MTB World Cup #1: Greg Minnaar and Tracy Hannah top downhill podium
Brief report and photos from Pietermaritzburg
For full results, reports and photos of the MTB World Cup, visit Cyclingnews.com.
Men: Minnaar wins downhill World Cup opener at home
Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate) delighted home crowds by winning the elite men’s downhill final at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday afternoon.
After clocking the fastest qualifying time, Minnaar also was fastest in the finals.
“I knew up top that I was behind. I made some stupid mistakes at the beginning and I had to make up as much as I could later. I just had to put my head down and go,” said Minnaar, who also noted how much he was helped by the cheering of locals.
“It was electric out there. It was so wild. When I jumped into the finish area, the crowd was just amazing.”
2011 World Cup winner Aaron Gwin (Trek World Racing) finished second ahead of Mick Hannah (Hutchinson United Ride).
Results
| 1 Greg Minnaar (RSA) Santa Cruz Syndicate | 0:03:57.980 | |
| 2 Aaron Gwin (USA) Trek World Racing | 0:00:00.632 | |
| 3 Michael Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson United Ride | 0:00:00.994 | |
| 4 Gee Atherton (GBr) GT Factory Racing | 0:00:01.303 | |
| 5 Steve Smith (Can) Devinci Global Racing | 0:00:04.384 | |
| 6 Jared Graves (Aus) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team | 0:00:04.436 | |
| 7 Andrew Neethling (RSA) Giant Factory Off-Road Team | 0:00:04.800 | |
| 8 Troy Brosnan (Aus) Monster Energy-Specialized | 0:00:05.017 | |
| 9 Julien Camellini (Fra) | 0:00:05.604 | |
| 10 Cédric Gracia (Fra) CG Racing Brigade | 0:00:05.674 | |
| 11 Samuel Hill (Aus) Monster Energy-Specialized | 0:00:05.836 | |
| 12 Nick Beer (Swi) Devinci Global Racing | 0:00:05.894 | |
| 13 Aurélien Giordanengo (Fra) Topcycle By Trek | 0:00:06.064 | |
| 14 Neko Mulally (USA) Trek World Racing | 0:00:06.327 | |
| 15 Steve Peat (GBr) Santa Cruz Syndicate | 0:00:07.670 | |
| 16 Fabien Cousinie (Fra) Hutchinson United Ride | 0:00:07.674 | |
| 17 Justin Leov (NZl) Trek World Racing | 0:00:08.579 | |
| 18 Marc Beaumont (GBr) GT Factory Racing | 0:00:08.874 | |
| 19 Brook Macdonald (NZl) MS Mondraker Team | 0:00:09.036 | |
| 20 Brendan Fairclough (GBr) Scott11 | 0:00:09.212 |
Women: Hannah wins her first race back on the downhill World Cup circuit
Australian Tracy Hannah (Hutchinson United Ride) marked a successful return to World Cup racing after four years away by winning the elite women’s downhill.
“I’m extraordinarily satisfied. I did heaps of training and I’m so exhausted. I can’t believe it. It’s amazing,” she said.
Junior world champion Manon Carpenter (Madison Saracen Downhill Team) finished second ahead of Emmeline Ragot (MS Mondraker Team) in third.
Results
| 1 Tracey Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson United Ride | 0:04:33.806 | |
| 2 Manon Carpenter (GBr) Madison Saracen Downhill Team | 0:00:00.949 | |
| 3 Emmeline Ragot (Fra) MS Mondraker Team | 0:00:02.810 | |
| 4 Jill Kintner (USA) Team Norco International | 0:00:08.492 | |
| 5 Miriam Ruchti (Swi) SC-Intense | 0:00:10.896 | |
| 6 Emilie Siegenthaler (Swi) Scott11 | 0:00:11.402 | |
| 7 Anita Molcik (Aut) | 0:00:12.123 | |
| 8 De Souza Oliveira (Bra) | 0:00:14.385 | |
| 9 Petra Bernhard (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria | 0:00:15.112 | |
| 10 Myriam Nicole (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction | 0:00:17.275 | |
| 11 Mio Suemasa (Jpn) | 0:00:18.065 | |
| 12 Fionn Griffiths (GBr) | 0:00:18.557 | |
| 13 Harriet Rucknagel (Ger) | 0:00:27.356 | |
| 14 Martina Bruehlmann (Swi) | 0:00:28.002 | |
| 15 Caroline Sax (Fra) Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsace | 0:00:33.423 | |
| 16 Gabriela Williams (Cze) CG Racing Brigade | 0:00:34.377 | |
| 17 Zarja Cernilogar (Slo) | 0:00:46.668 | |
| 18 Tamara Maria Ulrich (Aut) | 0:01:24.564 | |
| DNS Floriane Pugin (Fra) Scott11 | ||
| DNS Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Labyrinth Shimano Racing Team |
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