June 02, 2012 (Val di Sole, Italy) –  Under a baking sun, the qualifications for round two of the UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup took place today in Val di Sole. In temperatures that got broke the thirty degree barrier, 283 athletes competed for the 100 spots [20 women + 80 men]  in Sunday’s final.

The women’s qualification was up first and Emmeline Ragot (Fra) MS Mondraker Team continued to dominate the field. The defending world champion backed up her fast time in practice, blazing down in an untouchable 3:56.17. Rachel Atherton (Gbr) GT Factory Racing had the closest time at six seconds back in 4:02.79 – a solid result after missing round one to recover from injuries.

Myriam Nicole (Fra) Commencal/Riding Addiction was third, a further seven seconds back with a time of 4:09.19, and although this is a track that suits her aggressive style, she will surely be disappointed with that she isn’t in that top spot.

Junior World Champion Manon Carpenter (Great Britain) elected not to set a time – after finishing in the top 20 in the last round in South Africa she is a protected rider and chose to use the time to recover after a big crash yesterday. Canada’s Miranda Miller (Santa Cruz/SRAM) qualified with her 15th place time of 4:36.092 while Vaea Verbeek did not advance placing 33rd – only the top 20 make the final.

Last season’s series winner, Aaron Gwin (USA) Trek World Racing, literally tore the men’s field apart this afternoon, posting a time of 3:16.69 – a whopping 7.64 seconds up on his nearest rival. In a sport often separated by mere tenths of a second, that is an incredible margin and the winner of the last round, Greg Minnaar (RSA) Santa Cruz Syndicate, could only manage 3:24.34.

Winner of the race here in 2010, Marc Beaumont (Gbr) GT Factory Racing, was half a second further back to take third with a time of 3:24.88. Top Italian was Marco Milivinti, who rode down in 3:33.66 putting him in 28th. As testament to the brutal nature of this course, eleven riders didn’t make it through practice to take part in qualification today.

With points available for qualifying, most riders tend to go flat-out as it can make all the difference in the hunt for the overall championship. The question remains though, how much were riders holding back? Times in tomorrow’s final will almost certainly be faster if the weather holds, but Ragot and Gwin’s leads are significant and knowing how much time they have to find will certainly put the rest of the field under pressure. Steve Smith (Can) Devinci Global Racing was a DNF but still qualifies for tomorrow’s final.

Results (brief)

Elite Women

1. Emmeline Ragot (Fra) MS Mondraker Team 3:56.179
2. Rachel Atherton (Gbr) GT Factory Racing 6.617
3. Myriam Nicole (Fra) Commencal/Riding Addiction 13.011
4. Floriane Pugin (Fra) Scott11 16.712
5. Emilie Siegenthaler (Sui) Scott11 17.186

15. Miranda Miller (Can) Santa Cruz/SRAM 39.913
33. Vaea Verbeek (Can) 1:13.483

Elite Men

1. Aaron Gwin (USA) Trek World Racing 3:16.693
2. Greg Minnaar (RSA) Santa Cruz Syndicate 7.649
3. Marc Beaumont (Gbr) GT Factory Racing 8.194
4. Gee Atherton (Gbr) GT Factory Racing 9.191
5. Rémi Thirion (Fra) Labyrinth Shimano Racing Team 9.918
6. Samuel Hill (Aus) Monster Energy-Specialized 10.108
7. Josh Bryceland (Gbr) Santa Cruz Syndicate 10.771
8. Danny Hart (Gbr) Giant Factory Off-Road Team 10.823
9. Cameron Cole (Nzl) Lapierre International 11.437
10. Samuel Blenkinsop (Nzl) Lapierre International 12.59
11. Richard Rude Jr* (USA) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team 12.854
12. Bernard Kerr (Gbr) 13.226
13. Damien Spagnolo (Fra) MS Mondraker Team 13.4
14. Brook MacDonald (Nzl) MS Mondraker Team 13.493
15. Justin Leov (Nzl) Trek World Racing 13.536
16. George Brannigan (Nzl) Devinci Global Racing 13.542
17. Joshua Button (Aus) SC-Intense 13.58
18. Mickael Pascal (Fra) Ck Racing Santacruz 13.687
19. Benjamin Torrano (Fra) 13.876
20. Steve Peat (Gbr) Santa Cruz Syndicate 14.112
21. Brendan Fairclough (Gbr) Scott11 14.627
22. Marcelo Villegas Gutierrez (Col) CG Racing Brigade 14.923
23. Michael Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson United Ride 14.954
24. Florent Payet (Fra) SC-Intense 14.983
25. Loic Bruni* (Fra) Lapierre International 15.204
26. Francisco Pardal (Por) 15.629
27. Harry Heath (Gbr) Unior Tools Team 15.929
28. Marco Milivinti (Ita) Torpado Surfing Shop 16.974
29. Pierre Charles Georges (Fra) Team Lac Blanc / Solid / Batibois Alsace 17.074
30. Mitchell Delfs (Aus) Kona 17.159
31. Charly Di Pasquale (Fra) XCYTT Racing 17.282
32. Gianluca Vernassa* (Ita) Devinci Global Racing 17.668
33. Patrick Thome (Fra) Lapierre International 17.7
34. Matthew Simmonds (Gbr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof 17.931
35. Nejc Rutar (Slo) Unior Tools Team 18.104
36. Julien Camellini (Fra) 18.159
37. Lewis Buchanan (Gbr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof 18.182
38. Robin Wallner (Swe) Team Are Bikepark By W-Racing 18.256
39. Aurélien Giordanengo (Fra) Topcycle By Trek 18.324
40. Markus Pekoll (Aut) MS Mondraker Team 18.332
41. Luke Strobel (USA) 18.509
42. Sam Dale (Gbr) 18.984
43. Lorenzo Suding (Ita) Pila-Black Arrows-MTB Herin School Asd 19.155
44. Andrew Neethling (RSA) Giant Factory Off-Road Team 19.441
45. Jack Reading (Gbr) 19.564
46. Joseph Smith (Gbr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof 19.65
47. Connor Fearon* (Aus) Kona 19.712
 48. Matthew Beer (Can) Intense Cycles/ Fox Shox 19.826
49. Fraser Mcglone* (Gbr) 20.225
50. Nick Beer (Sui) Devinci Global Racing 20.68
 51. Kyle Sangers (Can) Pivot/Kenda 20.692
52. Bryn Atkinson (Aus) Team Norco International 20.813
53. Thibaut Ruffin (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction 20.951
54. Richard Thomas (Gbr) 20.973
55. Bernat Guardia Pascual (Esp) 21.318
56. Matthias Stonig (Aut) 21.427
57. Manuel Gruber (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria 21.589
58. Emanuel Pombo (Por) 21.916
59. Marcus Klausmann (Ger) Ghost Factory Racing Team 21.972
60. Jared Graves (Aus) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team 22.054
61. Dan Stanbridge (Gbr) Dirt Norco Race Team 22.095
62. Benny Strasser (Ger) Mag41.de Racing Team 22.288
63. Faustin Figaret (Fra) SC-Intense 22.35
64. Johannes Fischbach (Ger) Ghost Factory Racing Team 22.409
65. Harry Molloy (Gbr) Madison Saracen Downhill Team 22.431
66. Ruaridh Cunningham (Gbr) 22.591
67. Miran Vauh (Slo) Crn trn GT 22.759
68. Oscar Harnstrom (Swe) Pila-Black Arrows-Mtb Herin School Asd 22.911
69. Mathieu Gallean (Fra) Dagg-Racing 22.99
70. Ziga Pandur (Slo) Unior Tools Team 23.543
71. Eliot Jackson (USA) Yeti Fox Shox Factory Race Team 23.678
72. Emyr Davies (Gbr) 24.56
73. Alexander Kangas (Swe) 24.805
74. Matti Lehikoinen (Fin) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof 25.024
75. Yoann Barelli (Fra) 25.091
76. Oliwer Kangas (Swe) 25.253
77. Carlo Caire* (Ita) Argentina Bike Gravity Team 25.562
78. Arthur Parret (Fra) Passion Velo.Fr 25.721
79. Renaud Smaniotto (Fra) Passion Velo.Fr 25.949
80. Mathias Haas (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria 26.094
81. Gaetan Ruffin (Fra) Commencal / Riding Addiction 26.168
82. Ivan Oulego Moreno (Esp) 26.253
83. George Gannicott* (Gbr) 26.294
84. Boris Tetzlaff (Aut) Alpine Commencal Austria 26.333
85. Benjamin Verrier (Fra) 26.353
86. Florian Arthus (Fra) XCYTT Racing 26.362
87. Greg Williamson (Gbr) 26.418
88. Filip Polc (Svk) POLCSTER RACING 26.553
89. Pierrick Lannes* (Fra) Aix VTTThrifty 26.576
90. Daniel Pombo (Por) 26.586
91. Ben Reid (Irl) Dirt Norco Race Team 26.755
92. Mark Scott (Gbr) 26.871
93. Belli Walter (Ita) 26.974
94. Nico Vink (Bel) Rose Vaujany Gravity MTB Team 27.001
95. Edgar Carballo Gonzalez (Esp) 27.222
96. Alexis Pujol (Fra) 27.34
97. Noel Niederberger* (Sui) Scott11 27.367
98. Cyrille Kurtz (Fra) CK Racing Santacruz 27.692
99. Attila Liszi (Hun) 27.959
100. Christopher McGlinchey* (Irl) 28.113
101. Martin Mikulenka (Cze) 28.367
102. Guillaume Cauvin* (Fra) Hutchinson United Ride 28.376
103. Iraitz Etxebarria (Esp) 28.554
104. Jan Cepelak* (Cze) 28.813
105. Oliver Burton (Gbr) 28.924
106. Scott Mears (Gbr) 29.04
107. Andrea Mocellin (Ita) Team Axo/Pro-Gest 29.362
108. Mathew Stuttard (Gbr) 29.581
109. Nicolas Walser (Sui) 29.728
110. Robert Smith (Gbr) 29.793
111. Rudy Cabirou* (Fra) 30.044
112. Matej Charvat (Cze) Banshee Bikes Factory Team 30.114
113. Adam Brayton (Gbr) 30.132
114. Gareth Brewin (Gbr) 30.237
115. Lars Vatnebryn Sandviken (Nor) 30.792
116. Quentin Chanudet (Fra) 30.829
117. Jérôme Crocombette (Fra) Passion Velo.fr 31.132
118. Martin Jouet Pastre* (Fra) 31.265
 119. Remi Gauvin (Can) PerformX/Young Guns 31.446
120. Thomas Jeandin (Sui) 31.48
121. Duncan Riffle (USA) Dirt Norco Race Team 31.512
122. Zakarias Blom Johansen (Nor) 31.551
123. Julien Piccolo (Fra) 31.999
124. Niklas Wallner (Swe) Team Are Bikepark By W-Racing 32.069
125. Rick Balbierer (Ger) 32.125
126. Nikolay Pukhir (Rus) 32.148
127. Popo Ariyo Sejati (Ina) 32.386
128. Ronan Taylor (Gbr) 32.587
129. Tommy Herrmann (Ger) 32.696
130. Jan Uruba* (Cze) 32.707
131. Simon Cardon (Fra) XCYTT Racing 32.989
132. Ludovic May (Sui) 33.021
133. Billy Matthews* (Gbr) Steve Peat Syndicate 33.263
134. Bernardo Neves (Bra) 33.806
135. Joe Connell* (Gbr) 34.058
136. Pietro Caire (Ita) Argentina Bike Gravity Team 34.271
137. Ondrej Stepanek* (Cze) 34.635
138. Thomas Braithwaite (Gbr) 34.891
139. Phil Atwill* (Gbr) Madison Saracen Downhill Team 34.902
140. Dan Sheridan* (Irl) 35.175
141. Logan Binggeli (USA) 35.356
142. Jan Javornik (Svk) 35.463
143. Mario Milani (Ita) 35.499
144. Bryn Dickerson (Nzl) 35.648
145. Fabien Cousinie (Fra) Hutchinson United Ride 36.601 Q
146. Ivan Oziol (Fra) 37.107
147. Erik Irmisch (Ger) 37.134
148. Francesco Colombo* (Ita) Team Axo/Pro-Gest 37.213
149. Martin Hanak (Cze) 37.224
150. Lukas Splichal (Cze) 37.758
151. Robert Williams (Gbr) 38.539
152. Gerard Wolfe (Irl) 39.088
153. Lukas Ucen (Svk) 39.405
154. Richard Leacock (Nzl) 39.489
155. Markus Planitzer (Aut) 39.493
156. Rajmund Lukacs (Hun) 39.526
157. Justyn Norek (Ita) Argentina Bike Gravity Team 39.627
158. Alex Bond (Gbr) Chain Reaction Cycles.Com / Nukeproof 39.632
159. Clément Benoit (Fra) 39.821
160. Luis Zarco* (Esp) Team 23 Degrees 41.436
161. Jamie Lyall (Nzl) 41.596
162. Seanan O’riordan (Irl) 42.738
163. Romain Contreres (Fra) Topcycle by Trek 45.558
164. Mario Reinbacher (Aut) 46.499
165. Ondrej Barta (Cze) 47.184
166. Vit Kucian* (Cze) 48.004
167. Marcel Beer (Sui) 48.071
168. Ville Ormo* (Fin) 48.224
169. Luke Stevens (Can) 49.007
170. Loris Vespa* (Fra) Passion Velo.fr 49.76
171. Siegfried Zellner* (Ger) 52.782
172. Marcis Scerbinins (Lat) 52.873
173. Rudolf Biedermann (Sui) 53.403
174. Ruben Martins (Por) 55.387
175. Devis Tonelli* (Ita) Torpado Surfing Shop 55.758
176. Riccardo Callini* (Ita) Torpado Surfing Shop 56.207
177. Jonathan Debus (Ger) 56.214
178. Guilherme Renke (Bra) 57.545
179. Máté Ettinghausen* (Hun) 57.899
180. Tilen Leban* (Slo) 58.725
181. Rastislav Baranek* (Svk) 59.522
182. Jordan Maupas* (Fra) XCYTT Racing 1:00.690
183. Igor Shilin (Rus) 1:04.769
184. Endre Szabo (Hun) 1:05.533
185. Benjamin Bernardi* (Fra) Haut-Jura Vtt 1:06.360
186. Freddie Oxley* (Gbr) Steve Peat Syndicate 1:06.385
187. Snorre Setrom Taftö (Nor) Team Fokus-Danica 1:07.050
188. Jakub Pekar* (Cze) 1:09.932
189. Maxim Butenko (Rus) 1:12.032
190. Johann Potgieter (RSA) Canfield Factory Team 1:13.568
191. Andreas Gasser (Aut) 1:15.952
192. Andrea Pigazzini* (Fra) Haut-Jura VTT 1:22.132
193. Orlando Sarioglou (Gre) 1:23.962
194. Pornomo Pornomo (Ina) 1:30.639
195. Julian Hibben* (Ger) Rose Vaujany Gravity MTB Team 1:30.748
196. Luca Biwer* (Ger) 1:37.354
197. Joris Imbaud* (Fra) Haut-Jura VTT 1:45.842
198. Mahdi Mirzahosseini (Iri) 2:26.369
199. Martin Frei (Sui) 2:50.589
200. Dominik Gspan (Sui) 3:20.424
201. Lars Peyer (Sui) SC-Intense 3:54.990
DNF Martin Knapec* (Svk)
DNF Jakob Thunell* (Swe) Team Are Bikepark by W-Racing
DNF Joonas Savolainen (Fin)
DNF Dennis Dertell (Swe) Team 23 Degrees
DNF Kristoffer Haugland (Nor)
DNF Knut Jorgen Lokas (Nor)
DNF Kevin Aiello (USA)
DNF Steve Smith (Can) Devinci Global Racing  Q
DNF Edward Masters (Nzl)
DNF Leo Combee (Ned) Rose Vaujany Gravity MTB Team
DNF Martin Messavilla (Ita)
DNF Stefano Mezzetta* (Ita)
DNF Alexandre Fayolle* (Fra)
DNS Cédric Gracia (Fra) CG Racing Brigade
DNS Neko Mulally (USA) Trek World Racing
DNS Isak Leivsson (Nor)
DNS Timothy Bentley (RSA) Hutchinson United Ride
DNS Romain Paulhan (Fra) Scott11
DNS Noah Grossman (Ger)
DNS Miklos Kantor (Hun)
DNS Samuel Zbinden (Sui)
DNS Dean Lucas* (Aus)
DNS Simon Stuttard (Gbr)
DNS Johannes von Klebelsberg* (Ita)
DNS Jasper Jauch (Ger)

*U23