Finals Photo Epic: Lenzerheide World Cup DH 2021
Marchons, marchons! The French once again proved to be the dominant force in World Cup downhill with both Elite races ending with La Marseillaise ringing out across the Swiss mountains. Rain falling halfway through the final, messed up an unlucky few, but thankfully didn't seem to affect the top qualifiers with Myriam Nicole and Loris Vergier both converting their fastest qualifier status into race victory under the ultimate pressure of being the last rider down the hill. The pressure was certainly real with times super-tight on this short, but especially fierce Swiss track.
Nicole's victory didn't ever look in any doubt as she went deeper and deeper into the green as she advanced down the track, stopping the clock 2.5 seconds up on Tahnee Seagrave who had Vali Höll, Nina Hoffmann, and Camille Balanche behind her. The men's race was much harder to call with everything hanging in the balance by the finest of margins right up until the very end. Vergier managed to scrape together enough tenths in the bottom portion of the track to pip Loic Bruni, Thibaut Daprela, and Amaury Pierron for his second win of the season. Four flying Frenchmen would be separated by an utterly mad and minuscule half a second, to form a team of athletes that really each look quite impossible to beat on their day. The last step on the box went to defiant Brit, Laurie Greenland, while Izabela Yankova and Jackson Goldstone took top honours earlier in the day with impressive junior performances.
The sun creeps over the Lenzerheide skyline this morning.
Jackson Goldstone continues to impress as the Junior now gets to show off his stripes.
Big smiles as the circuit gets closer to home next week for Jackson Goldstone.
James MacDermid of New Zealand rode to his first junior WC podium.
Kine Haugom followed up her Worlds silver with another podium.
Pau Menoyo Busquets was a little off Goldstone's pace today but still took a strong second place.
Gracey Hemstreet once again hustling her way into second place.
Izabela Yankova off the final drop and into another commanding victory.
Yankova showered by her fans. What a season she's having thus far.
Yankova, Hemstreet and Haugom, your junior women at the top.
Goldstone, Busquets and MacDermid rule the roost.
Camille Balanche closed out the women's podium after some tight racing.
Nina Hoffmann back on the podium in 4th.
Third for Vali Höll on a crash-free finals as she chips away at the top. The hunt continues in Snowshoe.
First top ten finish for Anna Newkirk.
Marine Cabirou missed the podium by a second today.
Tahnee Seagrave carving around the ski poles into the second spot of the podium.
Seagrave is back folks, most likely threatening the wins again from here out.
Tahnee gathers her breath and thoughts after her race run which saw her go briefly into the hot seat.
Tahnee would have loved this one back. Two rounds left to try for another top step.
Nicole roaring to victory off the finish jump.
What a win for Myriam Nicole. Untouchable.
Myriam Nicole seems unstoppable at the moment.
The World Champ living up to her name. Pompon seems unstoppable now.
Number one team, rider and the World Champion; not a bad haul.
An emotional send off for Emilie Siegenthaler after her last time racing the World Cup in Lenzerheide.
Sad to see her go, but what an amazing career she's had. Emilie Siegenthaler calls it in front of the home crowd. Congrats and thank you!
A champagne duel at dusk we might also see repeating in Snowshoe.
That jersey is going to see a lot of champagne.
Myriam has a grip on the series headed to the final two races in West Virgnia
A race run crash for Kade Edwards meant no handers off the finish line drop.
Matt Walker keeping consistency levels up with a 12th.
Andreas Kolb into 15th. He had the hot seat for a while, too.
Dakotah Norton well inside the top 10 in 7th.
Looking steezy and speedy all weekend.
Troy Brosnan really hardly ever crashes. The fact that he did today probably shows how sketchy the mid-pack qualifiers had it after the short downpour.
Finn Iles pushing hard into another top 10.
It was tight racing out there today. Just a few tenths would've been enough to shove Remi Thirion up the order by a couple of spots.
Angel Suarez is having a super solid season. 13th for finals.
Greg Minnaar gives those fresh rainbow stripes a race run, unfortunately, it wasn't Greg's day and he ended up 19th.
Minnaar couldn't piece this one together, but rest assured he'll want to finish on a high out in Snowshoe.
Laurie Greenland floating into the finish arena, up at all the splits.
Greenland through the thick crowds onto the podium. What a ride for him this afternoon.
The best of the rest behind the French contingent.
Thibaut Daprela's consistently fast season continues with a third-place today which helps him keep ahold of the leaders jersey.
Daprela continues to prove himself as cream of the crop.
0.37 off the win here today and is rewarded getting to keep the leaders jersey for the penultimate round in Snowshoe.
Close but not quite for Loic Bruni today. Just 2 tenths off the win.
If Loic Bruni was going to lose out to anyone by such a small margin then Loris Vergier would probably be his top pick.
Quite the recovery, bouncing back from his leg injury so fast with one heck of a run.
Super Bruni incoming.
Danny Hart fought the good fight and missed out on the podium by just half a second.
Back in this: Amaury Pierron was less than a second off the win today after a couple of disastrous seasons of injury.
Daprela checks in with teammate Amaury Pierron after his run.
Emotional end to the day for Amaury. The fire is burning inside to be back on top.
Loris Vergier dropping into the arena. He traded every second split until the final green one was secured across the line.
Hauling over the final drop and well into the green.
Second World Cup win in a row for Loris Vergier.
Victory for Vergier, his second of the season after taking Maribor.
The French wolfpack reunited at last.
Your top 5 elite men: 1st Loris Vergier 2nd Loic Bruni 3rd Thibaut Daprela 4th Amaury Pierron 5th Laurie Greenland.
Welcome back to the champagne Mr P.
Next stop, country roads.
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Or is it still “they lost it at the airport”?