UCI DH World Cup 2013: Mount Sainte Anne Preview

Published: 9th August 2013 | By AngusMcIntosh

The next stop on the UCI World Cup tour is fast approaching and the circus is making its way to Mt Sainte Anne, Canada! Check out our preview of the event here!

What happened last time out...

It was a mere 11 days ago since one of the biggest surprises of the 2013 UCI Downhill world cup series with Remi Thirion taking the top spot for the Commencal Riding Addiction team. I don't think anyone including Remi himself saw that one coming! Fair play to the frenchman though, he took more risks than anyone else at the bottom of the course and it certainly paid off for him...

Last time out in Andorra was the first time we had seen Gee Atherton not finish in 1st position which was almost as big shock as Remi taking the win! Gee finished 2nd trailing Remi by 1.35 seconds.

Fan favourite, Sam Hill was tipped for the victory after an awesome showing in Quali finishing 1st but he could only manage 3rd place just 0.406 behind Gee in finals. Sam looked somewhat despondent with that result at the podium presentation. On a track that was almost taylor made for him he will feel disappointed to of let that one slip his grasp!

WATCH LIVE HERE

Onto this weekend...

The track at Mont Sainte Anne is an entirely different beast to Vallnord with whole portions of the track a somewhat flat out wide open affair straight down the middle of the pistes! The track had taken a hammering through the winter so the trail crew have been working harder than ever to get it up and running for the world cup but initial reports coming out of Canada at track walk has left many riders feeling a little flat as it's has been turned into a bit of a motorway.

Last year in Mont Sainte Anne

Mens Results from 2012

Aaron Gwin
Greg Minnaar
Danny Hart
Gee Atherton
Sam Hill

Womens Results from 2012

Rachel Atherton
Myriam Nicole
Emmeline Ragot
Emillie Siegenthaler
Micayla Gatto

On a track such as Mont Sainte Anne expect to see all the usual suspects having a good showing but I would expect to see Sam Hill, Brook MacDonald, Stevie Smith, Mik Hannah and obviously Gee Atherton knocking on the door come podiums!

In the womens race once again it has Rachel Atherton written all over it but I would expect to see Manon Carpenter mixing it with the names seen above. Tahnee Seagrave may only be a junior but with the confidence boost of her victory last week she will be hoping for another good performance!

Its prediction time…

Mens:

Sam Hill
Gee Atherton
Brook Macdonald

Womens:

Rachel Atherton
Manon Carpenter
Emmeline Ragot
Morganne Charre
Pompom

So there we have it... Come race time on Sunday it's set to be one hell of a battle and we can't wait for it!

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