June 8, 2008 (Fort William, Scotland) — The 100th UCI World Cup downhill event is in the history books, and South Africa’s Greg Minnaar will go down as the winner. Minnaar lead a Santa Cruz Syndicate attack that saw all three team members take a step on the podium. Gee Atherton (Gbr) of the Animal Commencal team took second place while the legendary Steve Peat (Gbr) took third place. Aussie Nathan Rennie (Santa Cruz Syndicate) took fourth and fellow countryman Sam Hill (Monster Energy-Iron Horse) finished 5th.

Minnaar managed to max out his points for the weekend taking the win in the finals as well as the top qualifier position, helping him move ever closer to overall leader Hill. Minnaar spoke about his run while waiting for the podium ceremonies. “I carried speed pretty well up top, when I got to the bottom at the motorway I had a quick thought that if I couldn’t do it this run I didn’t know what I’d have to do to score a win. It was only that very second to last jump that I noticed my teammates jumping up and down so I gave a couple of extra pedal stroked to be sure. It really was revenge [on last year].”

The top finisher for the Canadian men was Andrew Mitchell (Can) Cove Bikes in 57th. Steve Smith (Team Cove Bikes) is out with an injured knee suffered in training and his status for the DH Worlds in two weeks is questionable. When asked if he was going to race at worlds the youngster proved he is growing up fast, “I have a long career ahead of me, it isn’t worth risking it if I am not ready”.

For the women it was Tracy Moseley (Gbr) Kona donning her skinsuit to dominate the field and show them that a skinsuit is still in style when you are wearing a gold medal around your neck. “It was pretty good. A few sketchy sections. A few sections i wasn’t happy with how I rode and some sections I rode better than in practice. The wind was on and off, sometimes it was a tailwind and then you’d turn and hit it. That was the reason I wore a skinsuit, much to most people’s disgust. On a rack like this, i definitely think there is something to be gained with that.”

Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Maxxis took second place while Rachel Atherton (Gbr) Animal Commencal was third.

Top Canadian finisher for the women was Claire Buchar (Can) Intense in 11th place and Micayla Gatto (Can) Commencal/Marzocchi placed 15th.

Results

Elite Women

1. Tracy Moseley (Gbr) Kona 5.20.87
2. Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Team Maxxis 0.04.13
3. Rachel Atherton (Gbr) Animal Commencal 0.05.93
4. Mio Suemasa (Jpn) MS-Intense Factory-Racing 0.14.73
5. Melissa Buhl (USA) KHS 0.24.33
6. Céline Gros (Fra) Solid Aclass Factory Team 0.24.73
7. Myriam Nicole (Fra) 0.25.23
8. Fionn Griffiths (Gbr) Norco World Team 0.25.63
9. Anita Molcik (Aut) 4 Elements Yeti/Hotec/Rsp 0.28.23
10. Kathleen Pruitt (USA) 0.31.33
11. Claire Buchar (Can) Intense 0.31.53
12. Emilie Siegenthaler (Sui) Suspension Center 0.34.73
13. Miriam Ruchti (Swi) Sport Promotion 0.35.33
14. Joanna Petterson (RSA) 0.40.83
15. Micayla Gatto (Can) Commencal Marzocchi 0.41.23
16. Diana Marggraff (Ecu) 0.43.63
17. Katy Curd (Gbr) 0.45.13
18. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth (Aut) 0.47.23
19. Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Suspension Center 0.50.23
20. Elisa Canepa (Ita) Playbiker – Iron Horse 0.53.63
21. Floriane Pugin (Fra) Playbiker – Iron Horse 1.07.33

Elite Men

1. Greg Minnaar (RSA) Santa Cruz Syndicate 4.43.52
2. Gee Atherton (Gbr) Animal Commencal 0.03.18
3. Steve Peat (Gbr) Santa Cruz Syndicate 0.03.88
4. Nathan Rennie (Aus) Santa Cruz Syndicate 0.04.68
5. Samuel Hill (Aus) Monster Energy / Iron Horse 0.05.18
6. Dan Atherton (Gbr) Animal Commencal 0.06.28
7. Justin Leov (Nzl) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team 0.08.88
8. Ben Cathro (Gbr) Mojo Orange
9. Samuel Blenkinsop (Nzl) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team 0.09.48
10. Mickael Pascal (Fra) MSC Bikes 0.10.38
11. Florent Payet (Fra) Subaru Mountain Bike Pro Team 0.11.58
12. Julien Camellini (Fra) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 0.11.88
13. Chris Kovarik (Aus) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 0.12.08
14. Marc Beaumont (Gbr) Team BikeRadar 0.12.68
15. C̩dric Gracia (Fra) Commencal РFurious РOakley Team 0.12.78
16. Josh Bryceland (Gbr) Santa Cruz Syndicate 0.13.58
17. Chris Hutchens (Gbr) Mojo Orange 0.13.68
18. Pasqual Canals Flix (Spa) Massi
19. Bernat Guardia Pascual (Spa) MSC Bikes 0.14.08
20. Ivan Oulego Moreno (Spa) Massi 0.14.58
21. Bryn Atkinson (Aus) GT Bicycle 0.14.68
22. Fabien Pedemanaud (Fra) Team Pyrenees Morewood 0.15.28
23. Brendan Fairclough (Gbr) Monster Energy / Iron Horse 0.15.38
24. Filip Polc (Svk) Kenda Tomac 0.15.48
25. Neil Donoghue (Gbr) Team BikeRadar 0.16.78
26. David Vazquez Lopez (Spa) Lapierre Dh Powered By Saab Salomon 0.17.78
27. Mitchell Delfs (Aus) Kenda Tomac 0.18.08
28. Andrew Neethling (RSA) GT Bicycle 0.18.18
29. Sam Dale (Gbr) Cannondale Factory Racing 0.18.28
30. Oscar Saiz Castane (Spa) Giant Mountain Bike Team 0.18.88
31. Kyle Strait (USA) Specialized Factory Racing
32. Joshua Button (Aus) 0.19.08
33. Matthew Simmonds (Gbr) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 0.19.68
34. Dan Stanbridge (Gbr) Mojo Orange 0.19.98
35. Danny Hart (Gbr) Lapierre Dh Powered By Saab Salomon 0.20.38
36. Thibaut Ruffin (Fra) 0.21.18
37. Dominik Gspan (Swi) 0.21.48
38. Wyn Masters (Nzl) 0.22.08
39. Ben Reid (Irl) 0.22.98
40. Alan Beggin (Ita) 0.23.08
41. Samuel Zbinden (Swi) Argentina Bike Gravity Team 0.24.08
42. Markus Pekoll (Aut) Solid Aclass Factory Team 0.24.18
43. Daniel Critchlow (Gbr) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 0.24.68
44. Mathieu Troquier (Fra) Solid Aclass Factory Team 0.24.78
45. Valentin Juillard (Fra) Team Sunn 0.25.28
46. Markolf Berchtold (Bra) 0.25.4_
47. Joseph Smith (Gbr) Tomac Factory Racing 0.25.58
48. Marcel Beer (Swi) IXS Sports Division Racing Team 0.26.38
49. Aari Barrett (Nzl) 0.26.48
50. Lars Sternberg (USA) 0.26.68
51. Antonio Ferreiro Pajuelo (Spa) Massi 0.26.88
52. Ruaridh Cunningham (Gbr) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense 0.27.18
53. Brook Macdonald (Nzl)
54. Claudio Caluori (Swi) Tomac Factory Racing 0.27.38
55. Tom Deacon (Gbr) 0.27.58
55. Jack Geoghegan (Gbr)
57. Andrew Mitchell (Can) Cove Bikes 0.27.78
58. Kévin Danh Pha (Fra) Team Pyrenees Morewood 0.28.38
59. Will Rischbieth (Aus)
60. Ben Ineson (Gbr) Reverse Components 0.28.58
61. Arnaud Delente (Fra) 0.28.78
62. Amiel Cavalier (Aus) Giant Mountain Bike Team
63. Espen Johnsen (Nor) 0.29.78
64. Scott Mears (Gbr) 0.30.08
65. Cameron Cole (Nzl) Team Maxxis 0.30.58
66. Stuart Jenkinson (Gbr) Printexpress UK MTB Team 0.31.38
67. Kieran Bennett (Nzl) 0.34.58
68. Joe Barnes (Gbr) 0.34.88
69. Marco Bugnone (Ita) 0.42.28
70. Herman Olund (Swe) 0.42.68
71. Jared Rando (Aus) Giant Mountain Bike Team 0.56.08
72. Marcus Klausmann (Ger) Team Ghost International 0.58.58
73. Damien Spagnolo (Fra) Subaru Mountain Bike Pro Team 1.32.58
74. Rowan Sorrell (Gbr) 1.34.18
75. Dertell Dennis (Swe) 1.42.98
76. Fabien Barel (Fra) Subaru Mountain Bike Pro Team 1.57.28
77. Cyrille Kurtz (Fra) 2.06.68
78. Philip Ashbridge (Gbr) 5.34.98
79. Adam Vagner (Cze) 46.23.18