WOMEN
In the women's race, Canada's Miranada Miller set the first fast time of 3:04.25. Her time would hold up through five riders before Kathy Pruitt (USA) knocked nearly ten seconds off, to take the lead with a time of 2:54.89. Pruitt's time in the Hot Seat lasted almost the entire race, as rider after rider came down and fell short.
Kathy Pruit was satisfied with her third place. Rob Jones photoIt wasn't until Ragot came down third from last that Pruitt was finally displaced, as the French rider knocked nearly three seconds off her time. Tracy Moseley (Great Britain), second from last, bumped Pruitt to third, but everyone was waiting for Jonnier, the winner of six out of seven World Cups this season. Jonnier crashed high on the course, in the rocky section, puncturing her front tire and dashing hopes of a World title/World Cup title double, giving Ragot her first Elite world title. Jonnier disappeared immediately after her run, crying in the arms of the French coach.
Ragot had not realized that Jonnier had crashed, so she was waiting anxiously for her to finish. "I couldn't see the [big] screen it was behind something, and I was wondering if Sabrina crashed or not. Then my teammate said, 'oh wait, she comes'. So I waited and I was thinking 'what if she didn't crash?'. But then I saw the result, and then it was good. The win is only sinking in now that I have the rainbow [on her sleeves], and I am just realizing that it has happened."
Emmeline Ragot took her first Elite world title. Rob Jones photoMoseley was blunt with her dissatisfaction at not taking the title. "If I am honest, no, I'm not happy [with second]. I definitely came here to win. Like Steve [Peat] I have been trying for quite a few years now to get that jersey. I certainly came here feeling like I could win on this track and I was riding good in practice. Looks like I have to wait until I am 35 before I am allowed to win, so a few more years to come!"
"I actually had a pretty good run. I made a few little mistakes at the top but nothing that really cost me masses of time. I was happy with my ride across the line, but Emmeline rode a better race today, so she won the race."
Pruitt, a former Junior world champion [2000], was more satisfied with her third place than Moseley. "Anytime you are on the podium at the World Championships I don't think it's a bad day. I've been missing out on all the World Cups this year, so just getting on the podium in a big race on a big day like this does a lot for myself, and I am pretty happy about the whole situation. Third place is good. I did make a few mistakes but so did everyone. I think everyone just rode really well and it was a good day to get third on."
Men's podium: Greg Minnaar, Steve Peat, Michael Hannah. Rob Jones PhotoPRO MEN
Mick Hannah was the pre-race favourite. Rob Jones photoAmericans were the early leaders in the men's race, with former 4-Cross world champion Brian Lopes taking the lead as the third rider down. He would on until his team mate Cody Warren knocked a second and a half off the best time, to drop it to 2:35.95 . Warren lasted 16 riders until Australian Bryn Atkinson bumped him out of the lead, and then the time started to drop steadily until Nathan Rennie (Australia) set a new benchmark of 2:34.31 . Rennie lasted through 11 finishers before one of the favourites, two time world champion Fabien Barel (France), knocked a staggering three seconds off the leading time.
Former 4-Cross world champion Brian Lopes was the early leader. Rob Jones photoBarel's time would end up being good enough for fourth, and less than second behind Peat's winning run. Mick Hannah (Australia), the pre-race favourite on this course came down sixth from the end and managed to squeeze 15-hundredths ahead of Barel, but two riders later it was the turn of Peaty, and he turned in the first sub-2:31 time of the day, stopping the clock at 2:30.33 . For the popular Brit it was a nerve wracking wait through the final three riders, to see if he had finally won the world title he had been chasing since 1993.
Steve Smith was the top North American. Rob Jones photoSam Hill (Australia) was next, but he was two and a half seconds down, then Peat's Santa Cruz team mate Greg Minnaar (South Africa) - who Peat had said was his most dangerous rival. Minnaar came within the blink of an eye of snatching the victory away - only five hundredths of a second behind. Finally, it was the defending world champion Gee Atherton (Great Britain) who, it became clear by the first time split, wasn't a threat, finishing sixth.
Steve Peat, after so many years, finally the world champion. Rob Jones photoSteve Peat: finally the world champion:
"I don't think [winning the World Championships] has sunk in yet. I'm pretty overwhelmed with it all. Pretty emotional putting that jersey on at the podium, just realizing I get to wear this jersey for a year and I am actually World Champion. I have been trying for a long time, and it's just an unreal feeling."
"I think all the pressure I feel comes from myself, really. I know everyone wants me to win, and everybody is backing me, but I put a lot of pressure on myself. I am one of the oldest guys out there and I've been trying for a long time and got a lot of second places. But I felt strong coming into this race, felt really good on the track all week, and my Santa Cruz V10 was just hooking up good all week. I think we have the best set up out there, and still to give it to Rob Rosco and everyone at the Syndicate."
Greg Minnaar was only five hundredths of a second behind Peat. Rob Jones photo"Greg [Minnaar] was my biggest worry; he won here last year, and he is really strong on the bottom part of the course. But I think I took a bit out of him at the top, and I'm a pretty physical rider myself, so I thought I had a good chance."
Minnaar admitted that he may have not pushed enough at the top. "For sure it was going to be a tough race with the course being a lot faster than it was last year, especially going into the pedaling . I knew Steve was going to be quick - he was quick all through timed training and the whole week - and I just think I rode the top a bit cautious. When I was up against Steve I knew I had to ride all out to try to beat him, and clearly it didn't work."
Steve Smith continues to improve, and tenth is his best result ever at the Worlds. "For me it was a great run, I was happy with how it went. It's hard to go overly fast on the track. There is only so much you can do on this downhill because what there is on it [to work with]. So I pedaled hard, and did what I could, so I am happy with that. Wind was a bit of a factor today, but overall I'm happy with today."
Cody Warren: top American. Rob Jones photoCody Warren, the early leader, was the top American finisher, in 13th.
"My run was pretty good. It went by so fast it was amazing. I got to the bottom and I was like, 'oh we are pedaling now' and put my head down and tried to breathe as much as possible and not seize up."
"Yeah, I was expecting to be in the lead [he was 20th rider to start and was an early leader until Bryn Atkinson surpassed his time]. I was just trying to get down in the lowest time possible, because I know they are going to go pretty fast. I was pretty happy with my result, it's been kind of a lousy season so far."