Minnaar wins World Cup #1
Greg starts off 2010 just like he did 2009, on top of the podium…
by UCI press release
Rain and mud proved to be significant factors at the Maribor round of the 2010 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano. The slippery, wet conditions led to upsets in the 4-cross competition. However, Rachel Atherton (Commencal) proved that a year away from racing had not affected her downhill skills, and Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate) broke a streak of bad luck in Maribor.
Round two of the 4-Cross saw low seed Michal Marosi (RSP 4 Cross) beat World Champion Jared Graves (Yeti Fox Shox) in the men’s race, while Fionn Griffiths (Norco World Team) took the women’s victory.
Women’s 4-cross: Crash in the final
The 2009 World Cup Champion Anneke Beerten (Suspension Centre) and World Champion Caroline Buchanan (Commencal) each won their opening heats and then went 1-2 in the semi-final to make the final four alongside Griffiths and the Australian Sarsha Huntington. Griffiths and Buchanan bumped, with the World Champion going down, and Beerten crashing into her. This gave Griffiths a clear run to the finish line and victory. Despite failing to make the final, Jana Horakova (CZE) continues to hold onto the World Cup lead
“It could have gone either way so I’m very happy to get this result,” said Griffiths. My gates are not great, as everyone knows, so I hung back a bit to see how things would work out. She [Buchanan] wobbled on a corner and bumped into me. I pushed back a bit, she went the other way and went down. Then I just pedalled as hard as I could.”
Men’s 4-cross: Early elimination for some top riders
The men’s racing was just as difficult, as riders crashed and slid their way down the course. Among the top riders going out in early rounds were Michal Prokop (Agang Racing), Roger Rinderknecht, Cedric Gracia, Mickael Deldycke and Dan Atherton (Commencal). However, Graves, Joost Wichman (RSP 4 Cross), who won the Maribor race last year, and Tomas Slavik (RSP 4 Cross) all made it through to the final, putting Graves up against a trio of team mates.
In the final, Marosi stuck to Graves’ wheel out of the gate, and was ready to pounce when the Australian wobbled a bit in one of the corners. Once in front, Marosi just held on to take the win.
“That was crazy!,” exclaimed the Czech rider. “It was a funny race; anyone could have been first. The course changed every time, so it was like poker, or maybe roulette. First place is so great, that who cares if [you are] wet and dirty!”
Women’s Downhill: Victorious return to competition for Atherton
The opening round of the downhill saw a slight easing of the rain overnight, rendering the course sticky and slower. Rachel Atherton, returning to competition after sitting out last season due to a shoulder surgery, did not have a good start to the weekend: she crashed in the qualifyiers, and had to ride with a broken finger. However, the 2008 World Champion blazed the course, the fastest at every split, beating second placed Sabrina Jonnier (Rocky Mountain-Maxxis) by 10 seconds and Floriane Pugin (Scott 11) by 13 seconds.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet; I can’t believe it,” exclaimed Atherton after her run. “I never thought I’d win. I came here hoping for a top five, so maybe being relaxed and having fun is the way to have a good run.”
Men’s Downhill: Cautious start pays for Minnaar
In the men’s competition, Gee Atherton (Commencal) was the first of the top seeds to take the lead on a course that was fast becoming rutted and sticky. However, Greg Minnaar, more cautious in the upper technical portion, but powering through the lower third, took Atherton’s time down by a quarter of a second to become the first World Cup leader of the season.
“I have always liked Maribor, but I’ve always performed badly on the track. So that has changed now,” commented Minnaar. “I knew it was going to be a tough race, but decided to take it a bit safe and easy at the top, and ride a bit smoother; but it is so hard out there. I made a few mistakes myself, but I guess a lot less than the other guys.”
