STEVE SMITH WINS DOWNHILL, KING OF MONT-SAINTE-ANNE
Wallace sixth in junior men; Gatto takes eighth in women’s race
(Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC – August 11, 2013) Wearing the sleeve denoting him as Canadian Champion, Steve Smith of Canadian-based Devinci Global Racing made history today at the 2013 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC, becoming the first Canadian men to win a men’s elite downhill race at Mont-Sainte-Anne.
Smith, who took second and third places to kick start the current World Cup season, and finished fourth in the third race of the season, Sunday posted a time of 3:58:485 after completing 2.99-kilometre fast course.
“I couldn’t be more excited. I was very nervous at the top as it was pissing rain. I wasn’t gonna make a game plan on how I would ride it. I tried to ride the track as it was dry, but I was sliding at every corner. The way I was hooking in practice was just not hooking today… it was just like a gloss coat out there. It was scary,” said Steve Smith, still in shock as he was making his way out of the finish compound.
Smith, the last rider to go facing the adversities of rain and ruts due to the sheer number of competitors, becomes the first Canadian men to win a downhill race at Mont-Sainte-Anne.
The victory is sweet for Smith, he who finished in seventh place at the last two years on this hill after winning the silver medal at the World Championships in 2010.
“Every year I am pissed off because I know I can do well here. I just leave too much on the track every year. Seventh place for two years in a row just made me angry. I love this place, and it was going goo all week. I had a lot of fun on the track. I was having lots of fun. This is one of the track where you are going fast all the time, but you have time to think. I realized how much fun I had. I couldn’t have picked a better place to win.”
Smith’s last victory on the World Cup came on the last race of 2012, in Hafjell, Norway. He now has two World Cup victories to his credit.
Welcomed at the finish area like a rock star, with the massive crowd chanting his name, Smith took the time like a gentlemen to pose for portraits, shake people’s hand, sign autograph and soak in the moment.
The men’s race was deep in talent today, with 12 National Champions out of the 17 represented nations, the current World Cup Leader Gee Atherton of Great Britain and the reigning World Champion Greg Minnaar.
Gee Atherton benefited from an earlier start, before the rain started to pour at Mont-Saint-Anne, and managed to post a very fast time in dry conditions, just under the 4-minute bar – the only other rider to reach that milestone. Atherton finished second of the race with a time of 3:59.389, just less than one second more than Smith’s winning run. In third place came Sam Hill of Australia, with a time of 4:00.603
The victory by Smith is the second only among the men in the history of the event at Mont-Sainte-Anne, which has been presented since 1991. In 2001, Roland Green had won the cross-country race, who was followed in second by none other than Canadian rider Ryder Hesjedal.
Smith has two World Championships medals in his career, a silver in 2010 and a bronze in 2012.
Seven other Canadian men qualified for the finals.
GATTO IN TOP 10 OF WOMEN’S RACE
In the women’s elite race, Canada had four women starting the race that included current World Champion Morgane Charre of France and current World Cup Leader Rachel Atherton of Great Britain.
Canadian Champion Micayla Gatto of North Vancouver, BC, was the fastest of the group of Canadians, taking the eighth position. Gatto raced the course in a time of 4:46.700.
“I flatted in qualis, so it was my first full race here. I honestly didn’t feel that great, and it was a mediocre run. Considering how the week has been for me, I am OK with a Top 10,” said the always smiling Gatto. “Just seeing the girls doing the last jump, it makes me want to go home and hit massive jumps and train even harder. Definitely, one taste of the podium is not enough.”
“It was good to be ‘at home’. This morning a little girl came and asked me for my autograph, and this was great. Racing in Québec does feel like home. It’s a bonus that makes it feel comfortable, and at the same time it doesn’t feel like it’s a big race. A great crowd, great people and I absolutely love Mont-Sainte-Anne, an amazing experience,” continued Gatto.
WALLACE TIES CAREER BEST RESULTS ON WORLD CUP TOUR
Mark Wallace of Duncan, BC, the top Canadian junior rider, came back from a crash in the qualifiers on Friday to take the sixth place of the final race, in doing so tying his career best result at a World Cup. Wallace continues to show consistency at the World Cup level, at his first full season racing the tour.
“The run felt pretty good – probably closer to the safe side. At the same time I am very happy to make it down” said the Junior Canadian Champion. “I am satisfied [with sixth place] but I am not at the same time. I wanted to win, especially at home. It’s still my best one yet this year, and I’ll take it. Big thanks to everyone who supports me… sponsors, family and friends.”
Wallace rides and trains with Steve Smith with Canadian-based team Devinci Global Racing, and he learns a lot from the pro. “I am trying to learn everything I can [from Steve]. He teaches me a lot, and I like being around him.”
A large group totalling twelve Canadians took part in the men’s junior race. Jack Iles of Whistler, BC cracked the top 10 with a tenth place, while Alexander Geddes, also of Whistler, finished eleventh. McKay Vezina of Newbury Park, CA suffered from a mechanical issue, and finished the course walking.
The next race for the downhill riders will be Crankworx, in Whistler, next weekend, a race that is also dubbed as the Canada Cup Finals.
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RESULTS – DOWNHILL – UCI WORLD CUP – MONT-SAINTE-ANNE, QC
Elite Men
1. SMITH, Steve (CAN) DEVINCI GLOBAL RACING 3:58.485
2. ATHERTON, Gee (GBR) GT FACTORY RACING +0.904
3. HILL, Samuel (AUS) CHAIN REACTION CYCLES.COM / NUKEPROOF +2.118
4. MINNAAR, Greg (RSA) SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE +2.167
5. GWIN, Aaron (USA) SPECIALIZED RACING DH +3.123
==========
33. RIESCO, Forrest (CAN) +9.803
39. MCDOWALL, Kirk (CAN) +11.557
42. GAUVIN, Remi (CAN) +12.310
53. SANGERS, Kyle (CAN) +15.221
54. THIBAULT, Samuel (CAN) +15.275
59. SLOTEGRAAF, Sidney (CAN) +16.743
DNF. FRASER, Rob (CAN)
Elite Women
1. RAGOT, Émmeline (FRA) LAPIERRE GRAVITY REPUBLIC 4:24.985
2. CARPENTER, Manon (GBR) MADISON SARACEN DOWNHILL TEAM +4.211
3. PUGIN, Floriane (FRA) GSTAAD-SCOTT +7.094
=========
8. GATTO, Micayla (CAN) +21.715
13. VERBEECK, Vaea (CAN) +35.577
15. HILL, Jaime (CAN) +45.552
16. COURTNEY, Kristen (CAN) +52.999
Junior Men
1. VERGIER, Loris (FRA) LAPIERRE GRAVITY REPUBLIC 4:09.969
2. LUCAS, Dean (AUS) AUSTRALIA +0.303
3. NIEDERBERGER, Noel (SUI) GSTAAD-SCOTT +0.964
==========
6. WALLACE, Mark (CAN) DEVINCI GLOBAL RACING +4.766
10. ILES, Jack (CAN) CANADA +9.920
11. GEDDES, Alexander (CAN) CANADA +11.129
23. LANGEVIN, Hugo (CAN) CANADA +19.284
27. HARDWICK, Matt (CAN) CANADA +22.638
29. JACKSON, Lee (CAN) CANADA +26.078
30. DESPRES-MORIN, Benjamin (CAN) CANADA +33.618
33. IRVINE, Bowen (CAN) CANADA +47.344
34. BENNETT, Chris (CAN) CANADA +53.821
35. O’KEEFE, Mitchell (CAN) CANADA +1:07.375
37. VEZINA, McKay (CAN) CANADA +1:36.858
DNF. WYATT, Kelln (CAN) CANADA
