April 22, 2018 (Losinj, Croatia) – The 2018 Mercedes-Benz UCI MTB World Cup DH#1 kicked off this weekend in Losinj, Croatia as the new track debuted with Aaron Gwin (US) The YT Mob and Myriam Nicole (Fra) Commencal / Vallnord taking home first round victories as Canadian Lucas Cruz was just off the podium finishing fourth in the Junior Men’s DH competition.
The race track on Losinj is one-of-a-kind set atop a picturesque Island amidst the Adriatic Sea. The start gate boasts breathtaking views that are soon forgotten as you drop into what amounts to a 2km long rock garden.
Rough and not forgiving in the least, a crash here potentially means a trip to the emergency room as jagged rocks from walls all along the track, leave little room for a safe landing. Unique on the World Cup, the track ends with a quick sprint through the ancient port town of Veli Losinj and finishes up seaside.
Sporting her rainbow stripes, Canada’s Miranda Miller (Specialized), the reigning women’s DH world champ, ended up 11th on the day after flatting in her qualifying run.
Rachel Atherton (Gbr) Trek Factory was the fastest qualifier but Nicole, sporting the #1 plate, was untouchable putting her stamp on 2018 and getting off to a flying start. Pompon took home gold in convincing fashion, putting four seconds into perennial favourite Atherton with Tahnee Seagrave (Gbr) Transition Bikes / MUC-Off Factory Racing third.
Mark Wallace (Canyon Factory Downhill Team) was the top Canadian in the Elite Men’s race finishing 23rd as Gwin took home the first win of the 2018 MTB World Cup downhill season besting fellow American Luca Shaw (Santa Cruz Syndicate) by 0.8 of a second. Australian Dean Lucas (Intense Factory Racing) hung on for 3rd place another 0.4 seconds back.
“So stoked to be back at the races with my team. We had a great weekend together and I’m proud of all the guys for their hard work and successes this weekend. The new bike worked flawless and I’m super excited that we got our first win on it. Good times here in Croatia, lookin’ forward to the rest of the season,” said Gwin.
Wallace wasn’t thrilled with his run, but the course was demanding and a tiny mistake could cost you big. “There wasn’t any huge things, I just made some small mistakes and they added up. It’s hard at this track,” said Wallace.
Magnus Manson finished 30th and Henry Fitzgerald (Norco Factory) was 47th. Former Junior Worlds and World Cup champ Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) suffered a crash and ended up 56th on the day.
For the Juniors, Canada’s Cruz looks ready to crack the podium with his 4th-place finish in the men’s race, as newcomers Thibaut Daprela (Fra) and Valentina Holl (AUS) blew apart their fields, serving notice that both first-year juniors are here to play. Deprela would have been top 20 in the Elite men’s race and Hold would have been just off the podium in the women’s competition. in the Junior was just off the podium finishing fourth in the Junior Men’s DH competition.
Results here.
