September 6, 2009 (Canberra, Australia) – It took 15 years, but Englishman Steve Peat (GBR, Syndicate) has finally won himself a World Downhill Championship. In front of a rabid Aussie crowd, Peaty received as much cheering as local riders, as he made his way down the short 1.6km course.

“It’s unreal! I keep getting texts from all of my friends at home and that’s what’s making me emotional. It’s gonna take a long time for it to sink in properly I think. I get to wear this jersey for a year, I’m pretty happy. For sure I’ll be back next year. I get to wear this for a year! I have at least one more.” Peat beat out teammate and South African Greg Minaar who was .04 back, and Aussie comeback kid Mick Hannah for third.

Canada was well represented with “Sender” Steve Smith nailing his best ever Worlds result claiming tenth place. “It was great! It’s hard to go fast on this course. I pedalled my balls off with no real mess ups. I didn’t go as fast as I wanted in the rocks but it worked out.”

For the women it was Emmeline Ragot of France (Suspension Center) scoring her first big win. Favourite Sabrina Jonnier (France) front flatted, her first in as long as she can remember, and went down hard in a berm, ending her day. “My run was awesome. I tried to ride fast in the lower parts and stay smooth in the upper parts. After that I said let’s go! I tried pedalling and perfectly jumping the triple threat. I jumped so far on the road gap that I landed on the front wheel.” Close behind Ragot was Tracy Moseley (Great Britain) and Kathy Pruitt of the USA taking the bronze.

Canada’s Claire Buchar was sixth, with Micayla Gatto close on her heels in seventh. “My run was ok. I thought I was going to die a couple of times in the wind. The pedal to the finish was brutal. I wanted a top five, but back to the drawing board,” said Gatto.

Buchar thinks it was the pedalling at the end of the track that got her. “I’m a bit disappointed, I made one big mistake at the top. I nearly slid out and lost all of my speed. I did my best and sixth is alright, but the pedalling killed me. I am good at the jumps and the technical bits, but at carrying speed and being powerful I’m not the strongest. I need to work on that for next year.”