Results: Mens DH at Windham - UCI World Cup 2012

Jul 1, 2012
by Ian Hylands  
With this win Gwin has put an unheard of winning stamp on the World Cup circuit 9 of the last 12 races have been won by the Trek World Racing rider.

With this win Gwin has put an unheard of winning stamp on the World Cup circuit: 9 of the last 12 races have been won by the Trek World Racing rider. We're pretty sure the closest anyone has come to this is Nicolas Vouilloz with 9 of 14 back in 1998-2000. Outstanding!


Men's Top 5

1. Aaron Gwin
2. Steve Smith
3. Gee Atherton
4. Danny Hart
5. Loic Bruni

complete results at bottom
Men s Podium L-R Danny Hart 4 STEVE SMITH 2 Aaron Gwin 1 Gee Atherton 3 Loic Bruni 5 .

Men's Podium L-R: Danny Hart (4), Steve Smith (2), Aaron Gwin (1), Gee Atherton (3), Loic Bruni (5).


Junior George Gannicott took an early lead, holding the hot seat for quite a few riders. Then as the faster riders made their way down the lead started to change fairly quickly. Mitch Delfs took the hotseat away from Patrick Thome and held it for a while, as Josh Button, Sam Dale, Joe Smith, Matt Simmonds, Justin Leov, Josh Bryceland. Next up was Danny Hart, he was looking incredibly fast earlier but crashed in qualifying. Fastest at both splits he put in a time 1.18 faster than Delfs to take the hotseat. Markus Pekoll was up next but had a slow run, then Cameron Cole looked fast up top but crashed somewhere on course only making into 26th at the end of his run. Suding couldn't do it, then Richie Rude took to the course, on home soil as the second fastest American qualifier Rude looked absolutely pinned, but couldn't quite do it, finishing only 1.69 back. Great things to come for Richie as this is only his first year racing World Cups as a junior. Steve Peat up next, he was second here last year but is still recovering from his hamstring injury sustained at Fort William. Unfortunately he flatted at the end of the rock garden and had to roll it out with his rear tire off the rim. Greg Minnaar qualified poorly and started with 15 riders to go. Only 4th at the first split, he moved up to 2nd at the second split, but couldn't do it and only moved into second behind Hart by 0.09. Next up Nick Beer, he was charging hard and second fastest at the first split, still in second at the second split, he finished just behind Hart, 0.313 down. Great run by Nick, but with 13 riders left would Minnaar even make the podium. Mick Hannah up next, looking so fast but really loose, into third spot behind Hart and Beer, 0.84 back. With 12 riders left Minnaar was already off the hotseat. Remi Thirion on course, looking fast but 1.2 back at the second split, and 1.2 back at the finish. Sam Blenkinsop couldn't do anything, 10th at the finish, but only 1.92 back, with a short course like this the times are tight.

Many of the top men were having trouble with the last jump as well, possibly due to the wind, but there were a lot of hard landings just short of backside, even in the top men.

With 10 riders left to go it was Danny Hart in the lead, followed by Nick Beer and Mick Hannah. Junior rider Loic Bruni from France, another rider to look for in the future. Sixth at the first split, 4th at the second split, and then 2nd at the finish. Only 0.27 back it was a great ride for the Lapierre rider.

Gee Atherton up next, he had a slow qualifier, could he go a lot faster in the final? He took the overall series by winning here in 2010, and was absolutely pinned, was fastest all the way down today, moving into the lead by 1.372, a great time for Gee.

Gee's teammate Marc Beaumont up next, and after a nasty crash in practice he crashed again in the rock garden in the final, going over the bars. George Brannigan, twelfth at split one, eleventh at split two, he was 3.218 back and 12th at finish.

Brook MacDonald up next, 3rd at the first split and only 0.4 back, but he went down hard in the rock garden, seemed to be okay but only into 30th spot with a time that was 6.8 seconds back of Gee.

Sam Hill on course next, only sixth at the first split, he got really loose and lost a bit of time, but still made it up to fitth at the second split, charging hard but ending up 1.93 back and into fifth just ahead of Mick Hannah. Less than 3 seconds between the top ten riders at this point, and 1.3 of that was between the first two riders.

Andrew Neethling was 1.4 back at the first split and in 13th place, he moved up to 6th at the second split, but then lost a tiny bit to finish in 7th spot, tied with his countryman Greg Minnaar.

Damien Spagnolo is looking for a win and he was fastest at the first split, absolutely charging down the course. Into second at the second split, but he flatted, and it was all over...

Two riders left, Steve Smith and Aaron Gwin.

Stevie is ready for a World Cup win, he's won the US Open fairly beating Sam Hill, and then at Mont Saint Anne World Champs two years ago he was second to Sam Hill. It's Canada Day, can the Canadian do it? Eleventh at split one, he was moving fast but two far back. Seond split he was fastest, insane, finishing the race 0.75 ahead of Gee and into the hot seat with only Aaron Gwin left.

Aaron Gwin on track, only third fastest at split one, absolutely pinned on track though. 0.9 ahead of Stevie at split two, and taking the win by 0.958, almost a full second ahead of Stevie, another win by Gwin!

42234 DHI ME Results




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149 Comments
  • 63 8
 Major props to Rachel! What she pulled off was insane. About Gwin...What can i say? Dude is unreal.
  • 40 4
 Damien Spagnolo was pinned!!
  • 100 23
 ODE TO GWIN:

once again we have a winner,
i always thought he was a pinner,
he eats other riders like stevie for dinner,
and thats why people call him gwinner.

his chain came of on the middle section,
but that did not stop the speed and perfection,
he crossed the line around a second faster,
lets just call him the DH master.
  • 49 9
 Warner " If your screens gone pixelated dont worry, Gwins so fast your internet connection cant keep up...." LOL

Props to Gwin, again, and Steve Smith. Would be nice to see Gee win a WC this year..
  • 51 5
 FUCK YEA SMITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 11 4
 yes Stevie was insane too, and poor Damien, he did well until the puncture :/ but Gwin is the best, insane man with super skills Razz
  • 13 3
 Gutted for spagnolo , He was on for top 3 then..
  • 19 39
flag roast-dinner-pinner (Jul 1, 2012 at 13:30) (Below Threshold)
 Getting borring now.... Yeah he's a nice fella and all, never underestimates other rides, but its borring for us to watch! haha.
  • 11 10
 love the ODE TO GWIN ...LOL
  • 19 23
flag katmai (Jul 1, 2012 at 13:50) (Below Threshold)
 Rachel should not have won that. Outside the pole = DQ! If she'd tried harder to stay on course she might have crashed. Tracey Hannah should have gotten the win there.
  • 1 11
flag Angryham (Jul 1, 2012 at 13:51) (Below Threshold)
 glad someone did hoho
  • 15 4
 roast dinner- He went last so how does that make every run before that boring? Unless you've developed the ability to know the future I don't see why you'd be bored but I do feel bad for you if that's true. This season has been scary exciting.

katmai- I don't think it'd make much sense to penalize someone for doing something unintentional that hurt their run Wink
  • 3 0
 Yeah fair point, probably should of thought about that from the other side.
  • 14 0
 happy Canada day to stevie!!!! Did our nation proud!
  • 8 35
flag zoomzoomchicken (Jul 1, 2012 at 17:51) (Below Threshold)
 YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! AMERICA!!! This is just one reason why were the best in the world sickest track this year cus its american and gwinn wins cus hes american!!!!!!!!!!
  • 6 2
 I have to agree with katmai on this one. Even though it is a very good point that it did hurt her run, rules are rules and the UCI has to maintain those. If you go outside a pole and do not come back around it, thats disqualification. They have ruled that way in the past even though going outside the pole hurt those riders' runs. If Rachel hadn't won it I don't think they would have let it slide. They were only appealing to the emotion of the crowd and even though it would be a huge bummer to see Rachel lose that way, one of the jobs of a governing body is to uphold their rules, and the UCI didn't do that today. P.S. i might be a tad bias since Tracey is on my fantasy team
  • 2 0
 The UCI making a decision based on what the people want? Hahaha, good one... good one.

But seriously where's this fantasy league? I remember one for Crankworxs but that was for the event I believe.
  • 1 0
 Have you actually read the rulebook?
  • 3 1
 Interesting when some people who watch the race say it's getting boring with Gwin always coming out on top. Im sure if you took a poll of Hill, Smith, Atherton, Minnaar and Hart they'd say something pretty different. They'd probably say that they haven't pushed themselves harder in their lives.
  • 2 1
 BLIPDH, A contestant can only be disqualified for going outside the pole if he or she gains any sort of time out of it. In Rachels case, she was up 4. sec at the split and finished with nearly 1 second up. Meaning she technically lost time. However, Peaty did something similar last year at Fort Bill but gained time. Reason for disqualification. Rach deserved that win by far!
  • 3 3
 p-gorephoto if this is how the rule looks like it is kind of strange. How do you judge if someone has lost or gained time? Basing on split times? There are 2 splits sometimes at the 4 minute course. Sure she lost time, but if the rule looks that way, sooner or later there will be a situation when the rider goes out of the tape and it's hard to tell whether he/she lost time or not. The only way of solving such situation is saying: you're off the track, you go back and start again where you where you went out - as simple as that.

However in all what happened I think she deserved the win - all girls cased nearly all the landings, as well as many of the men - which means that jumps were too long and organizers along with UCI contributed to her bail - should have done a bit better job with the course design.
  • 4 2
 WAKI, its called being on pace which is very easy to determine if that pace has been disrupted by something like falling off course or cutting it. The only controversy coming from this call is from people like you who seem to have a problem with it. The rule is set in place to prevent people from cutting the course to gain time. I don't see how that's hard to determine at all and honestly I'm not worrying myself with it, haha. The jumps were fine and to say the course designers are partly responsible for a rider that crashed by casing the jump is stupid. Sorry to be harsh but you're making the WC riders, aka the best in the world, out to be a bunch of children with no sense of risk management. You might as well blame the course designers for making some lines through the rock garden too tough...
  • 5 0
 Like everything in downhill, I think all riders should take the risk and considerations regarding the current track. The only reason I believe Tracy should have won this event is because she seems to be the only one who took into account the risk of casing these jumps and going off course. The course is there for a reason, if you can't stay on it for whatever reason, then you went faster than you could handle.

Same reason I think people are full of it when they say, "he/she would have won if they hadn't fallen." That statement is completely wrong because they wouldn't have fallen if they wherent riding beyond their ability.

I even noticed how rob warner had a hard time understanding the final decision. I have new found respect for Tracy after this race. She won on my book.
  • 2 5
 Yea I think you interpreted my text perfectly, I was about to say it: what a bunch of sissies (the racers) and if you try to pull my finger I might spill out some direct hate on designers. Hannah, Ragot and Atherton, a front wheel case by Siegenthaler - all girls were casing all jumps, so I will call and tell them to be faster next year to proove you right. I was also obviously the only one to see unprecedented number of crashes on a race day, then the only one to imagine that nearly every single one of the best guys had a serious down in training - what a bunch of amateurs, and on such a short track - pathetic!

For further hate exchange - PM me
  • 35 4
 WOOOO way to go Stevie!!!!
  • 1 0
 If anything this makes things more interesting, will anybody step up throughout the rest of the season and beat him? He seems to be increasing the gap as he gets more experience with each race, instead of others closing it.

10 speed chains don't seem to be holding up to the rigors of World Cup DH racing,, both Shimano and sram 10 speed chains are blowing at a rate we've never seen on the circuit. It's ironic considering that some racers don't even need 10 speeds because they have some of the lower gears locked out, like Gwin does.
  • 22 0
 Gotta feel for Spagnolo, the guy was going crazy and had the fastest top split of everyone, he was pushing hard. Awesome race though! Huge run from Stevie and Gwin delivered again, gotta respect him for how he can just keep punching out wins like that, he's really something else right now.
  • 3 2
 Yep, definitely feel bad for Spag, man he was so fast for a moment I was sure he would be the one to overcome Gwin but sadly it was not to be. Damn that Flat !!!
  • 30 9
 Out there somewhere, there's an asian that's faster than Gwin
  • 2 6
flag cholla (Jul 1, 2012 at 13:35) (Below Threshold)
 shogun
  • 2 11
flag Pabail (Jul 1, 2012 at 13:39) (Below Threshold)
 9gag.com/gag/1525606
  • 19 2
 Spagnolo had me jumpin outta my chair and would've had a top 3, damn east coast rocks! Smile Excellent run from Gwin and Smith!
  • 4 2
 I felt the same! The Boy looked pinned
  • 1 3
 Have in mind he punctured before split 2 so his time at that split was already hampered and the split 1 to split 2 was the part where you won that race.
  • 7 3
 One more thing to say, I thought the call for Rach. Atherton was bogus. Everything except her right leg was off the course.
  • 1 0
 @spaced: At split 2 he was a about only 0.5 back with a flat tire for some while after the rock garden.
  • 2 0
 Yup. Too bad. A win would give him a ton of confidence for the race on his home soil.
  • 4 1
 Keep in mind that while Rachel went off course there is no penalty for that. You can go as far off course as you want, as long as you don't go around a marker. She did go around a marker as well, but the UCI has the ultimate decision and they decided that as she didn't gain anything from it, the results should stand. The official wording was "After studying the ride in the DHI women final The president commissaire considers that the rider did not gain advantage when she went out of course. The result stands" You can find the actual release on the women's results page.
  • 5 0
 Yeah, but sets a funny precedent though. If a rider gets past a marker a marker now he/she will probably just keep going and take their chances. No more pushing the bike up and around the marker to play by the rules.
  • 1 2
 I'm pretty sure as soon as they would try to DQ Rach they'd get people pointing fingers at them for the course design & supervision being the reason of so many bails including hers. Jumps were too long for the speed, even some men were casing the landings.
  • 1 0
 Way it looked to me the fact that it was on the outside of a corner was a factor, and that she went off so close to the marker that she clipped it. Had they put the markers all a meter to one side she would have been out and in within them.
  • 3 0
 The thing is that Ragot got disqualified exactly for this last year at leogang and I can understand when she's pissed about that. This questionable decision will most likely cost her the overall this year and I wonder if that decision would have been made in favour of a less prominent rider...
  • 3 0
 Leaves the bad taste in the mouth anyways. Big props to Emmeline for getting above it - and her walk towards the hot seat, after the crash - that was one badass walk there, daaaemmm what a woman!
  • 22 8
 WHADDUP GWINDHAM!!! So stoked for stevie too, these days 2'nd to Gwin is pretty much 1'st so congrats to Smith!!!
  • 37 15
 Gwanker
  • 15 1
 Yeah Stevie!!!! great rip man! Happy Canada Day!!! Whoop!
  • 11 2
 Gwin looks slightly different from the rest in the air, very aerodynamic, little attention to details are making him the best. Its not fair when people say things like "its boring when gwin wins" etc. The guys a perfectionist, respect to him for that!
  • 9 1
 Fark me Gwin is just amazing. I knew from the first inside drop line he took he had it in the bag. Everything from there was just amazing. He fucking FLEW LIKE A ROCKET over the final jump. Stevie had a sick run too though!
  • 17 8
 The man only knows how to do one thing, Gwin! USA, USA ! ! !
  • 7 0
 damn, thought Stevie had it!
  • 7 0
 spagnolo was on a winning run!
  • 6 0
 Yay Stevie! Grats man. Great work happy Canada day!! Congrats to Gwin again!
  • 3 0
 Poor Peaty, got a flat, still got a great reception by everyone at the bottom! Someone even ran out and handed him a PBR! win. Gwin was FLYING into the bottom section. So glad i went this year to the WC. I may have photobombed a few pics taken...lol
  • 1 4
 what's a pbr?
  • 7 0
 You know your young when......lol . Pabst Blue Ribbon.....BEER.
  • 5 1
 That or he just doesnt like crappy beer
  • 1 0
 Ill say its def not the greatest....but theres def a few selections out there that are far, far worse.
  • 3 0
 no mountain biker doesn't NOT drink PBR. either that or he's another 13 Pinkbike grom.
  • 1 0
 actually 15, but yeah, too young
  • 4 0
 Props to Gwin and Smith. IMO, his winning ways is really good for the sport, this will make a lot of guys step their game up. So DH will be even more exciting to watch.
  • 3 1
 Awesome win by Aron, well deserved aswell, down to earth all round nice guy. I don't think it's getting boaring at all, i think it's just making the other riders want a win more. Danny Hart seems to be really on the ball at the moment, he's going to get a win soon unless Sam hill just starts dominating again
  • 7 0
 STEEEEVE!!!!
  • 6 1
 The Gwinner for #4!
Great run from Stevie too.
  • 4 0
 Awesome. Another epic race. Good to hear B Lopes again too. Seemed more relaxed this time. Get on Rach and Gwin!!!
  • 7 4
 Ahh whatever, Gues Gwin can win but i guess he is just that good of a rider.... Just realling hoping Hill would have takin it Frown
Sorry for being a traitor 'Merican.
  • 7 1
 Hell yeah Stevie!
  • 5 1
 shame spagnolo punctured. i reckon he could have won it. he was stupidly fast
  • 8 3
 SO MUCH BETTER THAN GIRLY SOCCER, THANKS MTB YOU SAVED MY LIFE
  • 3 0
 anyone notice when Gwin finished there was a guy there and he handed him something, kinda looked like it was a set of teeth he handed him
  • 1 0
 think your right, i thought i saw the same thing...
  • 1 0
 Yer he has false teeth,
  • 3 0
 Yup, he had a few knocked out. He doesn't race with them in.
  • 1 1
 Yes exactly.
  • 4 0
 Well thats why he is so pinned, doesn't have the extra weight of teeth
  • 1 4
 yea that's it! It improves breathing! He has more oxygen in the red vessels! Peaty and Minnaar are probably trying to come up with the least painful solution as we speak...
  • 5 0
 Am I alone in the urge to negative prop most everything WAKI writes?
  • 1 3
 Ok then, shall not share with you my ultimate guide to a more fullfilling ontrail masturbation. Go play Starcraft you mr.Proper
  • 1 0
 I can't think of many other athletes over the last few years as dialed into their sport as Aaron Gwin is right now. Maybe Michael Phelps, Lance Armstrong, Brandon Semenuk, Ryan Dungey, Rafael Nadal, Mia Hamm, Michael Jordan, Lindsey Voss, Laird Hamilton, etc..

Anyway, Gwin definitely seems to be on another level right now and has redefined being in "the zone" for a downhill rider. I saw him win the U.S. Nationals 2 years ago at Sol Vista (on his Yeti 303) and for the 4.3 seconds (or so) of track I watched it was obvious he was faster than any other rider I saw.

I think the top 8 or 10 riders have the skills to get it done but Gwin has the desire, commitment, and execution that no one else seems to be able to match right now. It is fun to watch for sure.
  • 5 2
 Gwin is basically the Kelly Slater of biking. There just no one at his level
  • 1 0
 Glad to see Smith podium.. I was really hoping he would take the win. I think this is one of he most exciting seasons ever. I love Watching all the top riders do there best and then wait to see if Gwin can top them.
  • 3 0
 Great to see Steve Smith back on the podium where he belongs..! and less than a second off of Gwin, it's a good look...
  • 4 0
 Steve you make Canada proud!!!
  • 1 0
 Hey, if you guys want video from the event right now then check out the compilation that I just posted! Mind you, it's all taken on an iPhone haha

youtu.be/h2PoiPupV5Q
  • 7 3
 That Gwin again....
  • 4 1
 Bad Gamut, bad. Incredible runs by Gwin and Stevie!
  • 5 2
 Daaaamn.....GWIN IS THE NEW DOWNHILLNATOR
  • 3 1
 Gwin is unreal ! Congrats also to Stevie and Gee !
Please dont say "Gwinning"
  • 3 0
 Man Beer so close to a podium. Good on ya! tup
  • 3 0
 Big props also to nick beer!
  • 1 0
 would have liked to seen braytons run, fine coverage otherwise from pinkbike. ps, you cant slate gwin for being so consistent, large respect to him and all the riders.
  • 2 0
 Gwin is .6 from a sweep this season.. Everyone else is racing for 2nd place...
  • 2 0
 Canadian chainsaw massacre yeah! They really need to get rid of that interview dude though...
  • 2 0
 Steve Smith... Congratulations!
So proud of you man!
I know you can beat the Gwin ! Smile
  • 2 0
 on the edge of my seat from start to finish brilliant
  • 5 4
 Really hate it people start using Gwin's name as a basis for different words they have in mind! WTF!!!
  • 4 1
 Gwinner Gwinner had chicken dinner at Gwindom
  • 3 0
 Gwinsurgency cannot be stopped, you will be Gwincinerated!
  • 3 0
 He crushes the field by GWINtimidation...
  • 1 0
 I'm speechless... Razz
  • 1 0
 Fantastic race, high energy, and mad skills on display. Congrats to Gwinn, Stevie and Gee.
  • 2 0
 So glad Stevie got a podium, and second no less.
  • 3 0
 Way to go Steve Smith.
  • 1 0
 ...and suddenly everyone have forgot Sam Hill.What a pity,i expected from him to be on the podium...
  • 5 4
 Not sure if anyone can beat him.
  • 5 4
 The past 2 seasons have been Gwinsane! What a great talent!
  • 2 1
 Unreal. How does he do it! Retarded.
  • 2 0
 All i cant say is "WOW"!
  • 2 1
 Could we just fast forward to world champs in Leogang???
  • 1 0
 yeah just hangover it dude
  • 3 0
 let troy recover first, then we will see whats up!
  • 1 0
 Troy is a pinner! When he comes back, he will defiantly take second place from the rest of the field.
  • 1 0
 pretty sorry about Spagnolo, he could have done it!!!
  • 5 4
 Gwin is a killer!!!!!!!
  • 7 6
 Gwinvincible
  • 4 4
 aw i shoulda used it in my poem ^^^
  • 5 0
 maybe boring from a points perspective but exciting to see how many races Gwin will take home...also exciting to see whos going to beat him...if anyone!!
  • 1 0
 he didnt win in PMB !!!
  • 2 4
 Way to go Stevie!! Im getting boredd of gwin hes fast as hell but not fun to watch its starting to take the suspense out of guessing whos going to win!
  • 1 0
 gwin the next mtb legend
  • 1 0
 HAX!
  • 1 0
 Gwin is insane!
  • 1 0
 YEA STEVE REPRESENT!!!
  • 1 0
 What happened to fearon?
  • 2 3
 Canada.....it's not goin to happen. Sorry.
  • 4 1
 The bigger they come they harder they fall
  • 1 2
 GWIN with the win
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