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The 4x got finished about 1930 or so as I joined the long queue which was now heading into Fort William. Saturday night was party night as the live entertainment kicked in around 9pm. Many a pint was drunk in town that night…if the sore heads on Sunday morning were anything to go by. Sunday again started bright and warm for some reason the forecasters had gotten it all wrong, were we complaining hell no! The practice session was a short one, but probably enough for 2 runs to at least get a little warm up before the semi-final. With 3 of the Descent-World Team in the running, Danny Kendrick, Ian McIntosh and Simon Parkinson, I was keen to get up the hill and watch a little. Steve Peat had approached the UCI and asked for a later start time to allow for some treatment on his ankle injury, they accepted his request and therefore he started last. That left the rest of the guys to battle it out for the top 80 places. Our Danny Kendrick stacked in the woods and lost some time, DK ended up 87th not too shabby for a first World Cup and a stack as well. Parky said he was knackered by the end of his run, he got a time of 4:41.70, that was good enough for 77th place at the time he came down but it wasn’t until the last man down Steve Peat, that Simon was knocked down to 81st overall, 1 place from qualifying bummer. I’ll have a word with Peaty for you Si! Ian McIntosh nearly gave me a heart attack, I was at the Tissot arch when he came down and he crossed the line to an almighty cheer, horns etc…through the echo from the loud speakers it sounded like he’d gone fastest with a time of around 4:05! I sprinted down to the finish to see him, but they had mixed the times up and he was actually 30 secs slower with a time of 4:35.69. Still good enough for 65th overall and a qualifying position. Just rewards for breaking almost every part on his bike during the 2 days previous! Peaty came down and qualified in 12th position, one place ahead of Crawfy. Will Longden was the fastest Brit, in 4th place; he’s still on a high from winning at Ae I guess. Gee Atherton was next in 11th place just ahead of Peat, Crawfy and Wardell. However it was Maxxis rider Mickael Pascal who took the number one qualifying spot ahead of Fabien Barel and Cedric Gracia. Greg Minnaar and Chris Kovarik were also in there with a 5th and 6th place respectfully and with Peaty not firing on all 4 cylinders it was wide open. It was no time at all before the finals had started the women’s event as always kicks off first. Fionn Griffiths (Foes) was in the hot seat for a good while with a time of 4:55.43, after qualifying in 23rd place. However as the proceedings moved on, the hot seat changed bums a few times. Little Emmeline Ragot was next up; she crossed the line in time of 4:49.57 to push Fionn off the seat. Emmeline has only just turned 17! Tracey Mosely (Kona/Clarks) couldn't match last years win, she wnt home with 4th.Sabrina Jonnier (Intense) was second from last down and she took the hot seat for all but 2 mins until Celine Gros (Morzine/Avoriaz) crossed the line and made it a French 1, 2, 3. After a short break the top 80 men lined up at the top of the hill to take on the Tissot timing machine and the course itself. Dave Smith (Tom Royal) was the first man down and naturally enough he took the hot seat and stayed there for quite a while. As more and more men came down the hot seat changed owners a number of time before Oscar Saiz (Maxxis) cam in with a time of 4:18.77. Oscar held the hot seat for some time, but then the times started crashing down. It wasn’t until Nathan Rennie cruised in with a sub 4:10 time that the gauntlet was thrown…no doubt the radio ear pieces of Kona and Cannondale were hotting up as Barel and Gracia were still to come. Peaty was already known to be out of the running for the top spot, with a badly swollen ankle, he probably shouldn’t have even been racing, but the big man just gritted his teeth and managed 19th place points, rest easy this week. Kovarik and Minnaar were still to come, both in some nice Lycra skin suits, Kovarik couldn’t match the time of Rennie but Minnaar almost did, 4th overall. Big air bandit Sam Hill almost hit the Tissot arch with his head as he tabled through it, he was chasing that time of team mate Rennie, the Junior World Champ scores 5th place overall. With only 2 men left to come Rennie was a least leaving with 3rd place points as Gracia knocked him from the hot seat, 4:08.05 and the crowd went wow! Gracia has been ripping all weekend; I guess he was fired up after being knocked out of the 4X. Mickael Pascal (Maxxis) was the fastest qualifier in the morning and therefore the last man down, as Gracia was holding his breath Pascal crossed the line …4.09.16…Cedric had won! That’s another French 1, 2 now in the Men’s downhill. Results Men 1. Cedric Gracia (Fra), 4:08.05 Women 1. Celine Gros (Fra) Morzine Avoriaz, 4:42.57
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