June 26, 2005 (Mont Ste-Anne, Que.) ˆ The day dawned hot and muggy for the World Cup downhillers and things got hotter under their helmets and on the course. Canada’s Danika Schroeter (CAN, Giant) of Vancouver, B.C. had her best-ever World Cup result, placing sixth today and barely missing the podium.

Schroeter, who placed seventh at last year’s World Cup downhill event in Calgary, Alta. and ninth at the 2004 World Championships in Les Gets, France, beat out big name riders, like Fionn Griffiths (GBR, Norco), Vanessa Quin (NZL, Intense) and Anneke Beerten (NED, Specialized).

Tracy Moseley (GBR, Kona-Les Gets) won the event in a time of 5:50.02 on a course that required fitness, stamina as well as guts and good technical skills. Sabrina Jonnier (FRA, Intense), the current World Cup leader, was second by a fraction of a second. Switzerland’s Marielle Saner (SUI, Maxxis-MSC) was third.

The other Canadian women, Katrina Strand (CAN, Rocky Mountain-Business Objects), Claire Buchar (CAN, Merlanduo-BeOne) and Mylene Fortier (CAN, Independent), placed 20th, 22nd and 23rd, respectively.

Fabien Barel (FRA, Kona-Les Gets), the 2004 World Downhill Champion, cruised down the course in 5:02.27 for first place. Greg Minnaar (RSA, G-Cross-Honda) missed gold by 0.52 and had to settle for silver. Marc Beaumont (GBR, MBUK-Santa Cruz) had a career-best result and his first World Cup podium finish when he threw down a third-place run. Barel is in the overall series lead.

Canada’s Charles-Alexandre Dube contributed the best Canadian result, placing 30th.

Results

Men

1. Fabien Barel (FRA, Kona-Les Gets) 5:02.27
2. Greg Minnaar (RSA, G-Cross-Honda) .52
3. Marc Beaumont (GBR, MBUK-Santa Cruz)
4. Mikael Pascal (FRA, Maxxis-MSC) 7.20
5. Chris Kovarik (AUS, Intense) 8.16
6. Justin Leov (NZL, Fox Shox Racing) 9.40
7. Nathan Rennie (AUS, Santa Cruz Syndicate) 11.27
8. Matti Lehikoinen (FIN, G-Cross-Honda) 11.56
9. Bryn Atkinson (AUS, G.T.-Hyundai) 11.84
10. Justin Havukainen (AUS, Iron Horse-Mad Catz) 12.46

Canadians
30. Charles-Alexandre Dube (CAN, DHRacer) 25.28
38. Mathieu Laurin (CAN, Devinci-Daredevil) 30.86
43. Justin Brown (CAN, Norco) 33.01
46. Louis-Philippe Leonard (CAN, Norco) 34.30
48. Geoff Pendrel (CAN, Devinci-Daredevil) 34.61

Women
1. Tracy Moseley (GBR, Kona-Les Gets) 5:50.02
2. Sabrina Jonnier (FRA, Intense) at 0.55
3. Marielle Saner (SUI, Maxxis-MSC) 7.79
4. Celine Gros (FRA, Morzine Avoriaz) 12.71
5. Scarlett Hagen (NZL, Iron Horse-Mad Catz) 13.49
6. Danika Schroeter (CAN, Giant) 13.52
7. Fionn Griffiths (GBR, Norco) 14.27
8. Melissa Buhl (USA, KHS) 14.61
9. Helen Gaskell (GBR, Halfords Bikehut) 14.66
10. Rachel Atherton (GBR, Animal-Giant) 14.95

Other Canadians
20. Katrina Strand (CAN, Rocky Mountain-Business Objects) 53.88
22. Claire Buchar (CAN, Merlanduo-BeOne) 1:13.39
23. Mylene Fortier (CAN, Independent) 1:22.24