Gwin clinches overall UCI World Cup downhill title for second time

  
  


Val d'Isère, France (July 30, 2012) — American Aaron Gwin’s (Temecula, Calif./Trek World Racing) fifth-place finish in yesterday’s downhill competition at the RockyRoads UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano in Val d'Isère, France, was enough to secure him the overall downhill world cup title for the second year in a row.

Gwin finished just over a second back on winner Brook MacDonald (NZL/MS Mondraker Team), but South African Greg Minnaar (RSA/Santa Cruz Syndicate), who placed fourth, wasn’t able to score enough points to keep pace in the overall standings with the American. With only the Hafjell, Norway, downhill world cup remaining, Gwin’s 260-point lead on Minnaar proved to be insurmountable.

After placing second in the season-opener in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, Gwin was consistently dominate, winning the next four world cup downhill competitions. A week ago he also won the pro downhill race at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike Gravity National Championships.

A number of other Americans also competed in the men’s elite downhill race. Mitch Ropelato (Ogden, Utah/ Monster Energy/Specialized) finished in 13th, Luke Strobel (Issaquah, Wash.) was 37th, junior Richard Rude Jr. (Redding, Conn./Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team) crossed the line in 61st and Duncan Riffle (Santa Barbara, Calif./Dirt Norco Race Team) came in at 63rd overall.

Cross-Country Races

The final cross-country world cup of the season, held Saturday, also served as a tune-up for two members of the U.S. Olympic team. Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo. /Luna Pro Team), who will compete in the women’s Olympic cross-country event on August 11, topped all Americans with a fifth-place finish. It was her fifth consecutive top-ten finish this season, and follows a bronze medal in Windham, N.Y., and a second-place finish in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada.

The only other American woman in the field, Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven-NoTubes) finished in 23rd.

In the elite men’s race, Adam Craig (Bend, Ore. /Rabobank Giant Offroad Team) led the American effort with a 26th-place finish. In 35th was Olympic-team member Sam Schultz (Missoula, Mont. /Subaru-Trek), who will be competing in the men’s cross-country race on August 12. American Michael Broderick (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven-NoTubes) also raced in Val d'Isère, but finished two laps down.

American juniors were represented by Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah/Cannondale Factory Racing) and Jacob Albrecht (Soquel, Calif./Whole Athlete), who placed 28th and 65th, respectively, in Sunday’s juniors race.

2012 RockyRoads UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano
Val d'Isère, France
July 28-29, 2012

FULL RESULTS

Men’s Downhill
1. Brook MacDonald (NZL/MS Mondraker Team) 2:19.478
2. Gee Atherton (GBR/GT Factory Racing) +0.495
3. Josh Bryceland (GBR/Santa Cruz Syndicate) +0.677

5. Aaron Gwin (Temecula, Calif./Trek World Racing) +1.366
13. Mitch Ropelato (Ogden, Utah/ Monster Energy/Specialized) +3.784
37. Luke Strobel (Issaquah, Wash.) +7.590
61. Richard Rude Jr. (Redding, Conn./Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team) +11.922
63. Duncan Riffle (Santa Barbara, Calif./Dirt Norco Race Team) +12.123

Current Men’s Downhill World Cup Standings*
1. Aaron Gwin (Temecula, Calif./Trek World Racing) 1,260 points
2. Greg Minnaar (RSA/Santa Cruz Syndicate) 1,000 points
3. Gee Atherton (GBR/GT Factory Racing) 981 points
*One more downhill world cup remains in 2012: Hafjell, Norway, Sept. 14-15

Women’s Elite Cross-country
1. Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaå (NOR/Multivan Merida Biking Team) 1:32:07
2. Julie Bresset (FRA/BH-SR Suntour-Peisey Vallandry) +0:46
3. Annie Last (GBR/Milka Brentjens MTB Racing Team) +1:09

5. Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo. /Luna Pro Team) +2:26
23. Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven-NoTubes) +10:07

Men’s Elite Cross-country
1. Nino Schurter (SUI/ Scott/Swisspower MTB Racing Team) 1:34:03
2. Lukas Flückiger (SUI/Trek World Racing) +0:13
3. Marco Aurelio Fontana (ITA/Cannondale Factory Racing) +0:33

26. Adam Craig (Bend, Ore. /Rabobank Giant Offroad Team) +7:08
35. Sam Schultz (Missoula, Mont. /Subaru-Trek) +8:24
78. Michael Broderick (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven-NoTubes) -2 laps

Men’s Juniors Cross-country
1. Victor Koretzky (FRA/Bikepark.ch Craft) 1:07:09
2.Titouan Carod (FRA/Scott Les Saisies) +0:29
3.Dominic Zumstein (SUI/ Scott/Swisspower MTB Racing Team) +1:18

28. Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah/Cannondale Factory Racing) +6:57
65. Jacob Albrecht (Soquel, Calif./Whole Athlete) +12:05



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This Article Updated July 30, 2012 @ 02:01 PM For more information contact: