Finals Photo Epic - Meribel DH World Cup 7
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 That one special day finally has at last arrived... Judgement day is here. Would a season of hard work be rewarded; hosed down in grape juice on the top step or would it go to waste, blown apart in the rock gardens? Today in Meribel, coveted points went up for grabs one last time, and only those with the courage, focus and good fortune would be able to snatch them up against the ruthless competition. |
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| More cowbell! Morning traffic at the top of the lift... Some of the first riders were met by cows on their morning migration. |
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| "When in Europe do as the Europes" as Trek World Racing Mechanic, Monk Dawg, would say. A great day was to follow for the French, but a little better still for team GB. |
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| The clouds came in last night and clung to the upper slopes making for some fantastic moody lighting first thing for training. |
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| It would be a huge day for young Frenchman, Loris Vergier, who would go on to smash out Luca Shaw for the junior win on home soil. |
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| Spain's Ferran Jorba Pratts had a phenomenal qualifier in Windham and backed it up here today with 4th place finish on the markedly different French terrain. |
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| Laurie Greenland has just closed out his first junior season with a second place finish. The future looks bright for the young TWR rider. |
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| Greenland was ecstatic to end his season on the podium in Meribel and has another year left in the Jr class. |
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| Maxime Ciriego skips into the rock garden flat-out for 6th place as France's fastest junior after Loris Vergier. |
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| Good to see Innes Graham back and well-styled as ever. Shame about the giveaway dirt on the sleeve. |
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| Taylor Vernon was on a ripper of a run, but mistakes in the woods meant he couldn't get ahead of fellow country man Laurie Greenland. |
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| Vernon and Shaw were the biggest threats to Vergier's title today, but neither could match the pace of the French youngster. |
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| Luca tried his best despite not being 100% today. He now shifts his aim to World Champs. |
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| Loris Vergier almost literally on fire into the final turns of this epic French race course. |
 | It was a little bit stressful today because we're in France and all my people are here. I was just riding as fast as possible and made some mistakes, but it was an awesome race on a sick track on a sick bike. It's an insane feeling to win the overall here in France. The people are just incredible, it was almost impossible to concentrate because they were cheering all the way down the track. It was just crazy - Loris Vergier - Lapierre Gravity Republic |
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| Last man down and doing the business, across the line in green. Men's and Women's podiums, a Jr. World Cup title and the overall team title, Lapierre had plenty to celebrate today. |
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| Tahnee Seagrave looking pinned as ever, officially taking it to the next level this year. She's now a regular face on the podium and after her result today, she's made 5th in the overall at just 19 years old. |
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| Putting experience to work. Fionn Griffiths has been racing since just about ever and her racer's head came into play this afternoon as she rode to an awesome 6th place. |
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| Emmeline couldn't outdo Rachel but she was never going to disappoint the French fans. Second place for an amazing performance out in the home mountains. |
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| A fantastic year for Tracey Hannah making Polygon shapes on her way to 4th in the overall. She managed 3rd in Windham and Fort William and sent it to 4th place this afternoon. |
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| Rachel Atherton took the win on the final race of the world cup season. |
| I was so nervous today, like mad nervous...like retching and vomiting, it was horrible. I think it was because I knew I could do well. The track was mint, it was so much fun. It's so good when a World Cup is on a track like this because at the top of the run you go through the track in your head and you still don't know quite which line you gonna take and that 's how it should be, it was mint! I made some last minute decisions, riding lines that I was comfortable on that might not necessarily be the fastest. I had to ask Warner for some arm pump advice because my arm pump was horrific. He said 'wiggling your fingers' and so I was wiggling as much as I could! I did not want to turn around when I crossed the line because I wasn't sure; it was very calm, so I turned around and was like yes!! - Rachel Atherton - Atherton Racing |
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| 3.4 seconds up and the Rachel we used to know is back and sneaking ahead of Ragot by just 10 points in the overall. Now to defend the jersey... |
| It was pretty important for me to win today because I feel stronger and stronger every year. I do feel pretty good now and better about myself. I want to go out on a high this winter to know that I can do it and smash it next year. I am buzzing, I am absolutely stoked for the World Champs because this jersey means a lot to me and f###, I am going to fight hard for it - Rachel Atherton - Atherton Racing |
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| No time to reflect on an amazing season, Manon drops in with everything on the line. |
| I was really nervous even though I was trying to not think about it. I couldn't really sleep last night and I struggled to eat this morning at breakfast. The overall was always in the back of my head so I am really stoked I stayed on my bike! I think in my run I was riding a bit tight to be fair. In practice I was thinking, ah that line looks a bit risky... I was going for it, but when I came into the open it was really quiet like I wasn't in the lead so that was a shame, but I've got the overall that's more than I ever hoped for - Manon Carpenter - Madison Saracen |
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| Manon rode the perfect pace to seal the overall, 6 seconds back for third. In Norway she will face Rachel head on and we're all looking forward to seeing the sparks fly. |
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| Congratulations Manon Carpenter on a job so well done. |
| I guess at some point I was thinking I could beat Rachel and coming into the season I wanted to win a few World Cups. I managed to be consistent all year and it's pretty nuts really... I got my trophy!!! - Manon Carpenter - Madison Saracen |
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| Cheers and beers with Manon Carpenter to celebrate her 2014 world Cup title. |
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| Brosnan had it all to do coming into finals after a disastrous qualy, but with the win he would have needed a RatBoy meltdown to take the series for his own. He was disappointed, but in good spirits for what's to come... |
| I felt pretty calm at the start because I got that flat in qualifying and had no real pressure on me. I was pretty pinned on the first split and just washed the front end right after that so I tried to bring back some time and really ride hard after that. When I came across the line I was only two seconds back from taking the green so I am gonna be happy. The season has been pretty good to end up third overall. That's what I can be really proud of and it's gonna give me some confidence and at the same time fire up that feeling inside of me for the World Champs. I just gotta forget this weekend like it never happened and move on. World Champs is a big thing... I have won two Junior World Championships and know how to win so I will go out there, give my best and throw it out - Troy Brosnan - Specialized Racing DH |
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| Marcello Gutierez would like to forget a few things too... like most of this season, but don't worry he has his sights set on a bigger and better 2015. |
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| Bulldog loose as ever; too loose this time for another podium, however. |
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| Joe Smith shows you why we love flat pedals and flat corners, setting the fields alight for 12th. |
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| Guillaume Cauvin on the final open slope descent into the the valley below about to score another top 20 for France. Fellow countryman, Faustin Figaret rode to 26th, but couldn't quite match his qualy. |
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| Sam Blenkinsop was pinned through the lower slopes, but couldn't pull back enough time to get in on the podium. |
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| Marc Beaumont cuts the last corner in front of a massive crowd in Meribel after mistakes in split 2 cost him dear. |
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| And there's the obligatory Brendog smashing a corner photo... And it looks awesome. 9th in the first split, the 'dawg was on for a better one than 16th. |
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| Kona Fearon look excellent in practice smashing corners and taking risky lines, settling in his regular spot just outside the top 10. |
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| World Champion, Greg Minnaar, dialing in his spots before the race, straightening out two corners by taking the tricky and risky off camber line to the inside. |
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| Greg loves Meribel, we love Meribel...everyone loves Meribel. |
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| Minnaar has had a few too many crashes lately on and off the bike and will be taking it easy before Worlds. |
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| Danny Hart was expected to do a bit better here. Surely an incredible run, but incredible isn't often enough in this business. |
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| The trackside fans this season have been unbelievable, partying and supporting their hearts out in the woods at every stop. If you are within 1000km of a World Cup and haven't been before you seriously have to get yourself to one next season. |
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| Greg Williamson slayed this mountain and was the fastest Trek, making his second top ten this season. |
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| MS Mondraker's Markus Pekoll had the ride of his life here Meribel. He took to the hotseat with a stunning top section that would remain the 2nd fastest and he held on for a WC personal best 8th place finish. |
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| Austrian, Pekoll, excels on these tech tracks and certainly made his mark here at the last chance saloon in Meribel. |
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| Gee Atherton found those seconds out on course today. He was the first to take a big chunk of time off the clock and ended up finishing fifth. |
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| 5th doesn't impress riders with this much experience and talent, but Gee was genuinely happy to hold firm for the overall and pick up his crystal UCI trophy. |
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| Aaron Gwin was a top contender for the win today, but it wasn't meant to be. Gwin finished sixth on the day and takes second place ahead of Troy in the series. |
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| Repping the stars and stripes at full tilt towards the final wooden booter. |
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| Gwin looked blisteringly fast out of the gate, but a mistake left him back in 14th with an impossible challenge ahead of him. He was still able to salvage sixth which was enough to overtake Brosnan in the overall for 2nd. He's never won World's before, so you can bet his attentions are already turned well ahead to Norway. |
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| Remi Thirion looked superb all weekend and had some special lines and big gaps, but he couldn't use them to push past the competition today. |
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| Francisco Pardal's glorious surprise qualifier yesterday had Portugal and anyone who likes an underdog screaming their support like never before. Sadly he couldn't find quite the same venom today, but 21st is never a poor result. Well Played Francisco! |
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| Sam Hill crushed it today. This track seemed built for him. Now it's time to see how he will fare in Norway. Will Sam take take another world championship title since his last in 2010? |
| I've been nervous all day for some reason, but I had a good feeling before we even got here and I wanted to win. The track's awesome, been having a lot of fun here. I knew racing was gonna be close, it's pretty fast so there is not a lot of time to be made up. I changed a couple of lines from yesterday cos I felt they were working better because the track was drying up. It all worked out today though ay... It was kind of a parade lap for Ratboy really, it could have been different if he wasn't gonna win the title so easy. I am happy for him, he has ridden awesome all year, but I'm pumped to win today - Sam Hill Team CRC/Nukeproof |
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| No doubting it was creative line choice and amazing cornering speed put Sam Hill back on top today. We're looking forward to seeing what he can do in Scandinavia to say the least. We asked where he's at right now, coming off his recent wins, in mindset terms.. |
| It is just what I wanted to do the last couple of years really so I've been getting back there. I'm in better shape this year, more focused and hungry. Everything on the team is working awesome, Nukeproof is working awesome. I dunno... it 's just determination and hunger really that has got me the wins this year. I'm looking forward to World in a couple of weeks to see if I can hold up against Ratboy - Sam Hill Team CRC/Nukeproof |
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| Hill aims for the hole in the crowd coming into land from his devastatingly fast bottom section. 3rd in the first two splits, Hill was able to drift his way back on track through the grassy off-camber turns at the end. |
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| After Mont Saint Anne, Sam Hill said he was just getting started; clearly he was prepared to back up those words. Sam is back to his winning ways. |
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| France's fastest export, Loic Bruni flying high just one second off the best. |
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| 3rd place qualifier and a bit of a home town hero, Bruni was looking for a win here but could go only 4th. |
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| He couldn't stop the British invasion, or the Aussie one for that matter, but it was still a fine day for Loic at last and in the perfect home setting. His spate of terrible luck came to an end as the French crowd went wild for their national champion. |
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| With Rat Boy in the gate the fans began to celebrate in anticipation of what was to come. |
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| Ratty may not have won the battle today, but he won the war. After many years of runs that were cut short by bad luck, Ratty finally put it all together this season. Well done Rat, well done. Please light something on fire tonight. |
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| Ratboy taking a very unique line, while most riders go through the middle roots or far right line.. Ratty took a path less traveled smashing the side of the course down a fair chunk of this wild course. |
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| Now that he has the season locked up, Josh will certainly be looking to cut loose tonight. Then he will be focusing on Norway, a track that he might just take the rainbow stripes on. |
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| Year of the Rat, no bones about it. |
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| The proof is in the pudding. Matt Simmonds delivered on his staggering qualy run from the day previous and the crowd went mad as he went into the green entering the final grass turns. He couldn't match Hill's off-camber performance, but it looks like we have yet another Englishman who could take a win at any time. |
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| So close for Simmonds... today was 0.36 seconds from being his day. |
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| I was pretty nervous to be the last man down... That was an experience itself and I just rode as hard as I could. I had some massive scary moments, but itwas a good run, I was pushing. To be so close to Sam on this terrain shows that I am not just a powerhouse anymore, I can also ride technical tracks. The plan is now to keep it rolling for the Worlds and see what happens. Stoked! - Matt Simmonds - Madison Saracen |
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| The green light from the fastest split greets Simmonds as he sprints to the line. Incredible composure from the Englishman; the pressure of a top qualifier can weigh heavy on those who aren't used to them and he kept the fans on the edge of their seats to the very end |
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| Cometh the hour, cometh Sam Hill. For the second time this season. He's back showing the World how best to ride a bike in steep, natural terrain. |
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| This kinda shoe for the win... for the third time this season. Flat pedals win medals, as Hill both says and proves one more time. We were keen to know if he'd be hosting the legendary end of season Samapalooza party back in Perth this year... (yes fishing for an invite) |
| Nah... It's too dangerous. These days I'm just a quiet family man. It will just be a quiet drink at home from now on ha... Looking forward to go back to my family as soon as Norway is done to welcome the noodle-boy. Just another six weeks or so to go - Sam Hill Team CRC/Nukeproof |
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| Hill, Simmonds, and Bryceland kissing the girls and taking the top three spots. |
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| So many Rat Boys the UCI chaperons don't know which ones to remove from the finish area. |
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| Mountain biker or Hollywood A-lister? Be sure to pick up your copy of Heat magazine in the morning to read about his latest yachting holiday and shocking DWI charges. |
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| Greg, Josh and Steve have been a team and a family for the past 7 years and today was a huge day for all three of them. |
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| The celebration started early for Ratty as Peaty and Minnaar gave him a lift and carried him through what could only be described as a mini mosh pit of wild fans. |
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| Five from ten Meribel top performers were team GB... 50% odds on a Union Jack for the Worlds. |
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| Lapierre after party, but Loic's still got admin to attend to. |
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| 98% au natural. Meribel has been a pleasure and we can only hope an example to World Cup course builders. Well done to all involved with the making of this incredible race, it was a mighty fine trip to the French Alps to end a phenomenal season. |
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| Fans were waiting at the Santa Cruz pits in anticipation of partying with Rat Boy, only to be fooled by some cheap, knock-off, Wyn TV imposter. |
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| 2014 Fastest Men in the World Club. Velvet gowns, litre beers, oak tables and caviar for mealtimes. |
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| Your 4 World Cup Champions; Josh Bryceland, Manon Carpenter, Loris Vergier, Tegan Molloy and a whole bunch of victory Champagne. |
By Nathan Hughes
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have to shout, these photos have made me excited.
awesome coverage as usual. very stoked to see the current state of DH mountain bike racing
Also cool to see the pinkbike crew at work for these splendid photos, thanks guys for the lesson
My humble shots are here : www.pinkbike.com/u/du4photo/album
I wonder how much sponsors pay for naming rights of a rider?
One of the best years of the UCI eventhough Steve Smith couldn't made it; hope next year will be even better.
I see what you did there Troy.
I feel sorry for you mate.
Ride a bike, so long as the wheels are round and not square, it'll be fun
Good to know
www.redbull.com/en/bike/stories/1331673941819/head-to-head-bruni-vs-hill-in-m%C3%A9ribel
Congratulation Sam: FLAT PEDALS RULE!