Who Can Still Win the World Cup DH Overall in Val di Sole?

Sep 1, 2022
by Ed Spratt  
Hydrate or die. You can only imagine Finn s hydration level by midnight.

The 2022 World Cup season has been an amazing ride with some incredible moments on and off the track but this weekend we see the series wrap on the always wild Val di Sole course. With only one overall title concluded racers will be on the hunt for precious overall points to try and take home the title of World Cup champion.

In the Elite Men's series Amaury Pierron has an almost unbeatable lead but if he can't score a single point Finn Iles could take it if he wins. Camille Balanche looked like she was a sure thing for the Elite Women's win, but a shoulder injury has made it less certain with both Vali Höll and Myriam Nicole right behind her in the points. Gracey Hemstreet is another rider hoping for a great result as her title hangs in the balance with British rider Phoebe Gale a threat for the title.

We have broken down the numbers and tried to make a bit more sense of the stats before racing kicks off for the final round of the 2022 season.


How does the points system work in Val di Sole?

With a total of 250 points still to be allocated, things could change quickly in Val di Sole this weekend. With Val di Sole being the season finale, there are no points for qualifying but the totals are combined on race day, this means we could see a 250 point swing in one afternoon of racing.

photo
In Saturday's race, riders can score the regular amount of points plus those in brackets


Who can still win the titles?

Mathematically, there aren't many racers who are still in the running for the overall titles. In the Elite Men's series Amaury Pierron basically has the title but Finn Iles technically still does have a chance at overall glory. For the Elite Women's it's a three-rider race with Vali Höll and Myriam Nicole all within the realm of reason to take the title. The Junior Women's race only has 60 points on offer but a gap of 25 between the top two means it will be a close race.

Elite Men
Amaury Pierron - 1245
Finn Iles - 996 (-249)
Elite Women
Camille Balanche - 1335
Vali Höll - 1216 (-119)
Myriam Nicole - 1155 (-180)

Junior Women
Gracey Hemstreet - 380
Phoebe Gale - 355 (-25)


How can the overall titles be decided?

Elite Men
photo

Amaury Pierron needs just a single point to take the win or draw the overall title. Looking at the number this means Amaury has to come 60th to win/draw or just cross the line in 59th to completely take the 2022 title. For Finn Iles his one goal will be to win the final race on Saturday, anything less will mean that Amaury Pierron wins even if the French racer doesn't finish a run. It's been quite a while since we have had such a simple end to the season for the Elite Men but as we saw last year in Snowshoe anything can happen at the final race so while it seems tough for Finn to win we wouldn't count it out just yet.


Elite Women
photo

At one point this season it was looking certain that Camille Balanche would take the overall title, but a crash at Mont-Sainte-Anne took her out of racing. In a move that seemed impossible, Camille is back racing and even managed 4th place at the World Champs last week. Camille needs just 131 points to win or draw the overall, this means she will need to match her performance from World Champs and take 4th place or better to definitively win the title. The course in Val di Sole is brutal even for those not recovering from surgery so it could be tough for Camille, but given what she has managed so far, we don't doubt she can pull through the pain and take a top result.

Sitting in second place and coming off a World Cup win and World Champs victory Vali Höll is on top form right now and with 250 points on the line for a win, she could take it all in Val di Sole. Vali's goal this weekend as ever will be to take the win and if she can go fastest then Camille Balanche will have to be sitting in 5th or worse. If Vali is 6th or worse then she cannot win the overall.

Finally, Myriam Nicole is still in the running but it will be a tough challenge to come out on top. Currently, Myriam will need to make up 180 points on Camille and 61 points on Vali to top the leaderboard. If Myriam can win on Saturday then Camille has to be ninth or worse, but this could end in a draw if she isn't ahead by more than 70 points. Myriam will need to be if first or second place in finals otherwise she cannot take the title. While it would be tough to take the overall win, if Vali Höll has a disaster of a run and scores no points, Myriam will only have to be 9th or better to take second. Even if Vali does have a successful race, Myriam could climb ahead of her in the rankings by beating her by more than 61 points - which could happen if Vali takes 5th and Myriam takes 2nd, for example.


Junior Women
photo

The Junior racing has a completely different points structure with only 60 points on the line for a win. Gracey Hemstreet sits 25 points ahead of Phoebe Gale and it will be a tough one for the current positions to be switched. If Phoebe Gale takes the win, Gracey Hemstreet will need to rank fifth or worse for the two riders to tie.


What if there's a tie?

If riders are tied on points, UCI Rules state, "Riders tying on points are ranked by the greatest number of 1st places, 2nd places, etc. (total points in the standings of the concerned round) taking account only of places for which points are awarded for the world cup. If they are still tied, the points scored in the most recent world cup event are used to separate them."


The pressure of the overall title can be tough for every rider and with everything on the line on one of the toughest World Cup tracks it is going to be a very exciting conclusion to the 2022 season.



Posted In:
Racing and Events DH Racing World Cup DH Val Di Sole World Cup Dh 2022


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87 Comments
  • 113 2
 I've said it before - World Champs should always be the last race of the season after the WC wraps up. Therefore, everyone can go gonzo for the crown, without worrying about a possible injury affecting their WC points. Also, the "high" these guys achieve from that one-off race can last for awhile longer, than switching back into race mode. My 2 cents.
  • 5 4
 Maybe they just want to have the feeling of racing in the rainbow jersey for at least one race before they have to wait until next june..
  • 10 0
 @i-am-lp: june, JUNE! can you believe it…
  • 4 4
 Well, maybe that is the way to protect the athletes to go gonzo?
We are there for the show and it is their life we are talking about…
  • 9 2
 @i-am-lp: Last weeks winners will only get to wear their jerseys for 4 races before next year's world champs.
  • 78 0
 So basically, Fin needs to win the race and AP needs a catastrohpic mechanical if the tables are to turn.
  • 26 0
 Or a DNS or Disqualification. Either way the most correct part is something "Catastrophic".
  • 253 5
 ENVE, we are all looking at you
  • 13 0
 AP would have to get DNS or DNF, if he gets down last he wins 1 point which is enough to take the overall as he has more wins (I believe). Would be totally insane if Finn gets it by 1 point though!
  • 3 47
flag EASIV (Sep 1, 2022 at 8:48) (Below Threshold)
 Finn needs to win the race and qualify 1st to get all 250 points.
  • 6 0
 Is Finn even racing? Haven't heard anything since his injury at worlds, and it doesn't look like he took any timed training runs.
  • 18 0
 @EASIV: As said in the article, for the final race there are no points awarded for qualifying, and all 250 points are given to the race winner. This change was made a few years ago to stop overall series being decided by the qualifying of the last race and taking away some of the drama of the final race runs
  • 5 0
 @EASIV: He doesn't need to qualify first. There are no qualifying points this race. All points are awarded in the finals.
  • 17 1
 Guess I should have read better....
  • 10 0
 @toast2266: In Bernard Kerr's track walk video I saw Finn doing the track walk and I think he said he's going to give it a go.
  • 15 0
 So you’re saying there’s a chance!
  • 3 2
 So basically, you're dreaming...
  • 1 17
flag ridelife6 (Sep 1, 2022 at 17:22) (Below Threshold)
 finn needs to win qualifying and finals
  • 3 0
 @shaun-ridefast-michael: an "act of god" by UCI standards.
  • 1 0
 @ridelife6: no; just finals. No points for quali at the last round.
...but he DNS quali so he isn't racing anyhow. Certainly the correct call, rather than going balls out for the win while not feeling 100% on a gnarly track
  • 37 4
 Jr Men? what about Goldstone?
  • 41 0
 He already won
  • 4 0
 done already.. he got it.
  • 18 2
 @bubbaburger911: Still would be nice to see a breakdown of when and how he clinched the win for the season.
  • 1 2
 yeah? jr men?
  • 43 1
 ^^This. It wouldn't be that hard to include a sentence to say that Jackson had already wrapped it up.
  • 8 7
 @shoreboy1866: Srsly, lazy journalism
  • 9 4
 @shaun-ridefast-michael: It's all on PB, free of charge.
  • 3 6
 @BenPea: but still... the number of articles that have lack or wrong information is outstanding.
  • 11 4
 @BenPea: I feel like that’s a pretty tired claim. Nothing is free. We pay for Pinkbike with our time and attention, which translates into advertising dollars. The better Pinkbike does at their job, the more time and attention we give, and the more money they make. Maybe it’s just me but I feel like the quality of content has declined a lot in recent months and I’ve certainly been clicking on fewer posts than I used to. Not weird at all to ask for something in this article about the junior men.
  • 3 2
 @jaydawg69: Man, I'm too busy wading through grammar f*ck-ups and typos to pick up on misinformation. However, the question the article poses is "Who Can Still Win the World Cup DH Overall in Val di Sole?", to which the answer is Jackson Goldstone (your 2022 junior WC winner since the last race).
  • 6 2
 @BiNARYBiKE: I was just pointing out that Jackson was crowned champion some time ago. Anyone who cared already knew.
  • 4 1
 @BenPea: they probably coulda put that one sentence in the article though…
  • 3 1
 @onemanarmy: That's what we, the experts, are here for.
  • 1 1
 @BenPea: agreed
  • 5 4
 @BenPea: To add to the grammar issues and the spelling mistakes, let's include the lack in reading comprehension among Pinkbike commenters. The question the article poses is "Who Can Still Win the World Cup DH Overall in Val di Sole?" (emphasis: "STILL"), the answer to which is: "NOT Jackson Goldstone nor any of the other junior men, because the World Cup DH Overall in the Men's Jr. category has already been decided".
  • 3 0
 @mi-bike: we can comprehend the title. It’s still strange not to mention that nobody else can win Junior men because it’s already been decided. Which, by the way, is a perfectly valid answer to the question in the title.
  • 2 0
 I wanna know how all is Jackson’s times this year would stack up points wise in the Elites?
  • 1 0
 @eteyber: He's had some good ones. Believe at least one race he would have been on the podium.
  • 28 0
 Anybody want to share their password for outside? Really wanna learn about the fundamentals of mtb
  • 13 0
 No problem buddy, i will give you mime for only 19.95 a month
  • 5 3
 Here's my password: pennygetyourowndamnwifi
  • 19 1
 Go, Cami!
  • 12 1
 This article should be about who takes 5th place in elite men, so tight at the moment! Coulanges could jump from 9th to 5th
  • 16 5
 Ugh. Math.
  • 1 1
 That's alright, that's okay! You can work for me someday!
  • 3 0
 @jeffrocx: I don't get this, but now I've got 'Stayin Alive' stuck in my head. Many thanks.
  • 3 0
 @yodudes: Well know I'VE got Stayin' Alive stuck in my head. Which is actually better than what was in there before (Dave Dobbins - Slice of Heaven).
  • 3 0
 @iamamodel: could be worse it could be Hasselhoff - True Survivor youtu.be/ZTidn2dBYbY
  • 3 0
 @tiffe: The 'Slice of Heaven' reference was a continuation of the long-standing tradition of ribbing between Oz and NZ. It's not a bad song, I was just pretending that NZ's most famous musical export was not-so-great. Especially since the Bee Gees are Australian, no matter what anyone English may say. Split Enz are also Australian, no matter what any Kiwi says. It's just the way it goes, LOL.

Think of NZ and Oz like brothers - we fight amongst ourselves and it may look like we don't love each other, but if someone threatens one brother... war.
  • 10 3
 Hey UCI, if you let me race and I don't get last place, will you give me a million points to win the overall as a surprise outsider?
  • 5 0
 I would hope AP would have some fun and try and come in 60th. Just to have to do a tiebreaker! How dope would that be!!!
  • 1 0
 Tiebreakers are not actual contests. It’s just ranking their finishes throughout the year.
  • 5 0
 @pisgahgnar: But how cool would it be if in the case of a tie, they did a sudden death round amd brought the top two back to the top of the mountain for one more run each?
  • 6 0
 @jgoldfield: they should put them on the four cross track
  • 6 1
 @pisgahgnar: or see who can take the most bong rips
  • 4 0
 @ridelife6: 100% Finn
  • 3 0
 What is the rationale for not awarding any points for qualifying on the final round?
  • 16 0
 Probably to keep things interesting. Not much fun if someone wins the overall on a qualification run.
  • 2 4
 It literally explains it in the article
  • 3 0
 Ok on review, it looks like I read it in one of the comments. My bad...but yeah, basically for the drama
  • 2 1
 @Jammstien: what I dont like about that rule is you can still win the series in a prior race based on your quali results throughout the year. it seems a bit silly.
  • 3 1
 @Jammstien: It could go both ways. Yes the race could be decided, it could also add to the suspense and get everyone doing the math again. Wasn't it in 2009 or so (Windham) when it was super tight between Greg and Gee, with Gee slightly ahead of Greg. Then Greg won the qualifiers making things even tighter, Gee got second. Then in the finals Peaty was on a smoker up on everyone until he crashed. But he could have changed everything again if he won, kinda like what Danny Hart did between Loic and Amaury in 2019. Gee had qualified second and had a brief moment in the hot seat as Greg had a perfect run too. Just slightly slower than Gee, so Gee won the overall. If you think my comment reads like a true thriller, wait until you watch those finals again. Point being, qualifiers could push riders closer together in the score sheet and actually make it more exciting. Personally I like how things can change shortly before the finals. But I agree with your point that if it indeed suddenly implies a rider has won the overall, there is no place to properly celebrate that.
  • 2 0
 @vinay: 2010
  • 2 0
 @Drims: Thanks for the correction!
  • 2 1
 Typical outside lame ass article below..so gross..how to bullshit.10 greatest trails ever do this do that..and people wonder why the masses keep massing together like lemmings..
  • 4 1
 So like if you win then you win right?!
  • 2 0
 @edspratt : Meanwhile, Jackson Goldstone has already locked up the title for Junior men's. Congratulations, Jackson!
  • 1 0
 Maybe my math sucks, but how is it possible for Finn to be able to win? He did miss one race , and Pierron haven’t missed one and have 4 wins.
  • 1 0
 This article needs an update. You're correct, Finn can't win anymore as he hasn't qualified, won't race the finals hence can't win any points to fly past Amaury.
  • 1 0
 Did the Junior men not race this season?
  • 1 0
 Are those Points in brackets Points for the Qualifikation?
  • 3 0
 Normally, yes, but in the final round they all get awarded in the race run to keep it exciting.
  • 1 0
 @thingswelike: thank you
  • 7 10
 "but as we saw last year in Snowshoe anything can happen at the final race"

But this year only three things can happen re: 1st overall

* If Amaury does 59th or better, he takes it, period
* If Amaury goes 60th AND Finn wins, tiebreakers happen (which are locked in already, so no surprises there, though you guys didn't bother figuring them out...?)
* If Amaury does worse than 60th* AND Finn wins, then Finn takes the overall, period.

No one else matters. That's NOT "anything can happen".

*(yes, it can happen: if a protected rider misses qualies, the field of 60 will expand to keep them in the final, at least according to Neethling's podcast)
  • 1 0
 Oh, this gets interesting now. I understood that now that Finn missed qualifications (DNS) he can't race the finals. But you're saying that even though he has a DNS, his protected status still allows him to race? I'm confused now!
  • 1 0
 @vinay: I think a qualie DNS is the only way to break protection... But the wording is weird (as usual)

Section 4.9.031
"They must start in the qualifying round but qualify automatically for the final in any case."
  • 1 0
 @justinfoil: Then I'd say he hasn't qualified. If it says "The MUST start..." and he doesn't start then he failed. The way it was worded, I think the poor guy will probably be fined by the UCI. If he didn't start and didn't wear the appropriate jersey when he didn't start, he will be fined double.
  • 3 3
 What's up with Junior Men?
  • 12 0
 It's over already, Jackson won
  • 1 5
flag snomaster (Sep 1, 2022 at 16:12) (Below Threshold)
 Goldstone is the only one who locked it up early, and on home soil! He keeps Jackson honest, but recent history shows the only chance Jordan Williams has is when Jackson makes a big mistake.

[with or without redbull/discovery/wb] the future is bright.
  • 1 0
 And vice Versa , both riders are on parr, with each other.
Same as saying Jackson only wins when Jordan makes mistakes, Downhill racing is just as much about luck as it is about skill , there’s nothing between them in terms of speed .snomaster:
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