international event. The Dutch athlete, winner the last two seasons, is definitely in danger. Will she cope with the pressure?"
2013 UCI Leogang Junior Men Qualifying Results
| 1 | NIEDERBERGER Noel | SUI19950821 | GSTAAD-SCOTT | 3:42.018 |
| 2 | WALLACE Mark | CAN19950601 | DEVINCI GLOBAL RACING | +1.350 |
| 3 | LUCAS Dean | AUS19950502 | AUSTRALIA | +2.898 |
| 4 | VERGIER Loris | FRA19960507 | LAPIERRE GRAVITY REPUBLIC | +3.397 |
| 5 | JONES Michael | GBR19950222 | FMD RACING / INTENSE CYCLES | +4.774 |
| 6 | GRAHAM Innes | GBR19960703 | MS MONDRAKER TEAM | +6.075 |
| 7 | ALGARRA NAVARRO Daniel | ESP19950314 | SPAIN | +6.338 |
| 8 | ESTAQUE Thomas | FRA19961115 | FRANCE | +6.470 |
| 9 | PIERRON Amaury | FRA19960304 | FRANCE | +6.846 |
| 10 | COLOMBO Francesco | ITA19951209 | TEAM AIROH AXO SANTACRUZ | +6.916 |
| 11 | ZABJEK Jure | SLO19951011 | UNIOR TOOLS TEAM | +7.512 |
| 12 | ZELLNER Siegfried | GER19950304 | GERMANY | +8.606 |
| 13 | ILES Jack | CAN19961007 | CANADA | +8.754 |
| 14 | GANNICOTT George | GBR19950311 | DIRT NORCO RACE TEAM | +9.563 |
| 15 | MCCORMACK Stephen | IRL19951028 | IRELAND | +10.194 |
2013 UCI Leogang Women Qualifying Results
| 1 | ATHERTON Rachel | GBR19871206 | GT FACTORY RACING | 4:00.974 |
| 2 | RAGOT Emmeline | FRA19860527 | LAPIERRE GRAVITY REPUBLIC | +1.579 |
| 3 | KINTNER Jill | USA19811024 | TEAM NORCO INTERNATIONAL | +4.123 |
| 4 | CARPENTER Manon | GBR19930311 | MADISON SARACEN DOWNHILL TEAM | +6.243 |
| 5 | SIEGENTHALER Emilie | SUI19860919 | GSTAAD-SCOTT | +8.651 |
| 6 | CHARRE Morgane | FRA19900609 | MS MONDRAKER TEAM | +8.720 |
| 7 | NICOLE Myriam | FRA19900208 | COMMENCAL / RIDING ADDICTION | +12.603 |
| 8 | SEAGRAVE Tahnee ° | GBR19950615 | FMD RACING / INTENSE CYCLES | +12.697 |
| 9 | HANNAH Tracey | AUS19880613 | HUTCHINSON UR | +14.367 |
| 10 | GATTO Micayla | CAN19880821 | +17.650 | |
| 11 | GRIFFITHS Fionn | GBR19820827 | +18.679 | |
| 12 | MILLER Miranda | CAN19900302 | +19.542 | |
| 13 | CERNILOGAR Zarja | SLO19891218 | BLACKTHORN GT | +21.859 |
| 14 | AGER-WICK Anita | NOR19780831 | +22.754 | |
| 15 | VERBEECK Vaea | CAN19901125 | +26.409 |
2013 UCI Leogang Men Qualifying Results
| 1 | SMITH Steve | CAN19891125 | DEVINCI GLOBAL RACING | 3:30.029 |
| 2 | HANNAH Michael | AUS19831121 | HUTCHINSON UR | +1.213 |
| 3 | ATHERTON Gee | GBR19850226 | GT FACTORY RACING | +1.263 |
| 4 | BRUNI Loic | FRA19940513 | LAPIERRE GRAVITY REPUBLIC | +1.935 |
| 5 | BLENKINSOP Samuel | NZL19881028 | LAPIERRE GRAVITY REPUBLIC | +3.250 |
| 6 | BROSNAN Troy | AUS19930713 | SPECIALIZED RACING DH | +4.025 |
| 7 | MULALLY Neko | USA19930219 | TREK WORLD RACING | +5.172 |
| 8 | PEAT Steve | GBR19740617 | SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE | +6.040 |
| 9 | GUTIERREZ VILLEGAS Marcelo | COL19900509 | GIANT FACTORY OFF-ROAD TEAM | +6.258 |
| 10 | BEER Nick | SUI19870917 | DEVINCI GLOBAL RACING | +6.376 |
| 11 | BRYCELAND Josh | GBR19900323 | SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE | +7.317 |
| 12 | BEAUMONT Marc | GBR19840925 | GT FACTORY RACING | +7.855 |
| 13 | FEARON Connor | AUS19940119 | KONA | +7.988 |
| 14 | FIGARET Faustin | FRA19931107 | TOPCYCLE BY TREK | +8.129 |
| 15 | THIRION Rémi | FRA19900423 | COMMENCAL / RIDING ADDICTION | +8.247 |
