From the Ashes: Finals - Vallnord DH World Cup 2016
Four days straight under blazing Andorran sun, sucking in the orange dust through helmet vents and it all came crashing down in apocalyptic fashion for the last men up the mountain.
Gone was the moon dust, bone-dry wood and rock, replaced by ever-thickening, speed-sapping sludge and treacherous features in between. Yesterday's top performers suddenly became victims of their own success, as the clouds rolled in and thunder crackled hard overhead with perfect ill timing. No doubt, the last few riders were worst affected by the fierce rain and it was obvious, from the state of the bikes, who had the rug pulled out from under them the hardest. Today there would be no heroic miracle runs in the mud, just sketchy crashes or damage limitation... and in the case of Aaron Gwin, an increasingly nervous cruise down to the finish arena to seal the series overall. Never one to 'not go all-out', Danny Hart produced the goods as expected and, with the weather gods more siding with him, he was able to put down a run not far off the maximum he was capable of... Victory number three, the hat-trick was his, just moments before things out on track became totally unmanageable.
Meanwhile in the Juniors, Gaetan Vige bested Finn Iles by over three seconds in a brilliant display of bike control on the steeps and Rachel Atherton chalked up the perfect season, despite keen advances on the podium by Myriam Nicole and Tracey Hannah. Seven wins from seven and a total of 13 consecutive triumphs, it seems there is no end to her drive to destroy the field, time and time again.
That's it, that's all for another year. The 2016 World Cup season is all played out...we hope you enjoyed the show once again. Until next time.
Mountains stacked on mountains. Thanks Vallnord, it's been one hell of a summer send-off.
Early morning fine tuning before what would prove to be an all-time kind of day for team MS Mondraker.
Specialized Gravity Republic mechanic, Kevin Joly, is psyched that the bikes are prepped and ready to race for the final stop of the calendar.
Another textbook Andorran sunrise promised an extension of the incredible dry conditions, but in fact things were to go quickly south later in the day.
Who knew the day would end this way? Still despite everything, the overall result remained the same; Gwin was king.
:: JUNIOR'S FINAL ::
Magnus Manson may have had his fair share of troubles over the season, but two 4th place finishes comes as an amazing conclusion for the Canadian.
Elliot Heap has proven he has what it takes to tackle life in the big leagues for 2017.
Heap had a massive crash in his race run, but was still able to keep pushing to end the day, and the season in 3rd.
Commencal Riding Addiction's Gaetan Vige made it two wins in a row and carries a lot of confidence in to next weekend's World Champs.
Vige has turned it up a notch at the end of the season and we are going to have a battle on our hands next week in Val di Sole between he and Finn Iles.
 | I rode this track before at the Cup Catalan in March and I know it pretty well, but it's so good to win here because all the people from Commencal and Vallnord are here so I'm really happy. I was in the gate and thought "let's do this!" and let off the brakes pretty good. I was so close to Finn for the overall, like 50 points, but I'm happy anyway and congrats to Finn because he's a f*ing nice guy and he's very fast haha! - Gaetan Vige - Commencal Riding Addiction |
Iles looked exceptional on course all week, but didn't manage to hold it quite so wide open as his French rival.
Finn Iles, 20 meters away from becoming the Junior World Cup Champion. It's hard to believe he still has another year to go before jumping to Elites.
Finn was stressing hard today knowing that the season was essentially his to lose. With Vige's win a result worse than 5th for him would have seen his title slip.
The top three Juniors here in Andorra and your top three men of the future.
What a debut season for 17 year old Canadian Finn Iles. The Elites have one more year of luxury without him robbing a spot on their podium.
:: WOMEN'S FINAL ::
Back problems, mysterious viruses or injured shoulders...there's simply nothing that is able to keep this lady from the top step. Rachel - 13, World - 0.
| I can't even remember what happened, I'm too excited from the men's race! The back was alright actually; way better today...I just had mad pain killers and my little brace thing on. It was mainly my arm pump, but I think everyone was in the same boat there. I was pretty sure that I wouldn't win and was like 'oh, f-k it, I don't care' and then after qualifying was so close, I knew that if I tried a bit harder. It was a good run, I think I learned a lot about my bike handling skills just because it's so steep. Normally I'm just bouncing off stuff and you can't really ride like that here. You have to really stick to the floor, so I tried to push. It's funny - all weekend I've been making changes to my suspension, then after qualifying I was like 'f-k, it's not working' and went the complete opposite way and did it all differently. Glad about that! - Rachel Atherton - Trek Factory Racing |
Rachel Atherton's schedule for a long and nervous afternoon ahead.
Tracey Hannah chilled out and happy during her pre-race warm-up.
Atherton spinning out before go time, looking to turn things up significantly after her worst qualifier of the season - 3rd.
Miranda Miller blazes one of the big berms up top during a very early morning practice session. 8th in finals would secure her 10th in the overall despite only making it to three of the seven rounds, such is the Squamish sender's talent.
Face of the future: Junior Women's overall winner, Australian, Sian A'Hern.
After a huge crash in qualifying, Tahnee Seagrave was back at it today trying to protect her place in the overall standings.
Despite feeling very tender the young Brit wasn't afraid to get wildly loose during her run and settled for 5th on the day.
Andorra's favorite, Myriam Nicole rode her number 16 plate to an amazing 3rd place after a nightmare season.
The top qualifier was super happy to be healthy and racing at the top level once again. Onward to Italy!
With an important afternoon in the points battle ahead, Tracey Hannah catches some of the first light of the day in the morning training.
Tracey Hannah so badly wanted 2nd in the overall, but would come up just 10 points shy to finish the year in 3rd. Still plenty to smile about, however.
A perfect season and an absolutely staggering total of 13 uninterrupted wins for a certain north Wales resident.
Pure domination in the dust from Rachel Atherton, over 6.5 seconds up on the day.
Atherton proved once again that she is just leaps and bounds ahead of the competition, to the value of 560 points.
Rachel chucks it in to the finish for her final win of the World Cup season to strike that perfect sweep.
Despite struggling with a bad back this weekend, Atherton pulled out the horsepower when it counted most.
Once again the best way to wash off the dust is with a little champagne.
The five fastest ladies of the 2016 UCI World Cup, plus Emilie Siegenthaler, unfortunately not present today.
Undefeated. Rachel dug deep and got her perfect season. Seven wins out of seven races.
:: MEN'S FINAL ::
Party time, track-side in Andorra and go time for the elite men.
Aaron Gwin's head must have been spinning this morning to think all he had to do was beat three riders down the hill and arrive within the top 80.
Gwin laying down the smokescreen on his final practice run of the 2016 World Cup season.
One of the emerging talents of the weekend was undoubtedly Trek rider, Charlie Harrison.
Backing up his quali run with an impressive 14th place finish today, he shows more than a little promise.
It was a tough choice for Gee to decide if he should race today and risk further injury to his shoulder. In the end he clenched his teeth and gave it his best.
What a beautiful day in Andorra. Well, at least for the morning it was beautiful. That would all change in the late afternoon.
The early practice session was all about golden light and huge pockets of moon dust in the turns, as 15th place Elliot Jackson demonstrates.
Sadly it couldn't last and rain starting to fall as the top 20 men hit the track. Brendan beats the storm down for 12th.
Ratboy don't go.
Another top 10 for first year Elite, Laurie Greenland and helping the MS Mondraker team claim victory for the round and the season.
Markus Pekoll secured his equal best ever WC race result - matching Meribel 2014 with an 8th place.
Yet another brilliant showing from Adam Brayton - 7th and on to Worlds to gas to flat for team GB.
Jack Moir was red flagged and stopped to help fallen Sam Blenkinsop after his savage crash in the open section. On his re-run and as the rain began to come down hard, he managed a top drawer, top 10.
Fifth on the day and fifth in the overall for the Kona consistency king, Connor Fearon.
Marcelo Gutierrez powers through the dust for 6th. Just a half second from the podium.
Can you tell that 4th place finisher Alex Fayolle of Polygon UR comes from a moto background?
Mid afternoon and the weather began to take a turn for the worse. The extreme worse.
For some it came as worse news than others, i.e. those still up on the hill.
A week of baking sun and thick dust all came too an abrupt end just as the top 10 were about to take to the track for their final runs.
Both Ferran Jorba Prats and Amaury Pierron sadly came a cropper in the sudden storm conditions.
When epic qualifiers bite back. "That's racing" as people always say. Still Pierron salvaged a commendable 13th.
The weather played right into Hart's hands today. Give the Redcar Rocket a bit o' rain and he will always shine.
Danny had no choice but to win today if he wanted a chance at the overall, and even then it would have taken a miracle.
Bruni had seconds to find after qualies and managed it in his race run riding to 3rd.
The last time Loic raced here he went home with those rainbow stripes. Sights are now firmly set on defending the world title next weekend in Italy.
Nothing but smiles from France's finest.
The man, the myth, the GOAT. Greg Minnaar needs no introduction.
No racer has the ability to dig deep and lift his game when it matters most, and today he did just that to take 2nd place.
The smooth operator will be ready for that podium run, any day, any conditions.
Had the rain held off just twenty minutes, we may have seen a dramatically different result for Troy Brosnan, but we'll never know.
Danny Hart looks on and begins to celebrate as a mud-caked Brosnan heads to the finish line.
Remi Thirion looked phenomenal on track all weekend once again here in Andorra.
Unfortunately he fell victim to his qualifying success and was caught in the torrential rain.
All these people wanted nothing more than to see Thirion win today. Even when well down at the splits on a wet track they were cheering louder for him than anyone else.
'Finish in the top 80' might have sounded like a minor hurdle to secure the championship at the beginning of the day, but around this point Gwin was doing all he could just to stay between the tape as the greasy conditions took hold.
55th was just fine for once. Now all the Gwizard has to do is focus on those elusive rainbow stripes.
The dust became cement. The ride became wild, but Aaron Gwin made it down.
Troy Brosnan had trouble from right from the slippery start gate as the rains unleashed on the top of the track.
Covered in mud and after a nightmare of a run, Troy was still stoked as ever to celebrate with the fans in the finish arena.
Troy gave it his all, but sometimes the cards you're dealt just don't stack in your favor.
The amount of damp dust clinging to Troys bike probably weighed three pounds.
#LongLiveChainsaw salute for the crowds.
Chalking up number three, Hart's hat-trick is done.
| I was warming up underneath the easy-up and I had my music in, so I couldn't hear the rain. But I took my headphones off and I was like 'Oh yeah, it's coming down...' but then, I've been in that position before. I wasn't too sure what to do with myself after my rubbish qualifying time, but I changed some lines like I do every weekend. Obviously I didn't have it as bad as the last guys, but it was wet... I put roll-offs on, but didn't use them in the end. Straight out of the start into the first jump, my wheels were all over and the bridges were lethal. I was just crawling over the bridges and was just like 'this is how it is'. I've done three and now we're going to Val di Sole next weekend. I know I've got speed down there and the season's not over yet. One more race - Danny Hart - MS Mondraker |
13 years after launching his DH race team, Markus Stoeckl's crew have landed the WC team overall victory; at last the fastest squad on the planet.
The color might be blue, but Hart, Greenland and Pekoll take the yellow plates home to finish the 2016 season.
It's a bit strange knowing this is likely to be one of the last WC racing photos we will ever post of the legendary Steve Peat.
What a career and what a legend. The sport owes this man so much and there won't be another like him.
Today Steve Peat raced his final World Cup. What a ride it's been. Thanks Peaty. You've been an absolute hero to us all.
Three wins in a row. Can he make it four next week and take the rainbows again five years later at World Champs in Val di Sole?
Cheers Alex Fayolle for your first ride onto the World Cup podium.
After a long battle spread across a few continents, these five men came out on top. Gwin, Hart, Brosnan, Minnaar and Fearon; your 2016 victors.
2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016. That makes Aaron Gwin's fourth 1st place trophy in six years. F-ing good times indeed! Congratulation AG! Over and out.
MENTIONS: @natedh9 / @davetrump / @mdelorme
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
But Pratt man. A legend that hung around too long and faded away out. So sad. I don't get it. Why on his last season didn't he race all the rounds? He's just dissapeared without trace. No coverage even by Red bull of his run or anything at the finish area is a real shame. Watched him since he was riding the rigid Kona, loved when he was racing or GT and the Iconic Lobo. But I think he should of bowed out sooner. I dunno, I get it, you do something so long it's all you know and to don't want it too end. Just think it's sad that such a legend disappeared so quietly.
Big changes are coming "the family is growing"
Bravo Aaron, tu es le plus rapide!
Bravo Danny, tu nous fait frissoner!
Greg, tu nous inspires tous!
Loic, bravo pour ta guérison rapide.
Gee, tu es un guerrier
Ratboy, tu reviendras.
Peat, je te lève mon casque.
Manon, ta grâce roule avec toi.
Steve Smith, tu nous manques.
Sam Hill aussi.
Merci Claudio.
Une course palpitante.
F
Emi reviens vite!
Loris gaaaaaaz !
Some of the girls on the EWS are rather fit, i give you that, but there is literally no competition to even be worth naming in one sentence with Rachel on the EWS in regards to riding skill and speed.
Rachel is seriously fit, tough and has great bike handling skills.
There is no woman on the enduro scene to match her. It´d be outright domination and even more boring.
It would probably be euqally laughable as me trying to race against the likes of Hill, Gwin or Minnaar.
Now, if she was to try and aquire both titles at the same time, that´s something i´d like to see!
Yeah, no Palmer-vids or anything this summer, so please, continue..
I think the flame of peaty kept him alight also..
This year he's had a bit more fun, lets hope he sticks around.
lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/EHXvI2MSb5SCorslhd7HnqisOlbLekivY3uUIFKPPRw11-HOLwkC5KzZVHNDymcVnti8JtgOG5SJyb7avumZGBWOXPBPdCHXhqMXHIgeFd7FF3f5DdpVVw=w449-h328-nc
Pity there was no coverage of Peaty's final run.
A noobie question though - What's the 'protected' rider status?