Someone has finally switched summer on here in europe, the sun is still out and its scorching the rain curse is well and truly banished. Qualifying saw the Tracys take the two fastest times, no Thunderbird connection at all. Moseley finished with a 4:46.64 and Hannah with a 4:47.30 with a three second cushion over Sabrinna Jonnier. Aimee Dix took a few tumbles over the bars a clean run could see her place in the top twenty. Sam Hill take the fastest time, but with no real margin as Gee Atherton stormed to finish just point six of a second after him. Fabien Barel, Matti Lehikoinen and Greg Minnaar finished up the top five with only six seconds to find on the top time. Brendan who has been looking pinned all weekend, still managed to qualify in the top ten with a trip over the bars, Gump looked rapid into the final sections and qualified 14th and Adam Brayton just behind in 16th. Stanny picked up a DQ which quite frankly is the most stupid decision this weekend, yes he left the tapes, yes he might not have come back in where he left the tapes, but the people who witnessed him having to scramble back over a barrier to get back on the course could not have deemed any advantage, a point that went on deaf ears with the UCI. Good work.

If you were racing you were hitting the shade and water, if you were spectating you were hitting the beer and soaking up the sun which was drying up the track the open sections were getting rougher and looser each run. In the females the biggest casualty was Emeline Ragot who missed the final rut into the finish to be hurled over the bars at speed with the finish line in sight. Sabrinna Jonnier occupied the hot seat for the latter stages until Tracy Hannah came down and beat Jonniers 4:43.06 time by two seconds to take her first world cup win. Tracy Moseley ended up in 4th spot behind Marielle Saner.

An Emotional Win for Tracy Hannah, congratulated by brother Mick

Marc Beaumont was the first real contender to occupy the hot seat in the mens finals with a time of 4.01.39 and was followed down by Ben Reid who had a storming run with a 4.01.82 to score a top ten finish. All the world cup finals have been electric this year and Schladming wasn't going to disapoint. Steve Peat came down to take the hot seat from Marc. He said that he had made an error at the top but set a blistering time of 3:57.81, nearly two seconds up on Sam's qualifying time, and it was a nervous wait to find out whether that would be enough with both of them so close at the top of overall standings. Brendan came down and went into second place with a time of 3:58.13 and looked seriously fast coming in the final sections but then Vasquez-Lopez came down and came within one hundreth of a second to Peats time, which was a clear indicator that the times were going to be up there.

Baltic Ben Reid - Storming run to finish 10th

 

Vasquez Lopez - Team MSC Bikes - Came so close to Steve Peats took 6th place

Brendog - More Pistol Whippin!

 

Greg Minnaar was the one to topple Peaty from the top spot, Steve looked gutted as he crossed the line, a win really was needed here for the overall, something that was slowly slipping away. Matti Lehikoinen slipped into the middle of Greg and Steve to put two Hondas onto the Podium and more lost points for Steve. Fabien Barel and Jules Camellini didn't get any luck and both crashed out. Cameliini espcially would have been looking at a podium spot, was only seven seconds off, a time gap which his crash easily made. Josh Byrceland was another casulaty and took a tumble in the woods so in his usual style whipped everything there on.

 

Greg Minnaar - Team G Cross Honda - 3rd Place

Josh Bryceland - Pistol Whippin

 

Ruaridh Cunningham again showed how strong the British juniors are. No luck just pure pace gave him 17th place with a 4:06.52. Adam Brayton had a couple of crashes in his race run, ended up taking half the course tape with him and dragging a course pole along for the ride too, went huge into the finish but ended up with a DQ.

Gump - Another British junior flying with a top 20 finish

With only Gee and Sam left, everyones attention was focused on the big screen in the arena. It didn't look like Gee was going to record a good time, with a few costly mistakes in the woods but he pinned his way to the finish line with a 3.56.58 which put him marginally in front of Minnaar and into second place. But then it happened again, Sam Hill is starting to let everyone know he is a level above everyone else for years I have seen riders that were fast, and then someone come along and they have struggled to raise the bar to match them. Now the worlds elite must be looking at Hill and thinking "what do I need to do?" right now I don't think anyone has an answer and Sam won by over five seconds to take another victory.

Gee Atherton - Team Animal Commencal - A few mistakes cost him time but pinned it to the line for 2nd

Sam Hill - The Downhill Assasin, the fastest and the quietest, hard not to like him, impossible to not love his riding

 

With qualifying first and winning the gap between him and Steve is unlikely to be turned around with nearly all hope of Steve doing the World Cup and World Champ double fading, all focus now turns to Fort William where the winner on the day takes the prize, maybe its swinging towards Sam doing the double? Its too hard to tell but the Australians form is surely making him the favourite, the only thing i'll give odds on is the fact it will probably be raining.

Keep it on the wheels. Yid

See how practise and qualifying went HERE