1. Amaury Pierron has won the World Cup overall
With 1088 points to Loris Vergier's 781, Amaury Pierron has cinched the 2018 World Cup overall before wheels even hit the ground for the final round in La Bresse, France. He started off with a 16th in Losinj, but followed that up with three wins and two more podium finishes, including a fourth place at Mont-Sainte-Anne despite a massive crash in practice.
2. Little wheels can still sweep the Top 3
Rachel Atherton, Tahnee Seagrave and Tracey Hannah were all on 27.5" wheels, as were Loic Bruni, Troy Brosnan and Danny Hart. Amaury Pierron was the top rider on 29er wheels in fourth place.
3. The youth are taking over
Rob Warner and Claudio Caluori told us in the Mont-Sainte-Anne pre-show that the average age of winners is five years younger this year than it was in 2017. In 2017, the average age of race winners was 28.7 years, and in 2018, the average age is 23.6 years.
4. The French are unstoppable...again
Three of the top 5 men who finished on the podium at Mont-Sainte-Anne were from France. In addition, the last five World Cups were won by Frenchmen. Amaury Pierron won Fort William, Leogang, and Val di Sole, Loris Vergier won Andorra, and now Loic Bruni has won Mont-Sainte-Anne.
5. Rachel Atherton now ties Sabrina Jonnier for a record number of wins at Mont-Sainte-Anne
Sabrina Jonnier won the Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup in 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009. Rachel Atherton won in 2008, 2012, 2015, 2016 and now, 2018.
Other tidbits:• Gee Atherton has started 100 World Cups.
• Aaron Gwin is still in the top 10 overall despite missing 2 rounds, and Myriam Nicole is still in the top 5 overall despite missing 2 rounds and flatting in today's race.
• Rachel Atherton's winning time was 20 seconds faster than her qualifying time, and Loic Bruni's was 9 seconds faster.
• Battling with pain from past wrist injuries, this was World Champion Miranda Miller's first top 10 of the season.
• Angel Suarez got his first elite top 10.
What did we miss? What stood out to you this during this weekend's race?
I love when people say "I rode with x and they dropped me, they are fast."
We aren't all buds in real life, so wtf do we care if you got dropped by someone. It doesn't have any meaning.
2) Smaller wheels are more nimble than bigger wheels.
3) Bigger wheels may be faster in a smooth course asphalt DH drag race.
4) DH MTB is not a smooth course drag race.
5) Bike industry needs to stop trying to force short people to ride big unwieldy wheels on MTB.
6) Loic Bruni agrees with points 2-5.
7) Loic Bruni shreds!
Technically speaking, Tracey Hannah is still in it. If both Seagrave and Atherton have major issues and she wins it could get real interesting.
Men... with Gwin. being down no one has been within reach of Amaury for a while. Crazy to think that if Gwin wins the last stop he could finish in the top 5 with essentially missing more than half the season. Him healthy it's a much more interesting result. Next year is gonna be sick.
Gwin, Amaury, Greenland is really looking great, Vergier just keeps getting faster, Minnaar will be back healthy and pushing really hard, Shaw is due. Brook is riding like a wild animal per the usual but he's right there too. Etc etc etc. The mens class is wide open right now. I think Gwin comes back and wins 3 next year. Minnaar will probably win 1. Amaury and the rest will fight it out for the other 3. Sick.
And the women's field has a legit top 10 now.
Next year gonna be sick.
Either way. It's still pretty close. Bad qualifying. A crash or mechanical or even just a poor line choice and she could drop that far. But I really think she's going to win so it won't really be up for discussion. LOL!
Is it his first top ten? I'm thinking so. Maybe add it to the list?
2-free cold shower at jean larose falls just 5 minutes walk
3-quebec make good craft beer affordable
4-msa rules
5-canadian money worth less then euro et usd
6
“Angel Suarez got his first elite top 10.”