September 6/09 8:29 am - MTB World Championships: Elite Women's DH final

Posted by Editoress on 09/6/09
 

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.

It 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."

Moseley 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."

For the top Canadian, Claire Buchar, it was a step up to a new level. "I was a little bit disappointed. Mostly it was a hard race, pedaling all that last bit. I made some really silly mistakes. I messed up a few lines, almost went out of the tape a couple of times. I think I was just too excited and was panicking a little bit and wasn't really focusing. I wasn't as calm as I should be. This is my third year as a senior. I always get really nervous at World Champs and I always seem to choke. I can usually suppress the nerves but not this time. As soon as I hit the track I was a little bit skittish."

Miranda Miller was the only Canadian to spend time in the Hot Seat. "I knew I wasn't going to be in the hot seat long! My run wasn't as good as I would have liked, but I definitely felt super tired [at the end] and burnt out a little bit. I think maybe it was a long week, but I just didn't have the legs at the end. I didn't crash, but I blew lots of lines and it wasn't really what I'd hoped to have done but, oh well, ce la vie. I really wanted a top ten and to break the three minute mark, but I made some mistakes which didn't let me do that."

Related Photo Galleries