June 5, 2005 – Riders got to play on a brand new downhill course, designed and built just for the World Cup this weekend. Precipitation overnight turned the grassy bottom section of the 1.5-kilometre course into power-sucking mud, which got slick as it started to rain again during the men’s race.

Greg Minnaar (RSA, G-Cross-Honda) churned out the fastest run with a time of 2:19.59. Daniel Atherton (GBR, Animal-Giant) hurtled into second place, 3.45 back and Nathan Rennie (AUS, Santa Cruz Syndicate) grabbed third, 3.60 slower than Minnaar. Thomas Vanderham (CAN, Rocky Mountain-Business Objects), Canada’s only entrant, finished 44th.

Downhill queen Anne-Caroline Chausson (FRA, Commencal-Oxbow) won the women’s event in a time of 2:42.88. Chausson was 4.5 seconds faster than Emmeline Ragot (FRA, Maxxis-MSC), who placed second. Vanessa Quin (NZL, Intense) finished third.

The four-cross was marred with problems. It was initially supposed to run Saturday afternoon, but because of a broken start gate, the event was rescheduled for Sunday afternoon. The gate couldn’t be fixed in time, but officials decided to run the race anyway, without the electronic start gate. The men’s field protested and their race was cancelled. The women’s race still went ahead, although most of the racers didn’t know it. Only eight started the race, which Anneke Beerten (NED, Specialized) won. In protest of the poorly organized event, the women on the podium turned their backs to the crowd.

Downhill
Men
1. Greg Minnaar (RSA, G-Cross-Honda) 2:19.59
2. Daniel Atherton (GBR, Animal-Giant) at 3.45
3. Nathan Rennie (AUS, Santa Cruz Syndicate) 3.60
4. Christopher Kovarik (AUS, Intense) 5.17
5. Samuel Hill (AUS, Iron Horse-Mad Catz) 5.87
6. David Vazquez Lopez (ESP, Maxxis-MSC) 6.10
7. Matti Lehikoinen (FIN, G-Cross-Honda) 6.23
8. Cédric Gracia (FRA, Siemens Mobile-Cannondale) 6.36
9. George Atherton (GBR, Animal-Giant) 6.89
10. Markolf Berchtold (BRA, Maxxis-MSC) 7.32
Canadians:
44. Thomas Vanderham (CAN, Rocky Mountain-Business Objects) 13.96

Women
1. Anne-Caroline Chausson (FRA, Commencal-Oxbow) 2:42.88
2. Emmeline Ragot (FRA, Maxxis-MSC) at 4.5
3. Vanessa Quin (NZL, Intense) 5.04
4. Rachel Atherton (GBR, Animal-Giant) 6.65
5. Sabrina Jonnier (FRA, Intense) 11.67
6. Marielle Saner (SUI, Maxxis-MSC) 14.24
7. Helen Gaskell (GBR, Halfords) 14.32
8. Fionn Griffiths (GBR, Norco) 17.51
9. Miriam Ruchti (SUI, iXS) 21.57
10. Petra Bernhard (AUT, MS-Racing) 24.31


Four-Cross
Women
Anneke Beerten (NED, Specialized)