One year ago, Romain Saladini won his first World Cup stage in Maribor. The French rider had his sights set on big things at the beginning of this season--an overall World Cup victory. Not everything went as he imagined. But in the Schladming rain, the Sunn rider wanted this first victory. After World Champion Rafael Alvarez and main contender Guido Tschugg were eliminated in the quarterfinals, this World Cup race was all but over. Romain Saladini did not tremble as he faced Dan Atherton, winner in Vallnord, who finished second.
 
Photo by Santa Cruz

In the women’s race, Anneke Beerten was sure of winning a second World Cup title. She finished second in Schladming, leaving the victory to the Czech Romana Labounkova.
 
In the downhill, Sabrina Jonnier still hoped to spoil the series overall results. But the former World Champion was never really in the race. Especially in contrast to Rachel Atherton, who completely humbled her rivals. The World Champion won both rounds without any problems. In the final, she beat Floriane Pugin by 13 seconds! With four stage victories (Vallnord, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Bromont and Schladming), she won the overall World Cup title. The youngest of the Atherton family could well rule for a few years.
 
The Men’s downhill final saw many surprises! We were waiting for an amazing battle between What In The Sam Hill and ex World Champ Greg Minnaar. It didn’t happen. The Schladming race saw the emergence of a huge talent in the name of Samuel Blenkinsop. The 2006 Juniors World Vice-champion completely dominated the final stage. Winner in the morning round, the New Zealander stood up to the pressure to sign the best final time. Hill, author of several mistakes in the final took second place. Fourth in Schladming, Minnaar took his third overall World Cup victory (after 2001 and 2005). 
 
Photo by Santa Cruz

SCHLADMING WORLD CUP DH RESULTS
1. Samuel Blenkinsop (NZl)...Yeti-Fox Shox...4.10.16
2. Samuel Hill (Aus)...Monster-Iron Horse...4.11.80
3. Gee Atherton (GBr)...Animal Commencal...4.12.36
4. Steve Peat (GBr)...Santa Cruz Syn...4.13.20
5. Greg Minnaar (RSA)...Santa Cruz Syn...4.17.56
6. Justin Leov (NZl)...Yeti-Fox Shox...4.18.33
7. Fabien Barel (Fra)...Subaru...4.18.49
8. Aaron Gwin (USA)...Yeti-Fox Shox...4.21.44
9. Mitchell Delfs (Aus)...Kenda-Tomac...4.21.60
10.Andrew Neethling (RSA)...GT...4.21.87
47. Luke Strobel (USA)...Maxxis...4.31.44
69. Duncan Riffle (USA)...Cannondale The Cut...4.35.82
WOMEN
1. Rachel Atherton (GBr)...Animal Commencal...4.47.21
2. Floriane Pugin (Fra)...Playbiker-Iron Horse...5.00.88
3. Sabrina Jonnier (Fra)...Maxxis...5.01.33
4. Tracy Moseley (GBr)...Kona...5.04.05
5. Emmeline Ragot (Fra)...Suspension Center...5.04.94
6. Fionn Griffiths (GBr)...Norco...5.10.07
7. Helen Gaskell (GBr)...5.12.41
8. Petra Bernhard (Aut)...5.14.54
9. Claire Buchar (Can)...Intense-Sombrio...5.19.51
10. Anita Molcik (Aut)...4 Elements Yeti-Hotec-RSP...5.25.39
 
FINAL 2008 WORLD CUP DOWNHILL STANDINGS
1. Greg Minnaar (RSA)...Santa Cruz Syn...1354  points
2. Samuel Hill (Aus)...Monster-Iron Horse...1293
3. Gee Atherton (GBr)...Animal Commencal..1207
4. Steve Peat (GBr)...Santa Cruz Syn...1099
5. Samuel Blenkinsop (NZl)...Yeti-Fox Shox...794
6. Fabien Barel (Fra)...Subaru...717
7. Nathan Rennie (Aus)...Santa Cruz Syn...620
8. Justin Leov (NZl)...Yeti-Fox Shox...614
9. Chris Kovarik (Aus)...Chain Reaction-Intense...608
10.Julien Camellini (Fra)...Chain Reaction-Intense...505
 
WALL OF FAME
EVERY AMERICAN TO EARN A 2008 WORLD CUP DH POINT
26.Aaron Gwin...Yeti-Fox Shox...199 points---37. Luke Strobel...Maxxis...166---52. Kyle Strait...Specialized...93---56. Duncan Riffle...Cannondale...85---69. John Swanguen...MS-Intense...56---70. Cody Warren...Specialized-Redline...54---82. Ryan Condrashoff...X-Fusion/Santa Cruz/Nema/Dean...39---111. Cole Bangert...Specialized-Decline...22---114. Bradley Benedict...X-Fusion...22---141. Jason Memmelaar...Scott-Diablo...16---144. Geoffrey Ulmer...Playbiker-Iron Horse...15---157. Geritt Beytagh...Morewood...14---166. Brad Oien...odi-Southridge-Turner...12---175. Caleb Cambern...Front Range...12---186. Lars Sternberg...Fluidride-Foxshox...11---190. Eli Krahenbuhl...Trek-Hayes-Ringle-Gamut-FoxShox...11---201. Joey Schusler...Yeti-Fox Shox...9---204. David Camp...Sol Vista Bike Park...9---212. Dave Trumpore...Transcend-Iron Horse...9---216. John Hauer...GT...9---247. Derrick Nobman...Ninety Degrees...8---251. Evan Turpen...Kona...6---256. Curtis Keene...Specialized-Decline...6---257. Matthew Johnston...KHS...6---260. Matthew Fisher...Thefixbikes...6---266. Philip Wheeler...The Fix...6---268. Chris Shewmake......Sol Vista Bike Park...6---269. Douglas Ewer...Big Crank Racing...6---270. Andrew Pierce...Specialized/Go-ride...6---282. Brian Buell...Geronimo Racing...6---286. Michael Buell...Geronimo Racing...6---287. Steve Wentz...Sol Vista Bike Park...6---334. Lee Trumpore...Transcend...3---341. Matthew Thompson...Big Crank Racing...3---356. Alexander Vidal...The Fix-Transition-Fox-Diety...3---357. Adam Morse...Cobra Cons...3---387. Chris Heath...Tomac-Hayes-Smith-Manitou...3---391. Tyler McCaul...Specialized-FoxShox-Spyder...3---407. Chris Boice...Yeti-Fox Shox...3---428. Heikki Hall...E13-Hayes-Michelin-Smith-SDG...3 points
 
FINAL 2008 WORLD CUP WOMEN DOWNHILL STANDINGS
1. Rachel Atherton (GBr)...Animal Commencal...1533 points
2. Sabrina Jonnier (Fra)...Maxxis...1335
3. Tracy Moseley (GBr)...Kona...1272
4. Emmeline Ragot (Fra)...Suspension Center...898
5. Floriane Pugin (Fra)...Playbiker-Iron Horse...852
6. Fionn Griffiths (GBr)...Norco...798
7. Mio Suemasa (Jpn)...MS-Intense...687
8. Claire Buchar (Can)...Intense-Sombrio...539
9. Anita Molcik (Aut)... 4 Elements Yeti-Hotec-RSP...504
10. Myriam Nicole (Fra)...406
20. Melissa Buhl (USA)...KHS...199 points
21. Kathleen Pruitt (USA)...Jamis...191
67. Darian Harvey (USA)...Sobe-Cannondale...3
68.Wendy Reynolds (USA)...Sobe-Cannondale...3
 
TOP 10 WORLD CUP DH TEAMS
1. Santa Cruz Syndicate...618 points
2. Animal Commencal...582
3. Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team...351
4. Monster Energy-Iron Horse...325
5. Team Maxxis...303
6. Chain Reaction Cycles-Intense...257
7. Playbiker-Iron Horse...247
8. Subaru Mountain Bike Pro Team...246
9. Suspension Center...246
10. Kona...228
WOMEN
1. Santa Cruz Syndicate...618 points
2. Animal Commencal...582
3. Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team...351
4. Monster Energy-Iron Horse...325
5. Team Maxxis...303
6. Chain Reaction Cycles-Intense...257
7. Playbiker-Iron Horse...247
8. Subaru Mountain Bike Pro Team...246
9. Suspension Center...246
10. Kona...228
 
SCHLADMING WORLD CUP 4X RESULTS
1. Romain Saladini (Fra)...Sunn                          
2. Dan Atherton (GBr)...Animal Commencal                      
3. Joost Wichman (Ned)...Cannondale            
4. Jakub Hnidak (Cze)...Krabcycles                                      
5. Roger Rinderknecht (Swi)                               
6. Kamil Tatarkovic (Cze) Suzuki-RB                         
7. Aurelien Giordanengo (Fra)                               
8. Jurg Meijer (Ned)                                 
9. Cedric Gracia (Fra)...Commencal-Furious-Oakley   
10. Rafael Alvarez (Spa)...Specialized
33. John Swanguen (USA)...MS-Intense
WOMEN
1. Romana Labounkova (Cze)                                  
2. Anneke Beerten (Ned) MS-Intense           
3. Jana Horakova (Cze) Suzuki-RB                            
4. Angelika Hohenwarter (Aut)                               
5. Fionn Griffiths (GBr) Norco                  
6. Lucia Oetjen (Swi)                                       
7. Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Suspension Center                   
8. Helene Fruhwirth (Aut)                           
9. Mio Suemasa (Jpn) MS-Intense           
10. Diana Marggraff (Ecu)                                   
20. Neven Steinmetz (USA)...Totally Wired
 
FINAL 2008 WORLD CUP 4X STANDINGS
1. Rafael Alvarez (Spa)...895 points
2. Guido Tschugg (Ger)...830
3. Dan Atherton (GBr)...Animal Commencal...755
4. Cedric Gracia (Fra) Commencal-Furious-Oakley...610
5. Romain Saladini (Fra)...Sunn...590
6. Jared Graves (Aus) Yeti-Fox Shox...500
7. Joost Wichman (Ned)...Cannondale...465
8. Johannes Fischbach (Ger)...Ghost...445
9. Kamil Tatarkovic (Cze)...Suzuki-RB...395
10. Filip Polc (Svk)...Kenda-Tomac...210
12. Brain Lobes (USA)...Oakley-Ibis...200
23. John Swanguen (USA)...MS-Intense...80
26. Ross Milan (USA) Yeti-Fox Shox...70
33. Thomas Tokarczyk (USA)...Jamis-Shark Energy...30
45. Erik Nelson (USA)...Troy Lee-Michelin...10
WOMEN
1. Anneke Beerten (Ned) MS-Intense...1230 points
2. Anita Molcik (Aut)...4 Elements Yeti-Hotec-RSP...540
3. Mio Suemasa (Jpn)...MS-Intense...480
4. Fionn Griffiths (GBr)...Norco...460
5. Melissa Buhl (USA)...KHS...420
6. Caroline Buchanan (Aus)...370
7. Jana Horakova (Cze)...Suzuki-RB...350
8. Romana Labounkova (Cze)...310
9. Angelika Hohenwarter (Aut)...160
10. Rachel Seydoux (Swi)...150
18.Neven Steinmetz (USA)...Totally Wired...20
 
TOP TEN 4-CROSS TEAMS
1. MS-Intense Factory-Racing...350 points
2. Suzuki-RB...168
3. Animal Commencal...151
4. 4 Elements Yeti-Hotec-RSP...146
5. Commencal-Furious-Oakley Team...141
6. Norco World Team...122
7. Team Sunn...113
8. Team Ghost International...109
9. Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team...104
10. Cannondale Factory Racing...94
WOMEN
1. MS-Intense Factory-Racing...350 points
2. Suzuki-RB...168
3. Animal Commencal...151
4. 4 Elements Yeti-Hotec-RSP...146
5. Commencal-Furious-Oakley Team...141
6. Norco World Team...122
7. Team Sunn...113
8. Team Ghost International...109
9. Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team...104
10. Cannondale Factory Racing...94